post
Hard, Unrepeated American Boulders
I thought it would be interesting to compile a list of hard (V14 and up) boulder problems that have not been repeated in North America. Thanks to everyone for help in compiling these problems (Most of these grades are pure speculation from outside observers):
- Nuclear War - V14 - Matt Bosley - Harriman State Park, NY
- Mandala Direct SDS - V14 - Paul Robinson - Buttermilks, CA
- Singularity - V14 - Tim Clifford - Squamish, BC
- Zazen - V14 - Harry Robertson - Squamish, BC
- The North Ridge - V14 - Georg Jost - Squamish, BC
- Release The Hundes - V14 - Daniel Woods - Moe's Valley, UT
- Hypnotized Minds - V15 - Daniel Woods - RMNP, CO
- Misdirection - V14 - Dan Beall - Buttermilks, CA
- A Man Escaped - V14 - Ty Landman - Connecticut
- The Next Chapter - V15 - Paul Robinson - Ozark Mountains, AR
- The Ice Knife SDS - V15 - Daniel Woods - Guanella Pass, CO
- Trieste Sit - V14 - Daniel Woods, Red Rocks, NV
- The Gallows - V14 - Paul Robinson - Hueco Tanks, TX
- The Multiverse - V14 - Jimmy Webb - Wyoming
- The Process - V? - Daniel Woods - Bishop, CA
- Kintsugi - V15 - Nalle Hukkataival - Red Rock, NV
- L’ Étoile du Nord - V14 - Jim Merli - Sawmill, MN
This of course pales in comparison to the list of confirmed V14 and up problems that were established and repeated in the U.S. in just the past five years or so:
| Problem | Grade | Location | Ascents - FA listed first and then in no particular order |
| Ode to the Modern Man | V14 | Mt. Evans, CO | Woods, Landman, Robinson, Jorgeson, Lamiche, Cardwell, Hukkataival, Wilder, Schaal |
| Jade | V14 | RMNP, CO | Woods, Landman, Robinson, Hukkataival, Schaal, Traversi, Webb, Beall, Davis, Puccio |
| Witness the Fitness | V15? (Broken?) | Arkansas | Sharma, Nicole, Woods |
| Terre De Sienne | V13/14 | Hueco Tanks, TX | Nicole, Graham, Woods, Robinson, Cardwell, Wilder, Parton, Webb Parsons, Kassay, Hukkataival, McColl |
| Terremer | V15 | Hueco Tanks, TX | Nicole, Robinson, Woods, Beall |
| Aslan | V14 | RMNP, CO | Woods, Landman, McColl, Di Felice, Webb, Traversi, Litz, Cardwell, Graham, Verhoeven |
| Midnight Express | V14 | Boulder Canyon, CO | Landman, Woods, Graham, Allred, Robinson, Parady, Webb, Schaal |
| Mandala SDS | V13/14 | Buttermilks, CA | Lamiche, Graham, Woods, Robinson, McColl, Diamond, Birch, Moroni, Jorgeson, Wilder, French (V13 beta), Goicoechea, Barrett (V13 beta), Voges (V13), Hedrick (V13 beta), Verhoeven, Glairon-Mondet, Hukkataival, Pringle, Warren, Heal, Boyko, Megos, Amma |
| The Swarm | V13/14 | Buttermilks, CA | Birch, Wilder, Graham, Landman, Woods, Robinson, Jorgeson, Davis, Clifford, Diamond, Nicole, Beall, Hukkataival, Peirce, Hedrick, Pringle, Shiraishi, McRae, Puccio |
| Echale | V14 | Clear Creek Canyon, CO | Woods, Graham, Robinson, Schaal, Webb, Gravelle, Takeuchi, D'Anastasio, Hong |
| The Saddhu | V14 | Temple, NM | Fairfield, Cardwell, Woods, Di Felice |
| Goldfish Trombone | V14 | Happy Boulders, CA | Edwards, Sharma, Pringle, McColl, Woods, Nicole, Martin, Lander, Diamond |
| Esperanza | V14 | Hueco Tanks, TX | Nicole, Litz, Sharma, Woods, Graham, Robinson, Duttle, Pringle, Haynes, Webb Parsons, Wilde, Hamada, Kassay, Hong, Dory, Hukkataival, Webb, Voges, Davis, Verhoeven, Taylor, Muller |
| Book Of Bitter Aspects | V13/14 | Bradley, CT | Graham, Schaal, Zolotukhin (V13) |
| The Fly | 5.14d/V14 | Rumney, NH | Graham, Parady, Sharma, Lamiche, Kehl (no rope), Jorgeson (no rope), Robinson, Woods, Wilder, Megos, Maschelien (no rope) |
| Wood Grain Grippin' | V14 | Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, AR | Graham, Woods, Robinson, Voges |
| The Beach | V14 | Moe's Valley, UT | Woods, Graham, Whiteside (V13) |
| Chinese Arithmetic | V13/14? | Lilly Boulders, TN | Litz, Woods |
| Big Worm | V14 | Mt. Evans, CO | Graham, Schulte, Robinson, Woods, Voges, Draughn, Nakajima, Wetmore, McNeil, Kuckovich, Betterton |
