[Wellsy]

That dyno to the undercling is pretty fucking incredible

[Duncan campbell]

Is he wearing a ring on his right index finger?? Or is it tape??

[Mike Highbury]

Is he wearing a ring on his right index finger?? Or is it tape??

A tattoo?

[User deactivated.]

That thing looks absurdly hard! Even the kneebar looks nails due to the size of the foothold.

[Duncan campbell]

Is he wearing a ring on his right index finger?? Or is it tape??

A tattoo?

I thought that but at the end it looks like his skin is bulging around the edge? Surely can’t be a ring but just seems like a very skinny bit of tape

[yetix]

Seb Bouin has done the FA of Nordic Marathon an 130m 9b/+ route.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CgcR2Z4DhN3/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

[Duncan campbell]

Fuck me Bouin must have a leathery ass!!

[Fiend]

That's pretty girthy 

(The route, not Seb's leathery arse).

[Duma]

Mental.
130m 9b/+
8c into 9a+
one go every two days
switch rope half way
untie and solo the last 5-10 meters
Mental.

[submaximal gains]

I've just copied the text from Seb's two instagram posts, the first discussing Thor's hammer pitch 2 and the second discussing Nordic Plummer.

Post 1:
Second pitch of Thor's Hammer 9a+ ✔️
First repetition after Adam Ondra's FA (2017)

This route is the last part of the original multipitch crossing the Flatanger cave,  bolted by @magmidt .
It's going from the anchor of Nordic Plumber / Thor's Hammer (it's the same) to the lip of the roof.
It's around 25 meters, with a 9a+ grade.
There are three separate cruxes in this last picth. The hardest one comes on the very last meters of the roof.

Back in 2012 @adam.ondra made the first ascent of Thor's Hammer (9a) which is the first 2 pitches of this multipitch from Magnus.
I already did this route, back in 2015.

This last pitch was still a project at the time and Adam went on to get its FA in 2017.
I’m psyched to have made the first repetition on Monday. It took me 9 goes.
Now, onto something even bigger…

The idea of Adam Ondra is to cross the cave from the bottom to the top on the most overhanging part (it's basically a roof), and finishing via this pitch.
This is truly something which excites me!

This mega route has the possibility of 3 different starts – I wonder which one will go!

From the original route Thor's Hammer : this could be 9a followed by this cruxy 9a+

From Move : 9b/+ followed by the cruxy 9a+

From the 8c Nordic Plumber : 8c followed by 9a+

The hard part of this project (whatever is the starting route), is the endurance necessary, and how to keep enough power in reserve for the final pitch. We will have to climb around 50 meters, just to get on to the last pitch.
It's hard to imagine what the overall grade that this project might be, but one thing is sure, this last pitch makes it really hard due to the style and the combination of the cruxes.
This route will be around 80m of hard climbing with the redpoint crux on the last meters. Above the lip of the cave, there are still 50 meters of vertical wall to be bolted to top out on the very summit. The total line could be around 130m to be climbed in one pitc, switching ropes as we climb.
We still have to bolt the last "easy" part to get onto the summit of the cave.

My dream project would be to do it from Move. Adam and I think this route could be 9c.

I will surely try it first vis Nordic Plumber or Thor's Hammer to train during this trip (possibly 9b+)
My goal would be to try this "Move integral" (potential 9c) during my next trip / next season.
Thanks again for the great pic @climbimarco during the Dyno, Crux 1 of this pitch

Post 2
Nordic Marathon , 130m ✔️
9b/+ First ascent

When Adam told me about his project to cross over the cave, and go from the ground to the summit, I was immediately amazed by this idea.
The main goal of my trip was to check out this monster.
The idea was big, really big. But it's definitely the kind of challenge which attracts me.

As I explained in my previous post, there are three possible starting routes, each offering a different grade. Starting with:
Nordic Plumber 8c
Thor's Hammer 9a
Move 9b/+

Whatever the start, it is then followed by a cruxy 9a+ (Pitch 2 of Thor’s Hammer), with a repoint crux at the end (at 80m).
My ultimate goal would be to do it by the hardest possible combination: Move.
In the previous years, I already spent four travels to do Move (9b/+). Imagine starting from this one and finishing by a cruxy 9a+...

However, I knew this would be too hard for a single trip. So first I decided to start from the easiest line (Nordic Plumber 8c) in order to get an idea of the challenge, and to be psychologically ready for the end when I start trying the harder version.

After first working and sending the second (9a+) section by jumarring into it, I then started trying from the ground, trying to link into it from Nordic Plumber.
It changed so much the end. Coming into the 9a+, with my arms already so pumped in the last crimpy crux after 80m of climbing was insane.

I was falling there a few times. And then falling on the previous cruxes as well.

The sheer size of the route makes it hard mentally. You can have one go every two days. It's so much climbing, in one intense burst that you simply can't give two goes in a day. Then if you want to be as fresh as possible, you need a rest day in between.

