[Bradders]

Much more interestingly, that is his 99th 8B+ or higher this year. Absolutely incredible volume of top end climbing - is there anyone else doing this?

Are you sure it's 99 V14+ this year?

In March he did his 50th V14 (all time). I know he's done an enormous number of V14+ problems this year but even so seems more like it's 99 V14+ overall rather than in a calendar year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbxPKWwO_Rv/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

8a.nu also saying it's "close to 90 8B+ and harder" (all time):

https://www.8a.nu/news/bookkeeping-8c+-fa-by-drew-ruana-db1bd

JackPal is on >100 8th grade problems in the UK this year. Need to get him to up his game for next year.

He was on about doing 10 a month next year the other day. Mind blowing achievement, especially in the UK. Just to have managed to get out, in conditions conducive to climbing 8A, that many times is impressive! 

[Bradders]

Pretty sure that would be a repeat

 

[edshakey]

Much more interestingly, that is his 99th 8B+ or higher this year. Absolutely incredible volume of top end climbing - is there anyone else doing this?

Are you sure it's 99 V14+ this year?

In March he did his 50th V14 (all time). I know he's done an enormous number of V14+ problems this year but even so seems more like it's 99 V14+ overall rather than in a calendar year.

... I may have been mistaken. He mentioned wanting 100 by the end of the year, think I must have interpreted it as 100 total this year. Oops!

[owensum]

Canada's first V16, The Megg in Squamish.

https://gripped.com/profiles/an-interview-with-gabe-lawson-on-canadas-first-v16/

[remus]

Canada's first V16, The Megg in Squamish.

https://gripped.com/profiles/an-interview-with-gabe-lawson-on-canadas-first-v16/

Ace that it's a lovely looking line too, no need to worry about what's in our out there!

[Fiend]

The moss is out - no dabbing it. A nice bit of rock indeed.

[mrjonathanr]

I went on a route at Lourdes which had a big, moss covered tufa bulge exactly where you’d flag your foot on the crux. It had a handy disc of sika covering just the right spot. The moss was definitely ‘in’.

[jwi]

The indefatigable Jean-Pierre Bouvier has put up another there-and-back traverse in Fontainebleau: Contre Courant (9A trav). If the grade sticks it has to be one of the hardest, if not the hardest, ascent of a 65-year old? People seem to be somewhat willing to repeat his left-to-right and right-to-left traverses, but his there-and-backs haven't seen many attempts by other climbers.

Interview in Grimper Magazine.

[Ru]

The indefatigable Jean-Pierre Bouvier has put up another there-and-back traverse in Fontainebleau: Contre Courant (9A trav). If the grade sticks it has to be one of the hardest, if not the hardest, ascent of a 65-year old? People seem to be somewhat willing to repeat his left-to-right and right-to-left traverses, but his there-and-backs haven't seen many attempts by other climbers.

Interview in Grimper Magazine.

There-and-back traverses do feel to be particularly arbitrary, even within the ambit of the more arbitrary reaches of bouldering, although I can't explain rationally why that should be so. Although they're less arbitrary than figure 8s and other weird looping Font link ups. Anyway, agree that it must be the hardest bit of climbing by a 65 year old to date. Even more notable that this was 40+ years after he did the "hardest route in France." It's amazing that he's still motivated by this sort of thing.

[jwi]

There-and-back traverses do feel to be particularly arbitrary, even within the ambit of the more arbitrary reaches of bouldering, although I can't explain rationally why that should be so.

I agree. In retrospect I should not have called this particular bit of climbing an 'ascent'.

Anyway, Fanatic Climbing has a nice article on Chimpanzodrome, the first 7c+ in France (maybe) https://fanatic-climbing.com/il-etait-une-voie-chimpanzodrome-once-upon-a-line-chimpanzodrome/

[Fultonius]

The indefatigable Jean-Pierre Bouvier has put up another there-and-back traverse in Fontainebleau: Contre Courant (9A trav). If the grade sticks it has to be one of the hardest, if not the hardest, ascent of a 65-year old? People seem to be somewhat willing to repeat his left-to-right and right-to-left traverses, but his there-and-backs haven't seen many attempts by other climbers.

Interview in Grimper Magazine.

I love the fact he just won't rust! 

[remus]

There-and-back traverses do feel to be particularly arbitrary, even within the ambit of the more arbitrary reaches of bouldering, although I can't explain rationally why that should be so. Although they're less arbitrary than figure 8s and other weird looping Font link ups. Anyway, agree that it must be the hardest bit of climbing by a 65 year old to date. Even more notable that this was 40+ years after he did the "hardest route in France." It's amazing that he's still motivated by this sort of thing.

Surely it's the purest form of ascent, combining a technical approach with a technical descent combining to form a full experience, where a typical boulder problem seeks the easiest path off the boulder, eschewing the full challenge.

(In case it's not obvious, that's sarcasm).

Any idea what font trav grades translate to in normal boulder grades? Or sport grades? A quick google wasn't very illuminating.

[jwi]

Traverse grades are supposed to be a solution to the common complaints that traverses are longer than boulders and shouldn't be grades as boulders, and at the same time they don't involve ropes and clipping and should not be grades as routes.

Most climbers feel that an 8A traverse is easier for them than an 8A boulder and a touch harder than an 8a route.

[Wellsy]

Stefano Ghisolfi has done excalibur

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoRqBUssJoy/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

9b+ for sure apparently, his hardest FA and hardest route in Italy

[jwi]

Wow. He looked very close on that video he posted a few days ago, so maybe not so surprising.

[Bradders]

Great stuff. I watched Ondra's video of it the other day, pretty incredible line up a free standing boulder! Does it top out?

[finbarrr]

Yes, he tops out in a recent video of him and Bosi working the route

[SA Chris]

Good stuff! WB vs AO for the 2nd ascent?

[jwi]

Ondra posted a video indicating that he has given up for now as one of the holds feels tweaky.

Is this the shortest 9b+, or is Vasil vasil even shorter?

[remus]

Jorge Diaze-Rullo has made the first ascent of Mejorando la Samfaina and suggested 9b+. Presumably it's a linkup of Mejorando Imagen 9b and Samfaina 9a.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoZkllYtda-/

[remus]

Is this the shortest 9b+, or is Vasil vasil even shorter?

The breakdown of Vasil Vasil is apparently 8b in to 8B+ (which itself has a single move that is ~8B!) From the arm chair it sounds like Vasil is more cruxy whereas Excalibur is more power endurance.

[Ed booth]

Bon Voyage hard new trad route from Pearson at Annot. Looks cool

[remus]

Bon Voyage hard new trad route from Pearson at Annot. Looks cool

From some of the working footage he's put up on IG it looks like an incredible piece of climbing on some pretty marginal pockets. Mega effort.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CocodAqofQ5/

[jwi]

Jorge Diaze-Rullo has made the first ascent of Mejorando la Samfaina and suggested 9b+. Presumably it's a linkup of Mejorando Imagen 9b and Samfaina 9a.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoZkllYtda-/

As the warning signs on French railway crossings says Un train peut en cacher un autre. One significant first ascent might hide another. Hasn't Jorge Diaz Rullo gotten very little media milage out of what is surely a very hard ascent at maybe the world most popular crag for hard routes?

[Kingy]

Yeah, it seems to have gone under the radar for a 9b+. I reckon this may be due to the lack of cachet that linkups attract in general regardless of their difficulty and the fact that it was his sideproject for Cafe Columbia, which may perhaps be 9c. No doubt he will make a splash when that one goes down.