| Lost In The Hood | V14 | Cowell, AR | Graham, Robinson, Voges, Hukkataival, Dory, Woods (V13), Webb (V13) |
| Evil Backwards | V14 | Mt. Evans, CO | Woods, Graham, Cardwell, Emerson, Hukkataival, Webb (V13), Voges (V13), Weaver (V13), Antheunisse (V13), Lerner (V13), Robinson (V13) |
| Let The Right One In | V14 | Mt. Evans, CO | Woods, Graham, Hong, Webb |
| Warrior Up | V15 | Mt. Evans, CO | Woods, Graham, Webb (V14), Hong (V14), Robinson, O'Rourke |
| We Can Build You | V14 | Mt. Evans, CO | Graham, Woods, Webb, Voges, Nakajima, Robinson |
| Resolve | V14 | Gunks, NY | Diamond, Bosley |
| Direct North | V14 | Buttermilks - Bishop, CA | Diamond, Glairon-Mondet, Beall, Traversi, Zolotukhin, G. Traversi, Megos, McRae, Amma |
| Crook By The Book | V14 | Hueco Tanks , TX | Woods, Graham, Webb |
| The Game | V15 | Boulder Canyon, CO | Woods, Traversi, Cardwell |
| Warpath | V14 | City of Rocks, ID | Litz, Woods, Fultz, Robinson, Webb |
| Vanilla Sky | V14 | Mt. Evans, CO | Graham, Webb (V13), Voges (V13) |
| Memory Is Parallax | V14 | Estes Park, CO | Graham, Woods, Hong, Traversi, Robinson, Lerner |
| Desperanza | V15 | Hueco Tanks, TX | Woods, Webb Parsons, Davis |
| Mirror Reality | V14 | RMNP, CO | Woods, Webb, Robinson, O'Rourke, Landman |
| Paint It Black | V15 | RMNP, CO | Woods, Robinson, Graham, Dory |
| White Noise | V15 | RMNP, CO | Woods, Hong (V14), Graham, Robinson |
| Mind To Motion | V14 | Nicky's Boulders, CO | Woods, Hong, Graham, Dory |
| The Grey | V14 | Wild Basin - RMNP, CO | Graham, Hong, Woods, Traversi (V12), Robinson |
| Blood of a Young Wolf | V14 | Hueco Tanks, TX | Graham, Davis, Hukkataival, Robinson, Webb |
| Aggravated Assault | V14 | Griffin Falls, AL | Woods, Webb, Robinson |
| Meadowlark Lemon | V14 | Red Rock, NV | Robinson, Graham, Traversi, Takeuchi, Woods (V14), Webb (V14), Hukkataival (V14), Ceria, Whiteside, McColl, Schubert, Caballero, Feehally, Glairon-Mondet |
| Loved By Few, Hated By Many (Low) | V14 | Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, AR | Webb, Woods, Robinson |
| Neon Desert | V14 | Hueco Tanks, TX | Graham, Davis, Webb, Robinson |
| Bridge Of Ashes | V15 | Elkland, CO | Graham, Woods, Webb (V14) |
| The Insurgency | V14 | Joe's Valley, UT | Litz, Robinson |
| The Ice Knife | V15 | Guanella Pass, CO | Graham, Woods, Robinson, Webb (V14), Nakajima |
| The Wheel Of Chaos | V14 | RMNP, CO | Woods, Hukkataival, Hong, Graham, Robinson, D'Anastasio, Cardwell, Verhoeven, Puccio, Landman |
| The 1%er | V14 | Mt. Evans, CO | Schulte, Webb (V13) |
| The Wheel Of Wolvo | V15 | Mt. Evans, CO | Webb, Woods, Graham |
| Delirium | V15 | Mt. Evans, CO | Webb, Woods |
| The Right | V14 | Boulder Canyon, CO | Schulte, Woods (V13) |
| The Penrose Step | V14 | Leavenworth, WA | Traversi, Webb |
| The Purge | V14 | Elkland, CO | Woods, Robinson, Graham |
| Force Of Nature | V14 | Moe's Valley, UT | Caldiero, Fultz (V13), Whiteside (V13), McRae |
| The Reckoning | V14 | Squamish, BC | T Doyle, McRae, Webb |
| Lucid Dreaming | V15 | Buttermilks, CA | Robinson, Woods, Megos |
| Spirit Walker | V14 | 27th St. Boulders, Ogden, UT | Chertudi, Whiteside (V13) |
| The Nest | V15 | Red Rock, NV | Woods, Webb, Robinson, Hukkataival |
| Too Many Martinis | V14 | Hueco Tanks, TX | Sharma, Litz, McColl |
| Trieste | V14 | Red Rock, NV | Robinson, Woods |
| The Phoenix | V14 | RMNP, CO | O'Rourke (V13), Woods, Webb (V13), Graham, Traversi, Robinson |
| Strangers from Within | V14 | Secret Garden, CO | Robinson, Graham |
| Bossin' Up | V14 | Secret Garden, CO | Robinson, Graham, Woods |
| Irreversible | V14 | RMNP, CO | Woods, Graham |
| Defying Gravity | V15 | South Platte, CO | Woods, Webb |
| Komodo | V14 | Neverland, WY | Webb, Graham, Woods, Robinson |
| Bling | V13/14 | Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT | Caldiero, Fultz |
Any other problems for either list?? Additions/Corrections?? Leave a comment below.
