Climber
Ben Cossey
Ben Cossey has been climbing for over 21 years and this time has made first ascents and repeats of the hardest sport route in the country. Not just a sport climber though Ben has made ascents of the hardest boulder problems in the country such as The Wheel Of Life (V15) and ascents of classic English “death routes” like his first ascent of the direct start to John Dunnes hyper-classic Parthian Shot (E9 6c) as well as the first ever solo ascent of Johnny Dawes slopey 80s test piece Gaia (e8 6c).
Ben grew up in The Blue Mountains west of Sydney where he is equally at home projecting new sport routes, as he is developing new bouldering areas such as The Ukulore Valley - a relatively unknown but super high quality bouldering area just outside of his hometown of Blackheath.
Whilst no slouch in competition (having won multiple national bouldering championships), Bens real love is spying new lines on the cliffs around his home and solo missions to develop new boulders in the endlessly deep valleys of the Blue Mountains.
He is known around town for being an obsessive trainer and he hopes to put this training to use on one of his projects at Centennial Glen this year. Dubbed Fixin’ To Die, it will likely fetch a grade in and around 36/37. This training will put him in good stead as he is also hoping to get back the Germanys Frankenjura to have another crack at the Wolfgang Gullich masterpiece Action Directe - route that he got achingly close to in 2012.
He works as a physiotherapist in Katoomba.
• First solo Ascent of the classic gritstone test-piece Gaia (E8 6c), Derbyshire, England
• First ascent of the harder direct start to Parthian Shot (E9 6c) at night by head torch
• First Australian ascent of The Red Project (35), Diamond Falls NSW Australia.
• Repeat of The Wheel Of Life (V15), Grampins, Vic. Australia.
• First ascent of Taipan Wall classic The Groove Train (33) in The Grampian, Vic. Australia.
Stay up-to-date with Ben on Instagram.