[remus]

Nice!! This is the training link for the biggie which is to do melanchollie to the bad bad boy traverse then head into pas de deux which Emma was saying would be 8c+

I think this is what she's just done? She described it as

Starts up melancholie to the undercuts, traverse right into bad bad boy and finish up pas de deux.

Apologies if Im missing something obvious as I hardly know the crag (much to my shame!)

[petejh]

Nope, from the undercuts on Melancholie into BBB and finishing up PdD is the easier version, @ 8b+, that doesn't take in the upper crux of Melancholie.

Doing all of Melancholie's hard climbing would land you on the traverses of BBB, from which you could then finish up PdD @ 8c+.

[shark]

The main objective will be a great linkup and the way Melancholie ideally would always have gone.

So just to be clear (correct me if wrong) she’s looking to climb  Melancholie (hard?) 8b to where it cops out left at the BBB traverse and instead finish direct into Pas de Deux (hard?) 8a+. Presumably  because the rest on the BBB traverse is poor this will bump the whole line up to 8c+. What she’s done so far is miss out the last bit of Melancholie to where it joins BBB at the traverse and also means she gets a decent rest in the BBB groove - hence 8b+.

Not significant as a line but good to hear about as a marker for the main objective.

[spidermonkey09]

The law that a significant new route will be done near enough exactly when a new guide to the crag is released strikes again!

[remus]

Good knowledge, thanks Duncan, Pete + Shark.

[petejh]

The main objective will be a great linkup and the way Melancholie ideally would always have gone.

So just to be clear (correct me if wrong) she’s looking to climb  Melancholie (hard?) 8b to where it cops out left at the BBB traverse and instead finish direct into Pas de Deux (hard?) 8a+. Presumably  because the rest on the BBB traverse is poor this will bump the whole line up to 8c+. What she’s done so far is miss out the last bit of Melancholie to where it joins BBB at the traverse and also means she gets a decent rest in the BBB groove - hence 8b+.

Darth grader has hard 8b into medium rest into hard 8a+ as 8c, not 8c+. There you go - a new route downgraded before it's even been done! Joking aside I would call the rest on the BBB trav as medium - you can shake out there for ages on BBB, a 7c(/7c+). For an 8b or 8c route it's a great rest. Perhaps we need a better grading system for rests now as well.. shake-out-grader.

[shark]

Just clicked on the Instagram link and see it has a video of her doing it if anyone is still confused.

Re the rest on BBB I thought it would be on the high undercuts on the traverse line but looking at the video shows how close the jugs are to the right so assume you would use those for the as-yet-unclimbed objective in which case, yes, 8c+ sounds a bit of a stretch on paper.

[Doylo]

The main objective will be a great linkup and the way Melancholie ideally would always have gone.

So just to be clear (correct me if wrong) she’s looking to climb  Melancholie (hard?) 8b to where it cops out left at the BBB traverse and instead finish direct into Pas de Deux (hard?) 8a+.

Not really a cop out, it's the more obvious way to finish Mel - plus the line of least resistance. It's more arbitary to finish up PDD but an obvious and worthwhile link nevertheless. Always wondered whether you'd keep traversing right to the big jug to at the top of the BB groove, wouldn't be quite as cool as you'd be traversing right then back left before going up.

Darth grader has hard 8b into medium rest into hard 8a+ as 8c, not 8c+. There you go - a new route downgraded before it's even been done!

Melanchollie is hard 8b but you obviously don't do the BB finish on the project link. Pas De Deux is hard 8a+ from the deck starting up BB, doing the final boulder problem after Mel more like a 7B+ finish. Hardish 8b into 7B+ with extra brownie points if you don't keep traversing right to the big jug before coming back. 8b into 7B+ may not sound like 8c+ but barring the connecting flatties on BB its nearly all savage crimping. Some insane crimpy PE and skin (and cons) required.

[petejh]

Melanconnies

[SA Chris]

Infinite Sadness more like.

[RobK]

There's also a good knee bar rest to be had at the start of the PDD headwall, above the BBB jugs, which Emma doesn't use. Not sure if this is a leg length thing, or if she just decided it doesn't work for her. It's a bit knacky, but possible to go no handed. Quite core intensive though.

[owensum]

Vadim Timonov—Blackflip sit 9A first ascent in djan-tugan, Russia.

[Wellsy]

Ooooh thats exciting news! Hopefully a vid soon?

[owensum]

Putin's on his way now to get first repeat.

[remus]

Minor correction in that he suggested 8C+/9A. Pretty sure it'll be hard wherever the grade settles.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsTohl-tS48/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

[owensum]

Minor correction in that he suggested 8C+/9A. Pretty sure it'll be hard wherever the grade settles.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsTohl-tS48/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

On 8a, he listed 9A and said "I gave 8C+\9A for social media but I feel it harder than all 8C+ I tried before."

[yetix]

I'm sure he's a beast, and it could be 9A, but checking his logbook he's done 1 8c+ before which was an FA which he said was 8c/+ at the time I believe...

Will be cool to see if in the future others will go and try it and comment on the grade.

[lukeyboy]

Very cool. Imagine it could be a while before it receives an international repeat...

[SA Chris]

About as likely as Robbie Philips' new problem on the flank of Ben Loyal (sorry can't post link IG blocked at work). Cool looking piece of rock though.

[remus]

Minor correction in that he suggested 8C+/9A. Pretty sure it'll be hard wherever the grade settles.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsTohl-tS48/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

On 8a, he listed 9A and said "I gave 8C+\9A for social media but I feel it harder than all 8C+ I tried before."

Good spot, certainly sounds like he thinks it's 9A.

[owensum]

Dave Graham has put up a new 8C+ in Bavona, Celestite (he says FA'd in March). Looks pretty amazing

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtHhoEft9eU/?hl=en

[remus]

Didier Berthod is back in the game! FA of  a line he's called The Crack of Destiny on the Squamish chief. 5.14 and harder than cobra apparently.

[Fiend]

Dave Graham has put up a new 8C+ in Bavona, Celestite (he says FA'd in March). Looks pretty amazing

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtHhoEft9eU/?hl=en

Well good! The wizard keeps wizarding.

[owensum]

Didier Berthod is back in the game! FA of  a line he's called The Crack of Destiny on the Squamish chief. 5.14 and harder than cobra apparently.

Wow hadn't heard this. Googling unearthed this pretty interesting piece on him from last year:

https://english.elpais.com/sports/2022-11-15/didier-berthod-from-rock-climbing-star-to-monk-and-back-again.html

[remus]

Didier Berthod is back in the game! FA of  a line he's called The Crack of Destiny on the Squamish chief. 5.14 and harder than cobra apparently.

Wow hadn't heard this. Googling unearthed this pretty interesting piece on him from last year:

https://english.elpais.com/sports/2022-11-15/didier-berthod-from-rock-climbing-star-to-monk-and-back-again.html

Tom did an interview with him a while back, haven't listened to it recently but I remember it being decent