207 comments
I thought that Graham did Midnight Express as well, I'm not certain though.
What about the machinist minute 1:15 in the "76 points in hueco" vid
That one is still under review by the Hard Boulder Committee
Alex Megos did The Fly on a rope
Correct, can't believe I missed that one
Esperanza (V14) by Nicole. Repeated by Sharma and a few others?
I guess initially I was trying to keep the list recent but I should just go ahead and add the older ones as well as there aren't too many left.
Esperanza has been repeated quite a few times from what I can remember.
You forgot goldfish trombone at the happies...
Thanks. I think I had left it off because it was graded V13 originally. Might as well add it.
V10 + V14 = V24!
Also on the math front, DG's "Story of two worlds" adds a V14 sit start to an existing V14 to get a grade of V15. Says DG:
“I think this is the hardest bloc (boulder) yet, and I think it can change the malprogression we can see when we are seeing millions of 8b+ and 8c blocs climbed everywhere. Now it’s just about comparison."
http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/storyoftwoworlds/
narc, are you trying to list all ascents?
off the top of my head,
tyler landman also repeated coeur de leon, really quickly too. and pretty positive than bernd zangerl has also climbed coeur.
lamiche also climbed ode to the modern man.
Yeah, all ascents. Like I said though, the entire list was by memory owing to server problems at 8a hindering further research.
Freaks has been downgraded to 8B, Paul even suggested 8A+. Didn't Litz get the second ascent of Esperanza? And what of Suspension of Disbelief in Eldo getting the upgrade by Woods? On a mathematcial tangent, if Story is 8B/+ into 8B+ for a total of 8C, how can Tonino '78s 7C+ into 8B+ equal 8C+? And Terremer is 8A/+ into 8B+ for 8C? Crazy...
does anyone know if sharma's problem in magic wood called "practice of the wild" has been repeated?
FK - Freaks had slipped my mind on the downgrade front. JE said that if Freaks is 8A+ he is quitting climbing...
As for Suspension I'm not sure about its place on the list with the conflicting opinions. I'll put it on instead of Freaks and we'll see what happens when the weather gets better for P-rob to finally get the send
As for the math. Clearly when linking together problems there is no set forumla for how to determine the final grade but for someone able to climb V14, adding a V10 start shouldn't increase the difficulty all that much.
I am curious why there has been no word anywhere on Bosley's Nuclear War after the initial news of his send. Surely Paul R must know something more about this problem being that it is at the Gunks.
hey narc, yeah, we've all experienced that. even though they try hard, 8a.nu often has server problems. i don't really blame them though as i hardly imagine they are swimming in money.
wait, what? there's no birthday party in here ??!!??!!
question: how many times has 'corizone' [sp?] been repeated in mexican music? you know, like, the word. i think, like, a bazillion times and no downgrade? wtfrik?
Not sure about that one Zonk, I'll have to look it up when the site is back up. With the traffic levels that 8a has they should be making at least a fair amount of money.
TTB"BP"VC7 - I think Corazon is down to about V7 or so...
roses & bluejays (barrington)
Alma Blanca (v13 hueco, nicole and maybe moon)
algerita (v13 hueco nicole, woods)
In order to keep the list more manageable I am trying to focus solely on problems V14 and up. It would be cool to put together a list of V13s in the US though.
It is pretty crazy to see how the grades in europe are quite a bit harder, but there are more repeats
not 100% enough to add to list for sure, but worthy of noting, Matt Birch (im not sure if he is still in Bishop, probably is) has been in Bishop recently, and I saw him working mandalion in bad conditions with taped fingers, coming extremely close, id bet he has done it, along with goldfish. also you may have forgotten Somewhere in Time (v14) in Tramway, CA. Birch had the FA, and Woods repeated.
From what I heard Somewhere in Time is more like V13/14. Woods didn't think it was very hard. From his 8a sheet "Matt Birch did the FA and graded it v14 originally. I thought it felt v13..."
Here is a list of routes V12 and harder in Colorado. Don't know if its up to date though.
http://www.boulderingmedia.com/list.html
Dom - I will keep my eye out for any Matt Birch news. I was thinking what Luke said with regard to somewhere in time.
