Magnus Rognan Midtbø (born 18 September 1988)[8] is a Norwegian rock climber, competition climber, and YouTube video blogger. He was born in Bergen, Norway. He retired from competition climbing in 2017.

Magnus Rognan Midtbø
Midtbø in 2010
Personal information
Born (1988-09-18) 18 September 1988 (age 36)
Bergen, Norway
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Weight71 kg (157 lb)
Climbing career
Type of climber
Highest grade
Medal record
World Games
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Cali Lead
World Cup (Individual Legs)
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Chamonix Leg Lead
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Kranj Leg Lead
Updated on 16 June 2019
Magnus Midtbø
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2011–present
Genre(s)Climbing, Vlog, Sport
Subscribers2.4 million[5]
Total views421.5 million[4][5]
100,000 subscribers2018[6]
1,000,000 subscribers2021[7]

Last updated: January 27, 2024

Climbing career

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Rock climbing

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Midtbø started climbing in 2000 at 11 years of age after his mother enrolled him in a class. After just one year of climbing, he won the Norwegian Youth Championship, and a year later, in 2002, he on-sighted his first 8a (5.13b) sport climbing route Øgletryne at the Sageveggen rock wall, near Bergen.[9][10][11]

In August 2010, he completed the route Ali Hulk sit start extension in Rodellar, Spain.[12] The first ascent was made by Daniel Andrada [fr] in 2007. The grade was initially proposed at 9b (5.15b), but was later downgraded to 9a /b, and then further to 9a (5.14d) in 2023.[1][2]

In May 2013, Midtbø returned to Rodellar to on-sight the sport climbing route Cosi fan tutte which is graded at 8c  (5.14c). As of April 2013, the highest-ever climbing grade to be on-sighted is just one grade higher at 9a (5.14d).[3]

In March 2015, he redpointed Papichulo at Oliana at 9a  (5.15a).[13]

Competition climbing

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In 2005, Midtbø won the World Youth Championships in Beijing, China.[14][15] After graduating from high school in 2007, Midtbø moved to Innsbruck, Austria where he trained with other leading competition climbers including David Lama, Jakob Schubert, and Anna Stöhr. Midtbø was particularly impressed by Lama.[16]

Midtbø retired from competitive climbing in May 2017,[17] saying: "I still get motivated just by climbing. I think some people need a specific goal, but I’ve never felt like I needed one. It sounds really cheesy, I know. I just love climbing. I love being in the nature. I love the feeling of feeling free, but it is like that you know. I don’t know. I like the lifestyle, I like traveling, I like trying hard, and most of all, I like the feeling of feeling really fit, really strong, the feeling of being able to climb anything."[18]

Media career

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Midtbø runs an eponymous YouTube channel, which had over two million subscribers as of November 2023.[19]

In 2013, Magnus Midtbø participated in a German TV show Der Deutsche Meister (the German Champion) as the international contestant in the Reckstangenklettern (salmon ladder) challenge. Midtbø beat the German contestant.[20][21]

In 2016, Midtbø was criticized for publishing a picture of himself hanging off the Trolltunga rock formation in Norway. He was wearing a safety harness but local police officers were concerned the stunt might inspire others to replicate it without taking proper safety precautions.[22][23][24]

In January 2020, Magnus Midtbø represented Team Europe in American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. The World.[25]

In 2022, Magnus uploaded one of his most viral videos where he documented his experience free solo climbing with Alex Honnold.[26]

Personal life

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His sister, Hannah Midtbø (born 1990), is also a professional climber. She won the Nordic Championships (NM) in the lead climbing discipline in 2006[8] and has been a bouldering competitor at various IFSC World Cups and European Championships.[27]

Rankings

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[28] [29] [30]

World Games

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World Games record:

Discipline 2013
Cali
[31]
Lead 3

Number of medals in the IFSC Climbing World Cup

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IFSC Climbing World Cup

Lead

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Season Gold Silver Bronze Total
2011 1 1
2012 1 1
Total 0 0 2 2

USA Climbing

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USA Climbing

Discipline 2010[32] 2011[33]
Lead 1 1

IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships

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IFSC Climbing World Youth Championships

Discipline 2005
Youth A[15]
Lead 1

Number of medals in the Climbing European Youth Cup / Series

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Lead

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European Youth Cup Winner: 2005,[34] 2006,[35] 2007[36]

