Tom Higgins (rock climber)

[2] He began climbing in the early 1960s with partners Bud (later Ivan) Couch and Russ McLean on the sandstone boulders and short cliffs of Stony Point near Los Angeles.

Higgins began climbing in the High Sierra in California with the first ascent of the East Buttress of Agassiz Needle, Temple Crag with Couch; and the North Face of Mt.

In 1964, Higgins and Couch visited Wales, U.K., and climbed on a borrowed rope and slings threaded with machine nuts as protection with pitons was forbidden in the cliffs.

[5] In Tuolumne Meadows above Yosemite Valley, Higgins teamed with Kamps, Vern Clevenger, Pat Ament, Chris Vandiver, Tom Gerughty and other partners to create new routes.

Resulting now popular routes include Lucky Streaks, Nerve Wrack Point, The Vision, Fairest of All, Curve Like Her, Thy Will Be Done and Piece de Resistance.

Outside the Meadows during the same period, Higgins climbed Hair Raiser Buttress with Clevenger at Granite Basin and first free of The Line with Frank Sarnquist at Lover's Leap, California.

On the Balconies at Pinnacles National Monument, Higgins climbed Shake and Bake with Chris Vandiver, and did the first free ascent of the Sacherer, Bradley & Roper route.