Luke - Ryan's list is fantastic. It seems like the only problems missing are Trice and its new variations.
don't forget shaun diamond, with ascents of mandala sds (the original name, I believe daniel coined the mandalion name) and the swarm.
i believe dave graham also put up a problem in Connecticut called the book of bitter aspects that he called 14 and i have not heard of any repeats.
james litz climbed a problem called morphine which he graded 13 but it is likely harder than most of the 14s in the US, and will probably never repeated.
i have also heard that nuclear war is not 14, but that is likely just climber gossip and given that it is still unrepeated it could very well be 14.
dave graham also called the fly v14 (despite the fact he did it on a rope) but i have also heard 13 for it.
if you expand to canada then you get tim clifford's the singularity (unrepeated, despite attempts by nicole and landman)
this is also not including problems where sharma's beta was likely v14 or harder only for later climbers to find an easier method
josh haynes has also sent esperanza
Litz had the second ascent of Esperanza
book of bitter aspects has not been repeated. p-rob has put a couple of days on it and is close. it could be the hardest problem in the northeast.
phillip schaal repeated book of bitter aspects
Thanks for the all the info.
James Litz's Morphine is one of the sickest problems I've seen. Been to Hueco many times...seen many of the 14's there...watched Litz on Esperanza....The holds on morphine make some of the holds on esperanza look like jugs. razors on a roof...crazy....
nuclear is at the master bedroom (hour south of Gunks). i heard nothing there is as hard as it's graded, but that's neither here nor there.
yep the book is absolutely amazing! and i am very close, hopefully i will get back out there sometime in the near future. also boz's line is not in the gunks, it is at the horse den. i have been there one time and the day i was there it was soaking wet. i tried it little bit and got close even though it was wet. imo i would prolly think soft 8b, but yet again i did not do it so my thoughts dont really count until i go out and do it. i know that the line will appear in dosage volume 5 in the northeast dose though!
Thanks for the info zorro and paul. I sort of figured that nuclear war might be a bit overhyped but until someone repeats it I guess I'll just go with the initial report. Should be cool to see it in Dosage, I didn't know it had been filmed.
tim clifford graded the singularity (aka round room project) as V14.
boz never really graded nuclear war V14.. he just did the FA and when people asked him, he said "yeah maybe V12, V13, V14?? i dont know." either way its pretty hard and ive been on it, feels harder then a lot of V13s that Ive tried. then again i didnt do it, so i dont know
also, the 8a article tries to focus on routes put up a long time ago that stand unrepeated. climbs like warpath, nuclear war, and mandala direct assis were just put up pretty recently..
i think instead of focusing on V14 and up, this list should include any climbs that are V12 or higher that were put up over 5 years ago but have not been repeated..
meathook in colorado - jim holloway
morphine - litz
chinese arithmetic - litz
book of bitter aspects
etc etc
Gabor - I agree but it sort of illustrates the difference between routes and boulders. There is a long list of repeated hard boulders and very few that have stood unrepeated for a long time.
The litz problems are probably unrepeated as much for their obscure locations than anything else but it would be cool for others to give them a go. There is also Genetics at HP40 that hasn't been repeated as well.
There were rumors of a repeat of morphine by a guy named Pydora (not sure of his last name). I believe he did it in a day. Brian Camp knows more about this.
A good list is up on udini.de: http://www.udini.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=102
Interesting, there was a guy named Py in the midwest a while back that was quite strong.
Thanks for the link ryan, that is a pretty nice list!
Have fun in Heuco...
I like this part
The current state of rating hard bouldering/climbing is like the 100m sprint without any direct comparison, face to face competition and before the invention of even a timer...
A couple of strong athletes do their thing in some remote areas, come back and report: "It really felt like 9.6 secs yesterday, the track was fast, I was feeling strong, the wind was making this typical 9.6 sound..."
yes tony, only in a sport where a timer will never be invented. i'm hoping the winds start making this typical 5.14 sound.
yeah boz has actually tried both morphine and chinese arithmetic and he says that morphine didnt feel too crazy, probably a normal 8b+. also ive heard that its not such a great line. boz also said that chinese arithmetic felt really hard, way harder then morphine. perhaps 8c?
Brian, if you want to get in touch with pi get a hold of nic o. from nicros. if i remember right he may still be up in the twin cities. very strong on crimps so morphine may fit him well from what i saw of the line.
he climbed down in madison for a while with mike and todd and always blew us away. very very strong fingers.
hi gabor, a list of old V12s and up that are unrepeated would be cool. that would be analogous to how that list on 8a.nu focused on older routes. i think such a list would be harder to put together. unfortunately, i know that i could not form such a list. my knowledge of hard sport and hard bouldering is very nascent.
yeah, well i know there are probably a couple in north carolina probably down south.. theres one crack boulder somewhere in the south that litz put up and rated V12 that i dont think has been repeated. also in hp40, both genetic V11 and great dane V10 i think are both unrepeated. im sure there are a lot more.
and also for the original list, the boulder that chris does in dosage 3 is also 8B+ ive heard. its the one where he does the jump into the vertical crack. i think its called the full package or something.
