What Will Happen in 2026 in Climbing? These Are Our Editors’ Predictions.

In the last 12 months of reporting on the climbing world, we told stories we never imagined would show up at our desks. Of course, there was the usual flurry of firsts straight out of Yosemite—though it certainly seemed like 2025 was a banner year for history made on El Cap. Then there were the weirder moments. Grand announcements of false summits. The death of a man who liked to climb down cliffs hands first. And the rise of climbing socks in parts of East Asia.

But among all the groundbreaking ascents and odd news...