Derek Hersey

Who was Derek Hersey?

Derek Geoffrey Hersey was a British rock climber and for many years an icon of the Boulder, Colorado climbing scene. Hersey was a master of unroped "free solo" climbing, often in the 5.10–5.11 range. Few climbers have tried to repeat his achievements, which include many of Colorado's hardest traditional routes.

Originally from Stretford, Greater Manchester, England, Hersey referred to Eldorado Canyon as his 'office', where he could be seen on any day of the week, if not on a road trip to Yosemite National Park or elsewhere. He also referred to Boulder, Colorado's Liquor Mart as 'The Shrine', and described his climbing-chalk bag as 'my bag of courage'. Hersey was featured in Climbing Magazine and posthumously in the film Front Range Freaks. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 138 pounds. He spoke with a strong Manchester accent.

Hersey was introduced to climbing by his father, who went hiking near Manchester every week. Hersey learned to climb on the gritstone of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire. In 1983, after being unemployed for five years in England, Hersey decided to travel to the United States, where he lived for the rest of his life.