Yeah, I hadn't really thought of that problem. It sure looked really hard but it was overshadowed in the movie by Witness and King Lion. Maybe with the crew of Landman, Graham and Cardwell down there right now we might hear some more about it.
I am putting togeather a list of V12+ problems in California. I would love some input since the list is far from complete and mainly focuses on Bishop. Comments would be appreciated.
http://dreaminvertical.blogspot.com/2008/02/hard-boulder-problems-in-california.html
sorry i didnt get in on this earlier, Morphine was repeated in a day by Pi from Minnesota and he suggested V12. Litz has never graded Warpath, only others have made suggestions. Chinese Arithmetic is very hard, maybe hard V13 maybe V14, and interestingly enough I was told from a very reputable source that Litz thought Tilta-whirl direct (his other problem at the Obed) was harder. Book of Bitter Aspects is unrepeated, but it's not as hard as Jade, it could be a hard V13. There are several V13s in Pennsylvania of which there should be some skeptiscism.
Thanks for the info Jamie. I climbed with Pi a bit during my time in Madison, crazy strong fingers as Steve pointed out. Chill dude as well. He is in a few Nicros ads that I remember seeing in the magazines lately.
I'll add the Litz problems to the list even if they might be V13.
Perhapses you are thinking of some of the problems in PA from this list? http://www.newenglandbouldering.com/stories/nehardest.html
From the 4 years I climbed in PA there are definably some legit hard problems (V10+). Adam Markert and Char Fetterolf who were Haycock, PA locals could pull down hard. The hardest problem that I had heard of was a project called Big Monday that was supposed to be V13. I don't think it was ever sent and these days Adam is living in Colorado.
I might be skeptical about the V13 at Hunter rocks since sandstone was not high quality but the rock tended to be steep and pocketed so it is possible.
Just my 2 cents since I have been to those areas.
Big Wednesday still hasn't been climbed. I hear the v13 at hunters is soft, but high end twelve if not soft 13. There's a direct line on that boulder which is supposed to be 13. There's a 13 now at mt. Gretna. The keyhole project went. Both of the aforementioned 13's were out up by Tim rose. He's pretty strong.
The keyhole was repeated by Char Fetterolf and he suggested v10 or v11.
Char's a beast.
who is Pi? what's his full name? can you provide a little history?
if this is the same pi, he's this crazy strong guy who "climbs" up in the cities. really he lurks around the back of gyms...he's kinda that guy who everyone knows is really strong but never puts his shoes on. the few times i've seen him actually climb i've been impressed. very impressed.
Little Cottonwood Canyon has a couple of unrepeated problems in that range:1) Cheech, rated V13 - done nearly 10 years ago by Garth Miller, right next to Bully, unrepeated2) Mantra, rated V13 - right exit to Copperhead, Garth Miller again
so yeah the never ending grade debates....
interestingly enough, several of the FA'ers of these problems(Bos, Litz, etc.) never graded these problems..they have simply been interpolated from observers..
there are several unrepeated sharma problems in NE that have been "estimated" at V13+
@andy:
Unrepeated Sharma Problems in New England? What?
Second the Garth Miller problems in Utah. From memory this was on the same trip that he was flashing 10's, 11's and at least one 12. Cheech took him Quite a few days.
kevin jorgeson sent mandala sit. gabri is so crazy for trying to downgrade it
Just a thought. Many times linked problems can be harder than the sum of their parts for a reason both obvious and not so. Imagine, that you link two v10s for a v15. Crazy right? But the thing that most people don't think about is the linking move(s) themselves. What if you link a v12 into a v14, but the 1,2,3 whatever moves actually connecting the two are v16? Just some food for thought.
RESOLVE V14-FA by Shaun Diamond in the Gunks.
Bling V13/14-FA Isaac Caldiero in LCC
Thanks for the update Matt. I will update the list.
FYI, access at B*****y in CT is sensitive. Not sure if publicity is a good idea.
I will remove any specific reference to it. Thanks.
If anybody is still interested Pi's full name is Phaydara Vongsavanthong. He does the marketing/advertising stuff for Nicros. Really fun guy to climb with. He doesnt talk alot about any of his ascents which makes it hard to get a gauge for how strong he really is. If you see him climb though, it leaves no doubt as to how incredibly strong he is.
People should stop being so humble! How are other people supposed to spray about their mad skillz if we don't know what they are up to?
I know, right? Stupid humble people and their humility!!
just to ask everyones opinion...
1) the swarm and the mandala sit starts were originally graded v13. what happened?
2) seems like all who do ode to the modern man say (face to face) it's v13.
