[AMorris]

but now that's only 8B+?

One of the people to downgrade it this week said on Insta: "About the grade, it would be aesy to achieve one of my bigest dreams taking it as an 8C but it would’nt be fair... I think it’s more appropriate to grade it 8B+," even though he's not climbed 8B+ before and it took him 15-20 days? Smacks of competitive downgrading to me.

Isn't this from Antoine Kauffmans insta talking about his ascent of the Big Island (8C)? Rather than Simon Lorenzi on the Big Island Assis (which as far as I can see, he has yet to comment on.

[36chambers]

https://fanatic-climbing.com/simon-lozenzi-ouvre-the-big-island-assis-simon-lorenzi-fas-the-big-island-sit

After a good twenty days of rather wet and warm conditions for the season, it was finally Simon who made the first ascent of the boulder when the big sticky reappeared  yesterday.

god bless the big sticky!

[cofe]

No man is an Island climber.

[36chambers]

Smack of competitive downgrading to me.

Tell this amateur I'll see him at Paris 2024 

He told me 2023 was more appropriate...

[cheque]

More like 2022+ for anyone over 5’5” I reckon.

[MischaHY]

More like 2022+ for anyone over 5’5” I reckon.

20,21D (R) if you have small hands from what I've heard.

[MischaHY]

but now that's only 8B+?

One of the people to downgrade it this week said on Insta: "About the grade, it would be aesy to achieve one of my bigest dreams taking it as an 8C but it would’nt be fair... I think it’s more appropriate to grade it 8B+," even though he's not climbed 8B+ before and it took him 15-20 days? Smacks of competitive downgrading to me.

It doesn't surprise me that someone who hasn't climbed 8B+ can climb the Island.

Nor me. I'm just wondering what yardstick he's using to declare 8B+ is the appropriate grade?

Whenever I see someone who always downgrades or always upgrades I suspect their grade-o-meter is out of whack. I would never personally feel confident to comment either way on a first of the grade. I'm usually just thankful I didn't all off (again)!

[cowboyhat]

. Someone needs to stick their neck out and give it a big number or 8C is gonna be the new 6c.

it already is

[gme]

. Someone needs to stick their neck out and give it a big number or 8C is gonna be the new 6c.

it already is

8C has been standard for a while in my eyes, seems like they are done every week, entry level to hard stuff like 9b is to routes. 8C+ is world class is it not. And i cant believe this wont be 8C+ unless its been Barrowsed.

[Wood FT]

And outta nowhere.... he grades it 9A!

 https://www.instagram.com/p/CLFXX58DbGN/?igshid=wrw44rsuv70c

Good

[Fiend]

  9A 

[remus]

Thank fuck for that.

[gme]

Perfect. So good to see font still at the cutting edge.

[cheque]

Respect to the guy for sticking his neck out and giving it a high grade. For climbing it as well obviously.

[Bradders]

Am I right he's called it Soudain Seul, which translates as Suddenly Alone?

Excited to see the video! 

[teestub]

Unfortunately he used a kneepad, and has therefore missed the opportunity to join Shark’s Ethical Thought  Leadership Program.

Looks like there’s been some great conditions in Font recently 😭

[jwi]

Am I right he's called it Soudain Seul, which translates as Suddenly Alone?

Seems that way. Soudain, Seuls (seuls is pronounced as seul) is also the title of a novel about a couple shipwrecked on an island, by the sailor/writer Isabelle Autissier.

[remus]

Respect to the guy...For climbing it as well obviously.

Let's not get bogged down in the details.

[carlisle slapper]

Big News!

I Spotted he'd had found small person beta for the Island when he did it and wondered if that'd open the door to this for the smaller but fitter builds. Another good example of mega comp talent focussing on obvious projects. I'm more chuffed about it not just being a big bloke problem than the difficulty to be honest as at 168cm there must be 7C's etc in font that he'd find utterly desperate (tarpe diem, modulor, tour de babel etc) so its nice that its a 9A that all sizes can have a poke at. It was formerly looking like only the +6ft club had a shout which doesn't always represent true "difficutly" as tall people are never allowed to point out about their worse power to weight ratios due to the constant drone of the little voices shouting morpho round their knees. To still be improving beta after 25sessions shows its pretty intricate or good attention to detail and amazing commitment in that its probably his local bouldering but a flipping long way from belgium. It's certainly not a mindset i've ever seen from an equally near london climbing contingent, must be the ferry or something spoiling the weekend wad development vibes which you see from the dutchies and belgians.

i find the grades in font vary wildly like everywhere (and its sheer variety humbles anyone who gets cocky anyway), the personal hardest blocs i've ever tried in font have been 8A+s like double face and Futures Barbares gauche. I thought the BI after one quick look was very much in the Pochon Elephunk grading Style than the Frigault grading camp. So surely people just gradually learn to take the soft "N"B+s etc to cushion the sandbag "N"A+'s, because making grades an exact science is impossible. regardless of the stand grade and beta advances, this is clearly on another level of Fitness compression compared to anything worldwide. Its hard for it to sink in that its been nearly 10 years since i met Jan in font when he first started getting stuck into this, but then again i only know of dabblers or far away holiday trips, it seems only in the last 2 years that the "locals" have really got stuck in. There are still lots of famous doable projects that've held out for a similar time. two mega obvious ones being pilier to desert assis, and Imhothep assis  (got a vid somewhere of me doing the crux move on this from a trip 9 years ago, never been back on it!) they must hopefully have their days numbered now from the next gen youths.

[Andy W]

Impressive  indeed, but sticking something hard under a knee pad? In an interview on 8a he says "Using a stiff kneepad with something under (I first tried with old chunks of wood)." I wonder what he used in the end.

Anyhow I definitely think that's cheating 

[Ru]

Impressive  indeed, but sticking something hard under a knee pad? In an interview on 8a he says "Using a stiff kneepad with something under (I first tried with old chunks of wood)." I wonder what he used in the end.

Anyhow I definitely think that's cheating 

A book, apparently. The 8a.nu interview suggests it was to make his leg longer to fit the kneebar. I have some sympathy with that.  Where it fits into the ethical continuum I don't know.

[Andy W]

Impressive  indeed, but sticking something hard under a knee pad? In an interview on 8a he says "Using a stiff kneepad with something under (I first tried with old chunks of wood)." I wonder what he used in the end.

Anyhow I definitely think that's cheating 

A book, apparently. The 8a.nu interview suggests it was to make his leg longer to fit the kneebar. I have some sympathy with that.  Where it fits into the ethical continuum I don't know.

ha I love that...what book? surely that must now be important, I hope it was a French book.

[turnipturned]

Impressive  indeed, but sticking something hard under a knee pad? In an interview on 8a he says "Using a stiff kneepad with something under (I first tried with old chunks of wood)." I wonder what he used in the end.

Anyhow I definitely think that's cheating 

A book, apparently. The 8a.nu interview suggests it was to make his leg longer to fit the kneebar. I have some sympathy with that.  Where it fits into the ethical continuum I don't know.

I think that really depends on what book it was, there is a big difference between 'of mice and men' and 'Lord of the rings'. I do think it would be cheating if he used a hardback bible though.

[teestub]

No way, imagine the weight penalty of having a hefty tome taped to your leg for the rest of that upside down clamping, seems like a fair exchange to me.

[jwi]

This is the best thing I have heard all week. The hardest boulderproblem in Bleau was first done with advanced kneepad tactics!