10/09/2026
Jesse Grupper - Dreamcatcher 5.14d
“Dreamcatcher was first done in 2005. I was a highly energetic kid who had just found climbing and was too oblivious to pay attention to media.
But! When I did, this was one of the first routes that caught my eye. I was inspired by photos of climbers I looked up to, feet swinging on one of the most iconic climbs on the continent.
I put a lot of work into a flash attempt for it. I felt ready, but had a pretty anticlimactic fall on the start slab. No regrets trying for something hard just based on the end result. I tried again. I learned the slab. 🙃
After not flashing, I was worried sending wouldn’t feel as meaningful. But when I topped it out on my second day, I was truly psyched: I was surprised I held it together after I split a tip on the slab, cut my feet in the wrong place, and maybe got the trophy for LKA (longest known ascent)😅
Thankful for all of the people there and afar who continue to believe in me and who made this journey possible. “ - Jesse
Shoutout to Aron Hailey for the photos 📸
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