So it was quite hard psychologically to only give it one burn every two days.
The pressure felt so high in this last crux.

The rope drag was also insane. Even if I had already switched ropes once during the route - I had to untie my knot and free-solo the last 5/10 meters (really easy climbing)

Nordic Marathon is my pure climbing style. Endurance, big moves,...
The line attracted me by its size.

Thanks @adam.ondra for sharing this idea

[User deactivated.]

I can hear the sound of JWI furiously crunching numbers in the grade calculator...

Futuristic route.

[gme]

This is insane. If you have ever stood in this cave it’s hard to comprehend.

Twice the height of Malham 3/4 of which is a roof.

[CapitalistPunter]

New 9a route/boulder from Solly called "Bikini Bittom" in the cave at Hartland Quay.

"The full line from the back of the cave into Megaladon->Jaws."

[remus]

New 9a route/boulder from Solly called "Bikini Bittom" in the cave at Hartland Quay.

"The full line from the back of the cave into Megaladon->Jaws."

This has got Barrows' name all over it.

[petejh]

This has got Barrows' name knee all over it.

God that looks soooo boring. Fair play.

[Carliios]

New 9a route/boulder from Solly called "Bikini Bittom" in the cave at Hartland Quay.

"The full line from the back of the cave into Megaladon->Jaws."

This has got Barrows' name all over it.

I’m confused, why have a chalk bag and then used a chalkbucket half way?

[abarro81]

I imagine it might be easier to chalk and chill at the same time rather than using the one clipped to him (chalking upside down can sometimes be a bit awkward)

Looks great, wish it were a bit closer to Sheffield!

[SA Chris]

For a cave by the sea it seems to get remarkably good conditions?

Looks like a cool bit of climbing.

[BrutusTheBear]

It can be super gopping in there Chris.  Seepage from above if it has rained, big tides and big swell will soak it too. The long dry spell we've had down here definitely helps and looks like Solly got this done during a small tide/small swell window.  Don't turn up here expecting your project to be mint everytime!

7b into 8a+ into 8a+ is the breakdown. 

[SA Chris]

OK, still seems more reliable than many east coast spots, unless you get up early morning sun, which kind of limits you to weekends.

[Fultonius]

It can be super gopping in there Chris.  Seepage from above if it has rained, big tides and big swell will soak it too. The long dry spell we've had down here definitely helps and looks like Solly got this done during a small tide/small swell window.  Don't turn up here expecting your project to be mint everytime!

7b into 8a+ into 8a+ is the breakdown.

You talkin' boulder or route grades?

If we're generous and call them "medium" rests, the good ol' Darth Grader gives:

Route grades (7b M 8a+ M 8a+):  8b+

Boulder Grades (7B M 8A+ M 8A+): 9b

So it's either quite under- or quite over-graded.

[remus]

It can be super gopping in there Chris.  Seepage from above if it has rained, big tides and big swell will soak it too. The long dry spell we've had down here definitely helps and looks like Solly got this done during a small tide/small swell window.  Don't turn up here expecting your project to be mint everytime!

7b into 8a+ into 8a+ is the breakdown.

You talkin' boulder or route grades?

If we're generous and call them "medium" rests, the good ol' Darth Grader gives:

Route grades (7b M 8a+ M 8a+):  8b+

Boulder Grades (7B M 8A+ M 8A+): 9b

So it's either quite under- or quite over-graded.

As much as I love some grade maths, there's also option 3 that the calculator doesn't work so well for this route/problem. Wouldn't be super surprising as it's calibrated on long routes rather than extended boulder problems.

[abarro81]

I just played with it using The Wheel and Pilgrimage. It came out about 1.5 grades too high on both - I think that must be roughly the 'challenge' adjustment for being off a rope, which roughly makes sense to me

[BrutusTheBear]

It can be super gopping in there Chris.  Seepage from above if it has rained, big tides and big swell will soak it too. The long dry spell we've had down here definitely helps and looks like Solly got this done during a small tide/small swell window.  Don't turn up here expecting your project to be mint everytime!

7b into 8a+ into 8a+ is the breakdown.

You talkin' boulder or route grades?

If we're generous and call them "medium" rests, the good ol' Darth Grader gives:

Route grades (7b M 8a+ M 8a+):  8b+

Boulder Grades (7B M 8A+ M 8A+): 9b

So it's either quite under- or quite over-graded.

Them's the boulder grades, Solly's hardest route to date is 8a though!  (Sure he is capable of way more but focused on bouldering).  So maybe his grade calibration is not quite there yet...  A repeat or two is needed, get to it beis.

[jwi]

I just played with it using The Wheel and Pilgrimage. It came out about 1.5 grades too high on both - I think that must be roughly the 'challenge' adjustment for being off a rope, which roughly makes sense to me

This. Many really underestimate how hard it is to clip draws, especially clips that you simply cannot blow without risking injury. And also just generally fiddle around with ropes.

Luckily this was solved like forty years ago with the introduction of the traverse bouldering grade.