What makes an ascent newsworthy these days? One of the world's best climbers repeats one of the world's hardest and most famous climbs and it sounds pretty newsworthy. Austrian born Kilian Fischhuber has just climbed Wolfgang Gullich's Action Directe, the benchmark f9a route anywhere on the planet. My problem is, it's the 9th ascent including the legendary Wolfgang's. It is the second most repeated f9a after Kinematix at Gorge Du Loup in France (10 ascents). f9a is without doubt nails, but it is no longer the absolute cutting edge - let's face it Wolfgang established Action Directe way back in 1991 (and graded it f8c+ / 9a). Would we be reporting the 9th ascent of an E8 that was put up by Johnny Dawes in the late 80's? Probably not. Action Directe is actually around 12 moves long, significantly shorter than many boulder problems. Dave MacLeod has established V13's at Dumbarton with twice as many moves. So what makes Action Directe newsworthy? I call it Internet Keepy Uppies (and planetFear are as guilty of it as anybody else). Somebody climbs something hard. It gets reported on a website somewhere. Come the next morning a dozen or so climbing news-hounds sit at their computers sipping coffee and surfing the regular news sites to see if anything has happened over night. Bingo. Action Directe - that's a famous route isn't it. Somebody obviously thinks its worth while reporting so we better had too. Must keep up with the Joneses. Mustn't be the one responsible for dropping the ball. And so it escalates. By lunch time a dozen sites are bigging it up to receive more attention than the first ascent! Such is the power of the Internet.
Action Directe is actually around 12 moves long, significantly shorter than many boulder problems. Dave MacLeod has established V13's at Dumbarton with twice as many moves.
here is a list off the top of my head of world class climbers that have been and tryed action and not succeded.John GaskinsDani AndradaFred NicoleKlem LoskotBen MoonJosune BeratizuPaxti UsobiagaHuber BrothersJerry Moffattmany top french climbers,Markus bendlerSharma? i thinkfred RoughlingJb tribout
So what makes Action Directe newsworthy? I call it Internet Keepy Uppies (and planetFear are as guilty of it as anybody else). Somebody climbs something hard. It gets reported on a website somewhere. Come the next morning a dozen or so climbing news-hounds sit at their computers sipping coffee and surfing the regular news sites to see if anything has happened over night. Bingo. Action Directe - that's a famous route isn't it. Somebody obviously thinks its worth while reporting so we better had too. Must keep up with the Joneses. Mustn't be the one responsible for dropping the ball. And so it escalates. By lunch time a dozen sites are bigging it up to receive more attention than the first ascent! Such is the power of the Internet.
Fishburger is a wad. There can be no doubt. I've seen him climbing and he is a talented and hard working climber!
Seems an accurate assessment to me. The newer, harder routes are not as famous, hence ascents are ignored. This is an old route, standards have moved on as have fashions. There are now climbers who are far better all round than Wolfgang was.
Have any brits climbed 9a and 8b+?Only candidates i can think of about doing it someday are Stew Watson, Pasquile, Keen Youth and Ty....
Dave MacLeod will surely do it in the next few years
Ste Mclure already has achieved 9A/ Font 8B+, each on more than one occassion, none of which where 'Holiday grades' which are all to common nowadays.
Did he not grade Rhythm 8B+
Quote from: Hendo on October 05, 2006, 09:36:03 amDid he not grade Rhythm 8B+Wrong Steve.
I think the AD ascent is newsworthy. The thing about hard ascents in this country is that you shouldn't get caught up too much with the British downer on grades. Just becuase there are very few things graded 8B+ in this country doesn't mean that there's nothing hard. Generally British climbers that project 8Bs in this country go and shred them abroad. Then they come home, spend months on a project that's even harder and there's debate about whether it's 8A+ or not.
Steve Mac has done a 8b+ bloc at Wainstones (think its called). Horrendous sit start involving a mono. As for Action there are not many 9a's or above around that are so perfect or have such a history, Realisation is the obvious other one.