3) we are experiencing grade compression over the last year or so, yes? i'm not bothered to say why, but it is happening.
4) bernd z did do coeur.. he took 2 trips and a torn tendon. some have done it in about 30 min, some have said v12... ? kneebars!
5) more and faster repeats don't hafta mean soft. consensus takes time. it don't matter, it's about the individual and their feeling. the same problems that made dave G famous in his early days in the park have all been downgraded, not because he was wrong, but things are being compressed. John Sherman once said he thought crown of aragorn would be v11, that he didn't think the grades should be sliced so thin.. another problem, like slashface, that people do by the truckload and "take" the grade, but slag it off amongst friends... honesty to self is all that matters. If a v11 feels v12 to you, maybe it is, or maybe it exploits your weaknesses. maybe you should go surfing.
I liked the comment about the track runners.
Interesting questions. I will try to incorporate these into my upcoming review/update of this post.
Jon Cardwell has since downgraded The Tipping Point to 8B according to his 8a card.
Thanks for the update!
I should point you to Christophe Maschelein's 8a. It seems that a couple years ago he did The Fly and got the 2nd ascents of Chinese Arithmetic and Morphine. Interesting comment/rating of Morphine vs. Fly.
http://www.8a.nu/user/Profile.aspx?UserId=15583
I spoke too soon. Not a real person. Disregard. What a strange set of problems to pretend a fake person has climbed...
An article on Urban Climber Magazine's online site has some info on the Litz problems at Obed. http://www.urbanclimbermag.com/themag/features/the_legend_of_litz_and_the_lilly_boulders/
One of my favorite climbing articles in recent memory
I thought that paul never sent lost in the hood according to his blog he did not. also warpath is rated v14.
Apparently he was able to go back and finish it up before heading to Vegas.
Until Warpath is repeated any assignment of a specific grade is purely speculative unless you have other info??
Where is The Catwalk (there is a v14 listed from there)?
Let's not forget about the infamous John Heggland
Has anyone tried to repeated Full Package in Arkansas? I know Graham, Landman, and Robinson have all been there and i'm sure there have been other strong climbers. Seems like one of them would have tried to repeat it.
I've never read any accounts of anyone trying it.
Not sure if this is the same climb, but this list has a climb called "The Total Package" listed as v12 in Horseshoe canyon...
http://searchingforblocs.blogspot.com/2009/08/arkansass-hardest-boulders.html
never noticed this. pretty sweet! the amatuer?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJtYVbg2FPc
He makes that thing look like V4!
no kidding! thanks for the video sweaty!
Has anyone repeated that mono thing of sharma's from dosage 3?
Forbidden Fruit maybe?
The 13 at Hunter's (PA) is on private land. it's only been done by Zach Learner. and Josh Newman. Josh recently did a 13 and said that they new one he climbed is his first "real" thirteen.
Big Monday's a project as far as i know. some other seriously hard PA problems/projects are unfortunately subject shady access... but then again there's a slew of HARD 10/11's all over the south east/central PA region with only a handful of repeats.
There's a lot of rock in PA.
Where is the Woods ascent on Terremer
Has anyone repeated Tactile Style in Hueco? I think Chris put it up in 2006? and I haven't heard of a repeat. As far as Nuclear War is concerned, I was there for the development of that area and for Boz's first ascent of the problem. It is a very difficult one to grade because the difficulty centers mostly around one hard move where you jump back into an undercling. That one move was tried by many people who climb V13 elsewhere and no one could do it except Boz...who seemingly did it quite easily. A question of style maybe? The problem is also long-ish, and ends with a V9/10, so endurance after the crux also comes into play. Complex to grade for sure...but unfortunately choss :)
In other news, there is a problem in the Gunks that Paul put up called Further into the Forbidden Forest, and although I'm not sure how hard he suggested it was, I think it is also unrepeated.
I believe Tactile Style was repeated last season by GP Salvo.
It looks like Paul has FITFF as V12 on his card.
are you sure about some of the people in your list being real...
also, Steven Jeffery did a climb in LCC (not recently) called American Dream which goes around V14
Who are you referencing? I can tell you, in my brief re-check of that list, I know every one of those people exist. I know personally quite a few of them exist, and have seen these people or have second hand knowledge about them and their climbs.
No, I really don't. There are a couple I have questions about, namely Martin and Lander.
you read my mind...
Hard to say. From reading their scorecards they seem like real people.
mark lander is a real person, tho i dont know anything bout the catwalk..
In Squamish we have three other super hard unrepeated problems. Zazen V14 ish (Harry Robertson), The Reckoning V14 (Some guy who lives in a red Toyota van) and The North Ridge V14 (Georg Jost).
Gotta love that red Toyota van!
Carlo also climbed Suspension of Disbelief this year.
I must have forgot it was still on the list. Probably need to take it off since it doesn't really qualify anymore.
