Black Diamond Presents Born From the Climbing Life: Of Legacy and Lineage
Salt Lake City, UT (March 17, 2026) — Black Diamond Equipment, a global leader in climbing, skiing, and mountain sports apparel and equipment, announces the launch of “Born From the Climbing Life: Of Legacy and Lineage”, a four-part video series highlighting the next generation of climbing and the traditions that built the sport. The series follows Black Diamond athlete Connor Herson as he sets out to climb some of the hardest trad routes in the world during a single season while exploring the personal history, mentorship, and climbing culture that shaped his path.
Born into a family of climbers, Connor grew up immersed in the rhythms of big walls and granite. “Of Legacy and Lineage” traces that upbringing, and documents Connor’s pursuit of dream lines around the world while balancing his studies in electrical engineering at Stanford University. Juggling coursework with his climbing goals, the season reflects not only his progression as a climber but also the discipline required to pursue objectives at the pinnacle of the sport alongside rigorous academic commitments.
“I grew as a person and climber more during this time than any other,” said Herson. “I got to travel to new places and climb with new people, gaining new lessons and experiences along the way. Climbing so many of my dream lines was the icing on the cake. But when I look back on the last year through the lens of these films, I feel immense gratitude for that opportunity and the way I’ll be able to look back fondly on this period of my life for years to come.”
The series is part of Black Diamond’s broader “Born From the Climbing Life” creative storytelling and product design platform, grounded in the ethos that has defined Black Diamond from the beginning: equipment designed by climbers, for climbers, shaping their lives both on and off the rock. As Herson’s season unfolds, from granite testpieces in Squamish to historic lines in Norway and France, the series highlights a global community of athletes who are continuing the traditions of climbing while redefining what’s possible moving forward.
“Connor is literally born from the climbing life; he was climbing big walls while most kids were playing tee-ball,” said Chris Parker, Content Manager at Black Diamond. “Documenting his 2025 season while he took a semester off from school was the obvious next evolution of this project. What transpired over the course of a few months, however, was beyond anything we could have imagined. And what will unfold in this series will surely be remembered as one of the most epic climbing seasons of all time. It’s historic.”
The series premieres on March 17, with new episodes released every two weeks. The final episode will also debut in the Mellow Film Tour. Online, the episodes come paired with accompanying essays by members of the Black Diamond climbing team—Babsi Zangerl, Jacobo Larcher, Ethan Salvo, and Herson himself—as well as Herson’s father, Jim Herson, an accomplished big wall climber in his own right who played a pivotal role in kicking off his son’s climbing trajectory. The series also connects viewers directly to the equipment and apparel that supported Herson along the way, refined by his experiences at the cutting edge of climbing, with each release featuring a curated collection of the gear behind each ascent.
Episode Release Schedule
- Episode 1 — March 17, 2026
- Episode 2 — March 31, 2026
- Episode 3 — April 14, 2026
- Episode 4 — April 28, 2026
Episodes and all accompanying assets will be available at https://blackdiamondequipment.com/blogs/news/of-legacy-and-lineage.
About Black Diamond Equipment
Black Diamond Equipment is a global leader in designing innovative outdoor-engineered equipment and apparel for climbing, skiing, and mountain sports. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, Black Diamond is known for its commitment to performance, durability, and purposeful design.