22-year-old American Connor Herson became the first person to repeat the rarely climbed test piece "Towing the Line" (8c) at Empath Cliff in Kirkwood, California. The route offers powerful climbing in the style of Carlo Traversi, characterized by technical precision, well-thought-out moves, and flawless granite.
Almost every style is represented in a single mega-pitch. Another classic is born.
Carlo Traversi after his first ascent of »Towing the Line«
Dreamlines in Kirkwood
In June 2021, he climbed Herson the adjacent line »empath(9a+) in Kirkwood. The route was established by Carlo Traversi After its first ascent in 2020, it was graded 9a+. In 2022, he returned to Kirkwood to climb the line in trad style. Herson described Empath as "one of the best routes out there, with some of the best moves I've ever done on granite." Tommy Caldwell, who climbed Empath in May 2025, graded it 8c based on a new beta. He felt the route would be significantly easier with a good sequence of hand jams. Officially, however, the line was not downgraded. Empath Cliff continued to fascinate Herson, and years later he turned his attention to the second Carlo Traversi line, which, unlike its famous neighbor, had not seen a repeat since its first ascent.
First replay for Connor Herson
In October 2025, Herson returned to Empath Cliff to tackle its lesser-known neighbor: "Towing the Line" (8c). A classic, powerful, and technically demanding Carlo Traversi-style climb along a long, striking line on perfect granite, with varied and well-considered moves. Originally graded 8c, Herson didn't suggest a new grade, but noted that the climb felt comparable in difficulty to Empath. The moves, he explains, easily rival the best granite routes he's climbed. "The line changes quite quickly from impossible to almost easy," the 22-year-old American says in the short documentary about his ascent. "The climbing is powerful, but you can quickly build up the strength you need. It takes time to figure out the crux moves, but once you do, you can repeat them again and again."
Trad talent Herson
Connor Herson grew up in California and was introduced to crack and big-wall climbing at an early age in Yosemite Valley. Even as a youngster, he achieved free ascents of established routes, for example, free climbing the Nose on El Capitan at the age of 15. Before his eighteenth birthday, he completed the challenge of sending fifty routes between 8b+ and 9a. In the following years, his focus increasingly shifted to demanding trad routes, including repeats of internationally renowned test pieces such as... Meltdown, Magic Line and empath.
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Credits: All images provided by Black Diamond