UKC

NEWS: Connor Herson climbs Empath 9a+ on Trad Gear

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 UKC News 21 Jun 2022

18-year-old US climber Connor Herson recently made a trad ascent of Empath 5.15a/9a+ at Lake Tahoe in the northern Sierra Nevada, USA. Herson had previously redpointed the line as a sport route. If climbed on gear, Empath ranks among the hardest trad routes in the world, involving powerful compression moves on undercuts and sidepulls with some potential for jamming techniques.

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 nastyned 21 Jun 2022
In reply to UKC News:

He can chop the bolts now

6
 kipper12 21 Jun 2022
In reply to nastyned:

Or shows both can co exist

21
 mrphilipoldham 21 Jun 2022
In reply to kipper12:

Would he have done it without the back up of the bolts though? Doesn't show anything.

57
In reply to mrphilipoldham:

> Would he have done it without the back up of the bolts though?

Yawn!



Amazing ascent Connor!

4
 alexfrew 22 Jun 2022
In reply to Paul Phillips - UKC and UKH:

Wonder what 'E' grade it gets?

 mrphilipoldham 22 Jun 2022
In reply to Paul Phillips - UKC and UKH:

Not taking away from the physical climbing of course, that’s a stupendous effort either way! But the fact he did it with the bolts then on gear doesn’t show that they can coexist and maintain the same level of mental commitment. 

13
 Offwidth 22 Jun 2022
In reply to mrphilipoldham:

Well, the two styles clearly do coexist and any mental commitment rather depends on the quality of the natural protection.

Well done Conner...

The point he is the.youngest to free The Nose seems less significant to me than the fact he climbed it free, given very few have done that.

Post edited at 11:35
5
 mrphilipoldham 22 Jun 2022
In reply to Offwidth:

> Well, the two styles clearly do coexist and any mental commitment rather depends on the quality of the natural protection.

The quality of the natural protection is rather less relevant if there’s always a bolt not too far away. 

16
 Ramon Marin 22 Jun 2022
In reply to UKC News:

so if Lexicon is 8b+ and gets E11 and it's safe, then this should be what? E15? Whatever it is, it's pretty cool he's done it in gear.

1
Removed User 22 Jun 2022
In reply to nastyned:

He could have at least taped them up!

1
In reply to Ramon Marin:

No idea whether it's bold or safe but it's definitely looks to be in the E11/E12 range
https://rockfax.com/climbing-guides/grades/

Post edited at 12:28
 HeMa 22 Jun 2022
In reply to Ramon Marin:

To the extent of my knowledge, Empath is reasonably safe climbing, it follows a series of cracks on granite (I recall some who climbed it, did so with solid hand jams)...

So it is hard and afaik quite sustained climbing, but the gear is good and plentiful. Another similar line (a tad easier perhaps) is Privatvägen (https://27crags.com/crags/antby/routes/privatvagen, ~8c and sustained, but reasonable small gear). Tribe seems to be of the same technical difficulty (~9a), but more bold.

Imho with good gear and good rock, clipping a bolt or a cam, there really is not difference (and Empath seems to be like that). Obviously placing gear takes more time, thus might make the climbing harder (but from safety perspective, no difference).

I guess it all boils down to the fact, do you value balls over power? So is climbing something hard and scary, potentially deadly harder than climbing something really freaking hard. So which is "harder", something you know you can get up, but if you mess it up you might die or get badly injured... where as something so hard that only a handful of people are even capable of physically climbing (but failing on it will not have any drastic implications... bruised hands, knees, ego...).

 Ramon Marin 22 Jun 2022
In reply to HeMa:

yes sure, but as the technical grade goes up, the E grade needs to go up too. So even if it's a safe 9a+ it couldn't be the same E grade as a 8b+. 

Post edited at 15:00
2
 Michael Gordon 22 Jun 2022
In reply to Ramon Marin:

With no-one having taken the fall from the very top, it seems fair to say that Lexicon falls in the 'safe' in inverted commas category, as opposed to with Rhapsody, a contrasting example James Pearson made afterwards. But yes, relatively safe 8b+ and totally safe 9a+ would surely not get the same trad grade. 

Removed User 22 Jun 2022
In reply to Michael Gordon:

No death fall, no double digits. Isn't how the old saying went before top-end E grade erosion and the invention of English 7b?

Post edited at 15:56
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 treesrockice 22 Jun 2022
In reply to Removed User:

Are you in an arm chair while you type up your climbing opinion on what "they" "always" "said"?
(for reference I am)

I like these for a perspective on trad grades (note the lack of mention of the death of the lead climber in either)

E grade construction:  youtube.com/watch?v=xV5CRWi8vWM&

Spirit of (UK) trad: https://vimeo.com/189775068?fbclid=IwAR0DSICC9aq7_iR1HEkImyzwYooQSyevkkZn39...

 Southvillain 22 Jun 2022
In reply to UKC News:

Yet another (after James Pearson on Lexicon) UKC example of `Q: how many posters does it take to comment on a newsworthy climb? A: two to praise the climber and fifteen to pile in on ethics and grades'...Sad.

Like James' efforts, it's an impressive achievement and should be congratulated.

3
 simes303 23 Jun 2022
In reply to UKC News:

That is impressive!

Out of interest, how might a fire have damaged the route? It seems unlikely.

Si.

In reply to simes303:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfFG5jqjmSX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campai...

Fire at Oliana last week. It can severely damage the outer layers of rock. We have contacted a local who is getting back to us with answers and ways to help soon.

 simes303 23 Jun 2022
In reply to Natalie Berry - UKC:

Wow, I would never have thought it would have such a disastrous effect.

Thanks for that.

Si.


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