In reply to Ian Parsons:
A recent update clarifies what he did here:
“Hard to find the words to describe how I feel. We made it up to the Wino Tower and no more hard pitches guard my way to the top. I could not have asked for a better day.
“Pitch 16 can be climbed via the dyno or the loop. If I am not wrong, the dyno was given 5.14c (8c+), and the loop is probably easier—I heard something about 5.14a— but due to the crazy character of the climbing, the grade is not relevant. The loop pitch or dyno pitch is followed by a 5.14a layback. In between, there is no belay, only a no-hands stance. My original goal was to connect the loop pitch into the layback, making a 60-meter mega-pitch at 5.14c at least.
“The loop pitch is an extremely hard pitch mentally. The down-climb is awkward, powerful and insecure and is the crux of the pitch for sure. At the bottom of the loop, there is a good ledge, but I could not sit down. As you start climbing, you get into a tiny layback with pin-scars, which is super easy to slip on. This section is probably at 5.13c, but it is really devastating if you slip and have to climb the down-climb again. I was lucky to fight through the down-climb, took a rest at the ledge and climbed super carefully through the layback into the no-hands stance—the end of the loop/dyno pitch. I continued into pitch 17 (5.14a layback), but after climbing for 45 mins, my feet were just gone. I took a little rest and did pitch 17 from the no-hands stance. Doing the whole 16 plus 17 link seemed impossible at that moment.
“In the next 4 hours, I climbed pitch 18 (5.13c) in possibly the biggest fight of the day. My feet were so painful & weak that I was shaking so badly on the second half of the pitch. But I made it. Pitch 19 is very short & bouldery (5.13c, but I think 5.13b is better) & pitch 20 (5.13c—one of the best pitches on the wall) went very smooth. Pitch 21 (5.13d) is the last hard pitch. I had never worked on this pitch very carefully and it got dark in the meantime. I switched on my headlamp and headed towards the Wino Tower. I climbed slowly, took my time & hoped I would not pump out. It turned out to be a good tactic & at 6 p.m. I was at the Wino Tower!"
From the Black Diamond Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNCa_XIgde-/