UKC

Hazel Findlay has repeated Ron Kauk's highly aesthetic Magic Line 8c+ (5.14c) 35m finger crack line at Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park. After one month of sessions working the line, Hazel ticked her project on her last day before leaving the Valley. Hazel's ascent is only the second redpoint ascent after Ron's Son Lonnie Kauk made the first ascent placing gear on lead in November 2018. Ron's 1996 ascent was made using pre-placed gear, also known as a pinkpoint ascent.

Read more

That's awesome. Well done.

Absolutely superb. I'm guessing this must be the hardest crack climb done by a British woman?

I read it as suggesting it's either 14b or c hence the 8c/+. Given that only two people had previously done it it's hardly settled.

Anyway it's besides the point, either way it's one of the hardest crack climbs around. An amazing achievement. How many people have looked at this over the years and walked away?

The grade isn’t everything and no matter what alphanumerical you put next to it this is an amazing achievement but I do think it is worth being accurate as it isn’t difficult in this case, and seems a little weird when as far as I’ve seen no one has called it 8c/+.

British women are going from strength to strength at the moment!  

Hazel Findlay speaking: Just to clarify. The grade given by the first red point ascentionist of this route (Lonnie Kauk) is 5.14c R which equals 8c+ and probably e10 (but UK grades don’t really make sense for this line). Not sure why UKC thinks it has the authority to downgrade a route only climbed by one person (now 2). I think the grade is accurate so unless a bunch of other people climb it and downgrade it - that’s the grade. I’d have told UKC this if they had emailed me prior to releasing all of this information about me. What has happened to climbing journalism?! 

I took the slash grade to mean 8c with pre placed gear, 8c+ placing gear on lead.

Nice one Hazel 

I apologise for the confusion. I read the BMC's report which stated 8c/+ and since such an in-depth report was posted very soon following Hazel's instagram post - and given the fact that Hazel is a BMC Ambassador - I assumed that Hazel had been in touch with the BMC. I know Hazel receives a lot of attention and emails after ascents, so I didn't want to overwhelm her when the information was seemingly out there. There was no intention to deliberately downgrade the climb. 

Fantastic! Looks like the shoulder injury is being put behind her now.

Am I wrong in thinking this is the first British female 8c+? Quite a few 8cs and then Emma on big bang, but nothing in between?

The fact that it's trad and a crack make it all the more impressive. Good effort.

Since Mind Control has been downgraded from 8c+ to 8c I think that’s correct

What a line and what an achievement. 

Ever since seeing 'that' photo (which I can't find online atm) of Ron Kauk on Magic line in the John Long book, I've always admired it - excellent to see it getting climbed again.

Lonnie in the more or less similar place: http://www.alpinist.com/media/web19s/a66-magic-line-12.jpg

Look forward to hopefully seeing Hazel climbing it from a similar angle.

Does 8c/+ not just mean it could be either? Like E1/2.

Thanks for changing it UKC