Everything involving Reese Martin, Mark Lander, and the Catwalk should be taken off the list, as none of them actually exist.
Since I've had a hard time corroborating either of their 8a scorecard entries I've been thinking the same thing myself. Care to elaborate at all on how you are so certain?
Woods repeated Warpath a couple of days ago at 8B+.
Tilt-a-whirl SDS is also known as Tilted World James Webb got 2nd 2nd ascent bank in Jan.
Sure enough. I suppose I can remove that one from the list since it's "not
hard enough" :)
Just glanced at this.. really nice list and constantly being updated! I do think Brad Weaver also sent Fantasia and called it v13 along with Voges.
Man, I'm really slipping in my old age. Thanks for catching that.
what about In Search Of Time Lost FA by Daniel Woods in 2008
The boulder is not in America
Has anyone repeated DGs "All screwed up"?, i was trawling the momentumVM video archive and stumble across the vid.
You should probably take Evil Backwards off the list.
I was just thinking about that today actually. Maybe keep last year's repeats for "historical" purposes?
You should probably take Evil Backwards off the list.
Dave Graham's The Ice Knife came in at V15... very interesting looking line.
There's been so little activity in the U.S. of late that I forgot about this list...
McColl also climbed Terre de Sienne but he gave it V13
According to Facebook, Jesse Warren (of Seattle) just sent the Mandala SDS.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150620470773387&set=a.10150620468428387.384556.634433386&type=1&theater
Thanks for the heads up!!!
I'm really excited to see a hard boulder problem in Harriman! There is a lot of unseen and untapped potential there. There is also a v14 at a place called the master bedroom.
the right, v14, boulder canyon
the 1%er, v14, mt. evans
daniel repeated witness the fitness
Full Package as well calling it 8B
Forgot that one was on the list
Dying To Live, V14 by Woods ?
Where did you see this?
http://www.dpmclimbing.com/climbing-videos/watch/daniel-woods-alex-puccio-and-chris-webb-parsons
Footage never shows the send but it says he sent it so...
If a send isn't logged on a public facing internet scorecard can it possibly have happened?
It's strange.
Zach Lerner has also done Evil Backwards (V13- post chip)
Shouldn't Adam Ondra's Terranova be on this list? He proposed the grade of v16. http://www.adamondra.com/adam-ondra-terranova
No, this is U.S. boulder problems only
Graham did Loved by few hated by many, not sure at what point in time but he has certainly done it. The footage is in one of the dosage videos...
That version was from a higher start which is "only" V13 hence not eligible for this list
The Reckoning
(V14) *** This incredible problem climbs the overhanging face left of
Chicken Lips and
Assholes
. It follows the line labelled “super project” in the guidebook and starts seated with opposing
sidepulls. This is one of Squamish’s hardest lines and is unrepeated. The grade needs confirmation. Stand
up start is V10. (FA: Tim Doyle, 2010)
Brian Boyko sent Mandala SDS just before the break in February or March 2012
Dave Wetmore did Big Worm this past fall
John Glassberg sent The Right and suggested v13
Dave Graham and Jon Glassberg both did The Right via Freedom--a different start and actually a different method for the finish as well. Also looks like an incredible line. Chris' version of The Right starts at the farthest left side of the boulder and climbs to the right prow and up. The Right via Freedom starts in the middle of the boulder and cuts out to the prow, then right. The original lines on the boulder, The Amendment and Freedom, have the same finish but these different starts and have different grades.
Joel Zerr did The Mandala Sit (V13 beta?) this March - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLYuNRQruCg&feature=youtu.be
Carlo just threw the downgrade gauntlet on The Grey.
nalle repeated wheel of chaos
Already noted
Dave Wetmore did Big Worm as well: https://vimeo.com/54675825
Didn't see he was on the list already. My bad, everyone.
Nalle and Dave repeated wheel of chaos
Does that not show in the list for you? I added those names last week but this isn't the first time someone has mentioned not seeing a name I already added.
It's on here twice, once as unrepeated and once with the repeats
Ahh, I see now. I'll fix that, thanks.
According to 8a, Christophe Maschelein sent the fly, ropeless, in 2007.
Somebody had mentioned him previously but then dismissed him as not being a real person. I'm not sure why, so until otherwise proven I'll add his ascent to the list.
I don't think Maschelein should be on the list. Some people have claimed that he is fake and if you google that name you get 7 results. Seems suspicious to me. If he's allowed on the list you should also put him as a repeater of Chinese Arithmetic (V13) which he apparently sent after 1 hour for its 2nd ascent.
I didn't read all comments so I hope no one has pointed this out yet.
It is said that both Zazen and North Ridge (Squamish) had a hold break after the first ascent. They were thought to be V13 before the break and no one has done them since. This doesn't mean they are V14 at all - they might not even be possible. The guidebook author put V14 as a wild guess to the new difficulty. I just thought this was pretty different from a problem that was climbed and never done again in the same state.
