[Ethan]

Another 8c+ for Sasha Digiulian, Cosi fan tutte in Rodellar.

[Bonjoy]

That route is stunning, possibly the best sport route i've ever seen.

[Pantontino]

Nick Bullock has made the second ascent of Melody, Stevie Haston's HXS/E9 at Craig Dorys:

http://news.v12outdoor.com/2011/09/05/melody-hxse9-6bc-repeated/

(Edit: Oops, didn't notice that Ray had already posted a news item - anyway, there's a topo in the V12 news piece)

[Paul B]

That route is stunning, possibly the best sport route i've ever seen.

More details here:
http://27crags.com/teams/27-crags/blog/interview-with-sasha-digiulian

(it took me a while to work out that it was at piscinetta which looks a lot nicer without the mass of ropes that were hanging when I visited)

[Carnage]

James Kassay finally made the 2nd Australian ascent of Wheel of Life today. Top effort!

[Moo]

it amazes me that anyone can do this many moves in a row at this angle at this level of difficulty what's the proposed route grade on this thing?

[Yoof]

Why are nuns called nuns?

Dictionary says:" In medieval latin, nunnus and nunna were titles of respect accorded respectively to old men and old women in general. In due course they came to be applied specifically to "monks" and "nuns". The masculine form has since disappeared, but thr feminine nonna was borrowed into Old English as nunne. This was subsequently reinforced in the 13th century by Old French nonne."

Good effort to Aunaud P etitwith yhis F8b +trad. Hanging on and hauling up gear after an 8a is just godly+ doing the rest of the route. Awesome.

[Ethan]

8b+, 8b and an 8a, all onsight by Sasha DiGiulian today! Machine.

[Carnage]

what's the proposed route grade on this thing?

It was only given one by Ethan Pringle and he suggested 9a. The Cave has been regraded since the new guide and the Wheel is now sections of V8 (10 moves-ish) - V11/12 (20 moves-ish)- V9 (20 moves-ish) - V11 (10 moves-ish) finish. It still has a (in my view more logical) direct finish to go which adds the finish of Aminiotic World which, whilst again is only V5, its much more fall-offable than the usual finish. I think Kassay is after this next. This guy is 'Mr HMC'- you've never seen anyone with all these probs as wired as him.

[Ethan]

Seems like Ashima Shiraishi is pretty handy on a rope as well.


http://www.dpmclimbing.com/articles/view/ashima-shiraishi-crushes-red-river-gorge

[Doylo]

How does French 9a equate to Font 8c+. Think somethings gone astray there!

[ding dong]

How does French 9a equate to Font 8c+. Think somethings gone astray there!

thats what i was wondering.

[Kingy]

I think Pringle used all knee bar faggotry going but Kassay shunned all of that. So maybe it is 9b without knee bars?

[cofe]

What nonsense. Like the people who refuse to accept you can use the back of your foot too.

[clgladiator]

there's a back of your foot? ! 

[Nemo]

Great effort sticking with the uber siege from James Kassay.  10 years is a long time…  It’s clearly desperate for boulderers or people who’ve only climbed short routes.
 
But from my armchair, which has never been to Australia, my impression is that the hardest part about this “problem” is recovering at the rests.  Ethan’s the only real stamina wad to have done it and he made it pretty clear that he didn’t think it was very hard.  He said that it felt more like French 8c+/9a, and that none of the sections are harder than Font 8A.

It does sound like a couple of sections are a bit easier if you’re tall, and sure Ethan used kneepads (think the other ascentionists used kneebars – the fuss was more about kneepads than kneebars).  But I agree with Cofe – you can choose not to use anything you like on a problem...  But last time I checked this was called doing eliminates.  In terms of proper problems or routes, you can use a sticky rubber wetsuit if you think it’s gonna help. 

So don’t want to be a miserable barstool, and it doesn’t really matter, but I’m surprised that most websites continue to report this as a Font 8C+ (which is essentially making out that it’s the hardest problem in the world).  It just stikes me as a bit absurd.  Surely Font 8B+ or French 9a depending on what mood you’re in would be more appropriate?  And just accept that boulderers are gonna have a mare on it cos they can’t recover at the rests? 

There were a couple of interviews with Ethan after he did it:
http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/ithe_wheel_of_lifei_sees_third_ascent_by_pringle/
http://www.petzl.com/us/outdoor/news-2/2010/08/17/ethan-pringle-wheel-life-and-why-grades-can-t-be-ignored


Also, not seen it mentioned on here…  A few weeks back, Dai Koyamada repeated what I think was the last unrepeated Font 8C in Switzerland? – Daniel Woods’ problem In Search Of Time Lost.

[Duma]

According to her website Charlotte Durif has done a 9a Les 3 P... in the Grotte de Galetas

Obviously this has caused some discussion courtesy of jens shit stirring and kairn etc not reporting it, they've now put something up re the nonreporting policy but my french is shite and google translate leaves much to be desired (though I do like the "swedish troll crying conspiracy" line). Anyone with better language skills care to give us the gist of this: http://www.kairn.com/news_escalade~76428.responsabilite.html?#n76428 please?

[abarro81]

I love google translate. My conclusion is that they don't think much of Charlotte 'Miss plays the shy virgin' or Jens 'the Swedish troll'. If those really are the translations then Kairn are awesome - imagine UKC writing that!

[mark s]

Turner+boom bip=tick

[SA Chris]

Nice one Andi. H

as "The Devil is in the Details" at Black Rocks been repeated btw? Andi or Willackers to get it first?

[north_country_boy]

Nice one Andi. H

as "The Devil is in the Details" at Black Rocks been repeated btw? Andi or Willackers to get it first?

Its well documented that Willackers is in fact short, and rubbish at jumping so he is unlikely to stand any chance of repeating The Devil is in The Details _{(some or all of this statement may not be true)}

[SA Chris]

Indeed, whereas Andi T is short and rubbish at jumping so he is unlikely to stand any chances of repeating TDIITD. Ground up?

As completely dissimilar as two completely dissimilar things in a pod they are.

[duncan]

Turner+boom bip=tick

Golly.  I looked (firmly from the ground) up at this recently and it seemed to involve jumping half the height of the crag.

[mark s]

You get up higher than what it looks from the ground.its the jumping position that makes it hard.the top is a bit rounded.its still a full on dyno rather than just some punter style lack of power slap at a hold.

[Bonjoy]

Effort Andi!
This reminds me I spotted a good looking unclimbed line of this genre at Black Rocks on sat. Up the wall left of Untoward, massive jug rail to smaller jug. Didn't look super hard but not really my bag.