New women's speed record on 'Naked Edge' set by Kate Kelleghan, Laura Pineau

Speed climbing is undoubtedly somewhat of a niche activity and while much of the attention in the US centers on The Nose in Yosemite, many other climbs serve as key reference points for local climbing communities. One such route is the Naked Edge in Eldorado Canyon near Boulder, Colorado - a proving ground for many big names in American climbing.

First ascended by Rick Horn and Layton Kor in 1964 and freed by Jim Erickson and Duncan Ferguson in 1971, this 150m 5.11b route now sees fierce speed competition. The men's record stands at 22 minutes 44 seconds, set by Stefan Griebel and Joe Kennedy. Until recently, the women's record was held by Becca Droz and Kate Kelleghan at 37 minutes 40 seconds. However, on 28 March, Kelleghan returned with France's Laura Pineau to break her own record, setting a new time of 37 minutes 8 seconds. The pair started at the bridge, simul-climbed the route and raced back down to the starting point to beat the previous time by a mere 32 seconds. Here's their full report.

37 MINUTES 8 SECONDS OF MADNESS by Kate Kelleghan & Laura Pineau

The Naked Edge… a historic and storied route in the climbing hub of Boulder, Colorado. I grew up in Boulder, and this route was on my radar from the first year I started climbing. The edge is known as a stout test piece of 5.11 Eldorado Canyon climbing. Because of its short cruxes and relatively straight line up the formation, it has attracted a squad of climbers who climb the whole thing in one pitch with a short rope and a handful of micro traxions… and time themselves. Naturally, a speed record was born. Legends like Brad Gobright have fought for this record, running up the approach and down the descent in sport shoes to cut time.

My first time on the edge, I fell on every 5.11 pitch, and it took almost 8 hours to get to the top. Oof. After being inducted into the eclectic and wonderful crew of Naked Edge speed addicts, I whittled my time down over seasons, trying to get closer to the mythical pioneers who had gone sub 30. I realized that no women were speed climbing the edge, much less with another woman. Thus, I wrangled Eldo crusher and aficionado Becca Droz. Together, we went faster and faster, setting the first-ever women’s record at 37:40 in September of 2021. I left the next day for Yosemite, and that was the last time I pushed for speed on the edge.
That is, until I met Laura.

"Speed climbing? Never heard of that." At least, that was me — your average European climber — until I landed in Yosemite in April 2023. Back home in France, climbing is all about technique, patience, and enjoying a nice baguette at the crag. But in Yosemite? Everyone’s obsessed with climbing big walls in a single day and doing it fast.

Enter Kate. She came to France this winter and would not stop talking about the Naked Edge as the ultimate training for our Yosemite goals. Naturally, I got curious. Would it feel hard? Scary?

Spoiler alert: Not great. My first attempt was... let’s just say, ‘character-building.’ The climbing felt sketchy, the gear placements were finicky, and I wondered how Kate and Becca Droz managed to do it in 37min40s a few years back. Were they wizards? They must be.

But rather than let that humbling experience crush my spirit, Kate and I went back with a strategy. She explained the microbeta, move by move, until we were cruising with her leading the whole route in a single pitch from top to bottom. We tracked our splits on the Coros Vertix, trying to cut minutes off our approach solo, the climb itself, and the descent with each burn. We cut a meter or two off the rope each day, until it was the perfect length to keep at least one cam or micro traxion between us at all times.

The Speed Tactics: Warm-up Lap: A chill warm-up. No running. No pressure. Just remembering the moves and descending at a "normal human” pace. Speed Lap: Chaos mode engaged. Sprint the approach. Climb in one continuous pitch. Heart rate racing the whole time. Bomb back down the 5.2 slab descent in climbing shoes.

On the big day, our warm-up lap went smoothly. Then, we fumbled a little on our speed lap. Some shoelace issues and a loose rope coil landed us 10 seconds too late. We were a bit heartbroken but figured with half a day left… why not just try one more time? A third lap, max effort. A few hours later, we sprinted across the bridge at 37 minutes and 08 seconds, slicing 32 seconds off the previous record.

The secret to beating the record? For Kate: 80 laps on the route. For myself: the willingness to run down 5th class slab in TC Pros.

Speed climbing might not be for the faint of heart, but with the right partner, a supportive community to cheer you on, and just a little bit of recklessness, you might just break a record. Or at least, your own personal fear threshold. But watch out, because once you start… you’ll never stop.

Kate Kelleghan & Laura Pineau