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NEW ARTICLE: The 9A Future of Bouldering - Beyond Style

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 UKC Articles 18 Feb 2015
Alex Megos on Lucid Dreaming, ~8C, Buttermilks, 4 kbWhat will make the future's hardest boulders? Will they come from incredibly talented boulderers who are able to attempt problems in their home areas for decades until they can send them?

Francis Sanzaro explains



Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=7093
 AymanC 18 Feb 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Really interesting, well thought out article.

The idea of 'specialised' body types is covered in a lot of detail in this TED talk.
Also not to mention technology as a massive factor in progression. Sticky rubber, training facilities etc.
There's a good section in the talk on the changes of track surfaces and stuff...

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_epstein_are_athletes_really_getting_faster_...
In reply to UKC Articles:

When are we going to stop using "envision" as a verb, or indeed a word? It's so f***ing illiterate and depressing.

jcm
6
 Michael Gordon 19 Feb 2015
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

spell check doesn't seem to mind it?
 Toerag 19 Feb 2015
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

> When are we going to stop using "envision" as a verb, or indeed a word? It's so f***ing illiterate and depressing.

> jcm

When the dictionary does?
envision
[en-vizh-uh n]
Spell Syllables
Examples Word Origin
verb (used with object)
1.
to picture mentally, especially some future event or events:
to envision a bright future.
 Durbs 19 Feb 2015
In reply to johncoxmysteriously:

Excellent contribution jcm - incorrect, and pointless.

Really good article I thought, the only thing it didn't mention was the highball grey area. e,g, The Process gaining the extra grade (from v15 to v16) due to the crux third move being at significant height - and is it still a "true" boulder problem etc.

Physical limitations to one side, someone also has to find the boulder, which makes the assumption it exists in a place to be discovered.
 1poundSOCKS 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Durbs:

> The Process gaining the extra grade (from v15 to v16) due to the crux third move being at significant height

Strange. I always thought bouldering grades (Font or Vermin) had nothing to do with any danger or psychological aspect, only the physical difficulty.
 AlanLittle 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Durbs:

> Physical limitations to one side, someone also has to find the boulder, which makes the assumption it exists in a place to be discovered.

This is a problem climbing has that other disciplines don't. Marathon runners know rather exactly where the two hour mark lies, although whether they will reach it in the foreseeable future is still an open question. Adam Ondra probably doesn't know at this point where there is a bit of rock that is a bit harder than hard 9b+, but not so much harder that it is currently completely impossible for him.
 Durbs 19 Feb 2015
In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

> Strange. I always thought bouldering grades (Font or Vermin) had nothing to do with any danger or psychological aspect, only the physical difficulty.

Indeed, which is why the V16 grade for The Process is mildly controversial as Daniel said in his North Face post that he did take this into account. Though perhaps, as well as the mental aspect the height brings, there is also the stamina (and thus physical difficulty) also inherent in the route.
 Durbs 19 Feb 2015
In reply to AlanLittle:

> This is a problem climbing has that other disciplines don't. Marathon runners know rather exactly where the two hour mark lies, although whether they will reach it in the foreseeable future is still an open question. Adam Ondra probably doesn't know at this point where there is a bit of rock that is a bit harder than hard 9b+, but not so much harder that it is currently completely impossible for him.

So in some ways, plastic could be used to find this next level - as you could create "standard" problem, then just use progressively smaller and smaller holds until a limit is reached - wait for someone to tick it, then reduce the hold size again. But this highlights one of the points of the article - this would only find the one limit; hold size/type on a particular angle
In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

> Strange. I always thought bouldering grades (Font or Vermin) had nothing to do with any danger or psychological aspect, only the physical difficulty.

As far as I understand Font grades do and V grades don't.
 Franco Cookson 19 Feb 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Very interesting, but probably wrong. Grades are subjective, the hardest grade is the one only the best can do. This is theoretically infinitely hard, as it is impossible for all but the one person who can do it.

Moreover, if you work on your weaknesses when at your limit, you necessarily become worse at your strength. Working on powerful climbing styles might build a core that generally aids slab climbing, but for the very thinnest moves you need to lose all extra weight/muscle. In other words, being an all- rounder inhibits the difficulty you can attain in your natural strength.

Obviously as it's subjective there will be a perceived equivalent between the hardest amalgamation of styles and the hardest problem of a pure style, but I'd suggest this is a bit flawed if you're trying to talk about the hardest moves possible.

My understanding of bouldering might be a bit lacking, but this is certainly the case with trad crises.
 Franco Cookson 19 Feb 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Cruxes even
 Michael Gordon 19 Feb 2015
In reply to Toerag:

>
> envision

> > verb (used with object):

> to picture mentally, especially some future event or events:

> to envision a bright future.


I had to check 'envision'. At first I thought jcm was correct as I always thought the word was 'envisage'. So they both mean the same thing?

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