The 9A block has just been crossed twice in one go across the Atlantic!
The first boulder in 9A is none other than a first ascent and a proposal, we spoke to you about it a few weeks ago, it was the fashionable project of this end of year in the US: the sitting start of “ Defying Gravity” (8C, almost on a single spectacular Güllich pan move, reputed to be one of the most difficult bouldering moves in the world, no less!) located at Thunder Ridge in Colorado. It’s Nathaniel Coleman who takes the first ascent of the boulder, who adds an 8B boulder to the 8C of the standing start, which requires perfect mastery of this powerful and uncertain movement on loose holds. Because that is the crux of the matter: getting to it when you are tired. Nathaniel had performed the standing start a year ago in 8 sessions and explains that it took him 14 sessions to best understand the complexity of this movement, so as to seriously plan this seated start, which he has just named “No One Mourns the Wicked”, with a beautiful documentary on tap!
The second 9A is a repeat: the 3rd ascent of Daniel Woods’ “Return of the Sleepwalker” at Red Rocks. After Will Bosi, it’s Noah Wheeler’s turn to repeat the affair, who wonders while announcing his cross if what he has just done is real. This is his first 9A bouldering, he who already had many hard boulders under his belt, and who had planned this “Defying gravity” seated start with Coleman. With “Shaolin”, “Megatron”, “ROTS” and “No One Mourns the Wicked”, there are now 4 block proposals in 9A in the US!
Wow, the V17 boulder has just been climbed twice on the other side of the Atlantic!
The first V17 boulder is none other than a first ascent and a proposition. We told you about it a few weeks ago, it was the current project for the end of the year in the US: the sit start of ‘Defying Gravity’ (8C, almost on a single spectacular campus move, reputed to be one of the most difficult bouldering moves in the world, no less!) located at Thunder Ridge in Colorado. Nathaniel Coleman won the first ascent of the boulder, adding an 8B boulder to the 8C of the standing start, which requires perfect mastery of this powerful and low purcentage move on no texture holds. And that’s the crux of the thing: doing it tired. Nathaniel did the standing start a year ago in 8 sessions and explains that it took him 14 sessions to fully understand the complexity of this movement, so that he could seriously plan this sit start, which he has just named ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’, with a fine documentary under his belt, just above!
The second 9A is a repeat: the 3rd ascent of Daniel Woods’ “Return of the Sleepwalker” at Red Rocks. After Will Bosi, it was Noah Wheeler’s turn to repeat the problem, wondering as he announced his send whether what he’d just done was really real! This was his first 9A boulder, and he already had plenty of hard boulders to his name, having planned too this sit-start to ‘Defying gravity’ with Coleman. With ‘Shaolin’, ‘Megatron’, ‘ROTS’ and ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’, there are now 4 V17 boulder proposals in the US!
