American climber Isabelle Faus has made the first female ascent of Spidey 8B+, in Nomad Cave, Clear Creek Canyon, Colorado.

Despite only publicising her ascent recently, Faus actually climbed Spidey back in March. The 8B+ ascent further cements Faus' status as one of the worlds best boulderers, and one who - with seven 8B+ ascents to her name - is at the very apex of women's bouldering.

The boulder, which was first climbed by Griffin Whiteside, has since seen repeats from top-end boulderers including Drew Ruana, Daniel Woods, and Austin Purdy. Whilst both Whiteside and second ascensionist Ruana initially thought that the boulder could be V15/8C, Daniel Woods, who made the third ascent of the boulder shortly after climbing Return of the Sleepwalker (f9A), graded it 8B+. As such, it could be argued that a consensus grade for the boulder is yet to be reached.

The boulder itself comprises almost twenty hand moves through the roof of Nomad cave. Precise heel hooks and core tension are crucial throughout, before the boulder ends in a powerful comp-style move.

With the left hand already on the final hold, Faus pushes herself towards the final hold and cuts loose, briefly bringing her right hand into an opposing hold to reduce her momentum, before matching the final hold and switching her hands around as she rotates a full 360°. As Nomad cave is at the bottom of a sport crag, the boulder then finishes by dropping off rather than topping out.

The cave roof, almost sixty feet in length, has ample potential for long links of of shorter boulders. At the end of last year, Spidey 8B+ made the news as part of a longer link up, when Drew Ruana sandwiched the boulder in between Off the Books 8A, and No Way Home 8A/+, to establish Bookkeeping, 8C+. 

Speaking about her ascent on her YouTube channel, Faus said:

'I climbed this boulder back in March. I think this is the hardest thing I've done so far! I love climbing in this cave, despite it being a drop off, it has some of the most amazing moves and sequences. Spidey gets harder with every move, the first half is V9 (7C), then a few moves of V11(8A) climbing, and ending with a hard V13 (8B)'.

'It looks long but it's definitely more of a power boulder than an endurance climb. Super proud to have climbed a low angle crimpy V14 (8B+) with Grinch back in February, and then a steep slopey one a month later. Grateful to my body, for the time I get to be outside, and for good times with friends!'

Check out the video of Faus working the boulder, and her eventual ascent, below: