John Sherman (climber)
John Sherman (born 1959), nicknamed Verm (short for "Vermin") is an American rock climber and a pioneer in the promotion and development of the climbing discipline of bouldering.[1] He is also a climbing writer and photographer, and the originator of the V-grade system (after his nickname),[1] for grading the technical difficulty of boulder problems, which has since become one of the dominant grading systems worldwide.[2][3]
Sherman was a highly visible 'enigmatic' and 'colorful' character in the climbing world during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2000, when reviewing Sherman's latest book, Sherman Exposed: Slightly Censored Climbing Stories (1999), for the American Alpine Journal, climbing writer David Stevenson said: "If you’re of the opinion that Sherman is a raving lunatic, he’d probably be the last to argue with you. In fact, you’d do well to remember that he’s the one who very self-consciously gave you that impression in the first place. Don’t let the hyperbolic style fool you—this is one very smart guy", and also: "In Sherman we see the embodiment of both Royal Robbins and Warren Harding, a pair whose individual values are generally understood to be mutually exclusive. But Sherman somehow takes Harding’s semper farcimas and combines it with Robins pure, ground-up ethic. I suppose one of the tricks to reading Sherman is to know when he’s joking and when he’s serious: the answer is usually both a and b."[4]
Sherman came to public prominence as one of the foremost developers of the important Hueco Tanks bouldering area with over 400 first free ascents in the 1980s and early 1990s.[1] As well as being an early adopter of bouldering as a sport in its own right, through his books and writings, Sherman played an important role in the promotion and development of the sport around the world.[1] Sherman was the author of the important 1991 bouldering guidebook, Hueco Tanks Climbing and Bouldering Guide,[5] which launched the important V-grade rating system.[6][3][7]
Published works[edit]
- Sherman, John (1991). Hueco Tanks a Climbers and Boulderers Guide. Falcon Publishing. ISBN 978-0934641326.[5][6][3][7]
- Sherman, John (1994). Stone Crusade: A Historical Guide to Bouldering in America. American Alpine Club. ISBN 978-0930410575.[5]
- Sherman, John (1999). Sherman Exposed: Slightly Censored Climbing Stories. USA: Mountaineers Books. ISBN 978-0-89886-852-4.[8][4]
- Sherman, John (December 2017). Better Bouldering (3rd ed.). Falcon Guides. ISBN 978-1493029273.[9]
See also[edit]
- John Gill, a pioneer in modern bouldering
- Fred Nicole, a pioneer in modern bouldering
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Vance, Erik (22 April 2022). "A Beginner's Guide to Bouldering". New York Times. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Potts, Mary Anne (12 September 2011). "Climbing "the Strike" in the Black Hills Needles with Legendary John "Verm" Sherman". National Geographic. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ a b c Samet, Matt (24 March 2022). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Bouldering Grades". Climbing. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ a b Stevenson, David (2000). "Sherman Exposed: Slightly Censored Climbing Stories". American Alpine Journal. 42 (74): 414-415.
- ^ a b c "10 Most Influential North American Climbing Titles". Gripped Magazine. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ a b Laeser, Luke (27 January 2006). "The Source – How Hueco and a guidebook gave birth to modern bouldering". Climbing. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ a b Cote, Matt (12 May 2022). "12 Great Moments in Bouldering History: Plotting the sport's first ascents and groundbreaking advances". Outside. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Pendelton, Tim (16 January 2008). "Sherman Exposed: Slightly Censored Climbing Stories". Climbing. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ Potts, Mary Anne (17 January 2012). "Video: John "Verm" Sherman's Tips From the Updated Better Bouldering Book". National Geographic. Retrieved 25 May 2024.