Season Category Gold Silver Bronze Total
2003 Youth B 1 1
2004 Youth A 1 1
2005 Youth A 3 2 5
2006 Junior 3 3
2007 Junior 4 1 5
Total 11 4 0 15

Scandinavia

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  • Nordic champion 7 years in a row (2005–2011)
  • Norwegian champion 11 years in a row (2005–2015)[24][8]

References

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  1. ^ a b Fernandez, Isaac (15 May 2023). "Dani Moreno chains 'Ali Hulk extension total sit start' and leaves it in 9a" [es]. Desnivel (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b Björn Pohl (October 2010). "Video: Magnus Midtboe climbs 9b". UK Climbing. Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Magnus Midtbø onsights 8c at Rodellar in Spain". Planetmountain. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Magnus Midtbø - YouTube". YouTube.
  5. ^ a b "About Magnus Midtbø". YouTube.
  6. ^ "100 Boulders in One Session - 100K subs special". YouTube. 28 December 2018.
  7. ^ "Climbing with Adam Ondra - the World's Best Climber". YouTube. 28 October 2021.
  8. ^ a b c "Magnus Rognan Midtbø in Store Norske Leksikon". Archived from the original on Oct 23, 2016.
  9. ^ Tijl. "Magnus Midtbø". belclimb.net. Archived from the original on Sep 29, 2018.
  10. ^ "Øgletryne Sageveggen". 8a.nu. Archived from the original on Jun 15, 2019.
  11. ^ "The line is blurry. Øgletryne was the first 8a I ever did and now 15 years later it's my first 8a without a rope[...]". facebook.com. Archived from the original on Jun 16, 2019.
  12. ^ Björn Pohl (August 2010). "Magnus Midtbø interview". UK Climbing. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  13. ^ "Magnus Midtbø climbs Papichulo at Oliana". PlanetMountain. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Athlet Magnus midtbø". whiteout-climbing.de. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019.
  15. ^ a b "UIAA World Youth Championship - Bejing [sic] (CHN) 2005 - Result: male youth A lead". Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  16. ^
  17. ^ "Retirement announcement". Facebook. May 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  18. ^ Mitdbo, Magnus (4 December 2017). "NO CLIMBING COMPETITIONS? - Q&A | VLOG #95". Youtube. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  19. ^ "Magnus Midtbø - YouTube". YouTube.
  20. ^ "Wuppertaler erfolgreich in ARD-Show". Westdeutsche Zeitung. 3 November 2013. Archived from the original on June 15, 2019.
  21. ^ "Die Gewinner der Finalshow". ARD. Archived from the original on March 21, 2017.
  22. ^ "Norway climber slammed for Trolltunga stunt". 2 August 2016.
  23. ^ "Mange mente jeg var gal og dum (Many thought I was crazy and stupid)". NRK. 11 August 2016. Archived from the original on Aug 17, 2016.
  24. ^ a b "Her henger Magnus (27) fra Trolltunga (Here, Magnus (27) hangs from Trolltunga)". NRK. 30 July 2016. Archived from the original on Aug 17, 2016.
  25. ^ "Get to Know the Ninja Warriors of Team Europe". American Ninja Warrior Nation. 24 January 2020. Archived from the original on February 7, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  26. ^ Redaktion (2022-06-19). "Alex Honnold takes Magnus Midtbo to free solo climbing". Lacrux Klettermagazin. Retrieved 2024-05-27.
  27. ^ "Hannah Midtboe (IFSC profile)". Archived from the original on Oct 11, 2018.
  28. ^ "IFSC old website: Magnus Midtboe - All Results (2010)". Archived from the original on Dec 7, 2010.
  29. ^ "IFSC old website: Magnus Midtboe - Best Results (2012)". Archived from the original on Jul 27, 2012.
  30. ^ Mitdbo, Magnus. "About Me (2012)". Archived from the original on Nov 13, 2016.
  31. ^ "World Games 2013 Cali result book: Climbing" (PDF). worldgames2013.sportresult.com. Swiss Timing. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-09-12.
  32. ^ "2010 SCS Open National Championship Results". Archived from the original on Mar 7, 2017.
  33. ^ "DiGiulian, Midtbø Win 2011 SCS Open National Championships". Archived from the original on Sep 11, 2018.
  34. ^ "European Youth Cup 2005: male youth A lead". Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  35. ^ "European Youth Cup 2006: male juniors lead". Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  36. ^ "European Youth Series 2007: male juniors lead". Archived from the original on June 16, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
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