The Singularity and The Reckoning are the only V14's in Squamish that have been climbed (only once each) in their current state.
I heard d woods threw down and eventually sent a hard climb called the thunder project. He was working it with jimmy web who didnt flash it so it must be hard as hell. I havent heard anything about the grade however.
Looks like P. Robinson sent the Purge according to 8a.
Ice Knife SDS for the unrepeated list?
Update on the thunder project. Daniel called it defying gravity and gave it v15
Landman did Wood Grain Grippin in one of the Dosage movies no?
Think Ty put up another 8b+ at Bradley as well that is unnamed?
Elan Jonas Mcrae has done his first 8B+, The Reckoning Sit in Squamish. "So psyched to finally send this thing, singularity is next! 2nd ascent?" The 18 year old did his first 8B in 2011 and his first 8c route in 2010.
sourced from 8a.nu
Griffin Whiteside did The Beach and Force of Nature grading both V13.
The Nest (V15) Still needs to be added http://climbingnarc.com/2013/12/the-nest-v15-red-rock-daniel-woods-jimmy-webb/
Good call!
House of doom?
V13?
Webb did Litz's Warpath I believe as well...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VCXhkUbIRE
hypnotized minds? Or am I blind?
yep. I'm fuggin' blind...
a lifetime of projects :-)
no additives sit and insurgency sit are both V14s in joes right????
Kevin Cuckovich did Big Worm too.
Thomas Betterton has also climbed big worm
Resolve in the Gunks just got repeated this weekend by Bryce Viola
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wdDCWHcmHPY
two many martinis Sharma. Litz
Tim Doyle did the FA of The Reckoning in Squamish BC...
Might be worth noting the problems that have broken and may now be impossible at the original grade (obv. a great deal of conjecture in that statement). Eg. Zazen and witness the fitness.
Will Anglin did Evil Backwards he is strong and deserving of a place on this list. Also is was there ever a verdict on "the machinist" minute 1:15 in the “76 points in hueco” vid?
I haven't been updating that problem for a while now since it is not V14 any longer. Will is a beast though!
It is definitely not V14 anymore. And Nalle is a beast. Comparatively, I am a tiny kitten with weak little paws...maybe one day!
What about D-Woods Defying Gravity v15 in Colorado. From the film the Huntsmen.
It's on the list!
Not anymore =D lol
House of Doom v14 in Hueco and is there a verdict on the Machinist v14 in Hueco Shown in Daniel Woods' Rock Rodeo Videos 2014 and 2012 respectively.
Both originally proposed to be V13 and still graded V13 by 100% of ascentionists.
Top Sirloin V14, Hueco Tanks, FA: Sean McColl
http://sendage.com/climb/top-sirloin-east-spur-hueco-tanks-tx-usa
Webb also did The Reckoning
Love this. Thanks, Brian. What about 'Misdirection' V14 on the Grandma Peabody? FA The Real Deal Dan Beall. Unrepeated. Maybe a candidate for Hard Unrepeated Boulders?
Also I put up this v3 in Burst Rock that still goes unrepeated. Possibly a candidate too?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
It's hidden in the middle of the list, but it's there. Your v3 is still being reviewed by the Hard Boulder Board of Directors!
"Nuclear War – V14 – Matt Bosley – Harriman State Park, NYdi" What does the "di" Stand for?
I think that was just a typo on my part
What about Kehl's Seventh Circle? I don't think that's been repeated?
Not enough information to really gauge how hard it might be is there?
True. Its an *incredible* line (was looking at it last week hence the out-of-the-blue comment). I am very surprised it hasn't attracted more interested from the near-constant flow of world class climbers who hit up hueco every season. An atypical kehl problem - it has one of the best landings in hueco and not even that tall!
It was listed as V14 on the Rock Rodeo problem list for 2014. See 1:15 here: https://vimeo.com/87524788
Are we including Squamish problems in this list because of their proximity to the U.S.? Because if so we should also include all of the Peñoles sends too.
What about L' Étoile du Nord? Jim wont grade it but there is little doubt it is at least V14 and there is legitmate speculation that it could be harder. Nonetheless, it is one of the purest and beautiful lines I have ever seen.
Just curious... Is there a reason you're not adding L’ Étoile du Nord?
Mostly just that I keep forgetting. I'll add it today.
Awesome. Now get some of those Colorado folks to come out and see how hard it is. Not sure if you ever made it up to Sawmill during your time in the Midwest but you should come too. It is the land of the only grade that matters (v7).
I've never been, but I've always wanted to. I moved back to WI so maybe the time is right?
Megos did Lucid Dreaming
Elan Jonas Mcrae has climbed The Swarm, Direct North, and Force of Nature (calling it "hard 13 or easy 14") as well as The Reckoning. All are on sendage.com
Thanks!
Notcied J Webb's name isn't on the list for a repeat on 'The Reckoning'...
It is now, thanks!