Climbing Resume for John Middendorf

General Info

• Born 1959 in New York City. Climber and adventurer since 1974.
• Graduated with honors from Stanford University,1983 with degree in Engineering.
• Owner of A5 Adventures, Inc. 1986-1997
• Writer of articles in many worldwide climbing magazines.
• Co-author of How to Rock Climb: Big Walls, by John Long and John Middendorf.
• Keynote Speaker for 1994 annual American Alpine Club meeting in Salt Lake City.
• River Guide on the Grand Canyon (1998-2001)

Significant Climbing Ascents

First Ascent of The Autobahn, SW Face of Half Dome, V, 5.11+.
First Ascent of The Atlantic Ocean Wall, El Capitan, VI, 5.10, A5.
First Ascent of Flight of the Albatross, El Capitan VI, 5.10, A3+.
First Ascent of The Kaliyuga, NW Face of Half Dome, VI, 5.10, A4.
First Ascent of Route 66, Yosemite Falls Wall, VI, 5.10, A4.
First Winter Ascent of Zenyatta Mendatta, El Capitan, VI, 5.10, A5.
First Ascent of Abraham, Zion National Park, VI, 5.10, A4.
First Ascent of The Swiss-American Route, Zion National Park, VI, 5.10, A4.
First Ascent on Issac, Zion National Park, V, 5.10+, A2 .
First Ascent of the West Face, Mountain of the Sun, Zion, VI 5.10, A3.
One day ascents of The Nose Route on El Capitan in 1985 and 1992.
First Winter Ascent of The Hallucinogen Wall, Black Canyon, VI, 5.11, A5.
First Solo Ascent of Standing Rock, Canyonlands, IV, 5.9, A3+.
On-sight Solo of NE Buttress, Higher Cathedral Rock, Yosemite, IV, 5.10.
First Ascent of The Third Eye, Mt. Hooker,Wind Rivers,Wyoming VI, 5.10, A4.
First Ascent of The Grand Voyage, Great Trango Tower in the Pakistan Karakoram.
Ascent of Cerro Torre, Patagonia (Compressor Route in 14 hours).

Selected Rigging and Guiding Experience

1979: Guide for Telluride Mountaineering School.
1984: Rigger for Gillette Commercial with John Bachar, "The Essence of Shaving", Yosemite.
1985: Rigger for Mike Hoover, ABC Sports special, "The Lost Arrow", Yosemite.
1992: Guide, the Nose Route.
1993: Guide, the Salathe Route.
1993: Head rigger for the ESPN Shield climb , a major rigging job which required managing five riggers and required 8 days of big wall climbing with the camerman (who received an emmy for the footage).
1994: Vertical Rigger and Camerman for Reebok Commercial: "Nancy Feagin's Dream", Zion National Park, Utah.
1995: Vertical Rigger for TV Series, "EXTREME".
2000: Vertical Camerman for Outdoor Life Network Baffin Island Adventure.

AVAILABLE FOR GUIDING AND RIGGING JOBS (Complete Rigging Resume available on Request).

Above: Day 10 of 14 on the wall, filming the Outdoor Life Network one-hour show in Baffin Island, 2000.

above: river guiding on the Grand Canyon (1998-2003)

Cameron Burn's article about John Middendorf which was published in Mountain Review

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