UKC

VIDEO: World Class - The Story of Aidan Roberts' Bouldering Breakthrough

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 UKC News 22 Dec 2020
Aidan Roberts - World Class

Every now and then, you get to witness a run of cutting-edge performance that defines an era of the sport. Even rarer, is when you see that purple patch unfold in an area that's not in the media spotlight and is renowned for sandbag grading.

This past summer, saw Aidan Roberts climb not just a couple of outstanding Lakeland boulder projects, but a whole slew of FAs and repeats up to 8C+/V16 in just a six week period. We're also not talking of lines ignored by the best - they'd already seen attention - they are problems that climb some of the proudest boulder faces in the Lakes and show off the best of British climbing.  



Read more
 creag 22 Dec 2020
In reply to UKC News:

I'm not a boulderer... but that was the business. Well done!

In reply to UKC News:

34:00 mins in, anyone know where I can get a set of those shoulders...?

In reply to UKC News:

Wow...

I had high hopes for this, but it excelled beyond them all. It certainly brightened up my day and fuelled the fires for some local climbing throughout 2021.

That said, I could also do with knowing the answer to Glenn's question - where are those shoulders available to purchase?!?

 Mike D 23 Dec 2020
In reply to UKC News:

Outstanding! This has got to be the best climbing film (of any discipline) I've seen in years. Great stuff!

2
 snoop6060 23 Dec 2020
In reply to UKC News:

Really enjoyed that. I love films about UK bouldering. Gets me psyched to get out bouldering more. Admittedly I get there and instantly remember, oh yeah that's right, I'm absolutely shite! Oh well. Do need to get back to Carrock though, get all my skin surgically removed in 15 mins flat. 

 GrahamD 23 Dec 2020
In reply to UKC News:

Some great footage of the Lakes there.  As a complete non boulder, I wasn't sure what to make of the nearly throwaway line on the Gaskins problems.  Anyone shed any light ?

1
 AJM 23 Dec 2020
In reply to GrahamD:

It's considered by some/several/many that some of them were never actually done. Shadowplay, apparently, is considered undoable by people who ought to know, either because it's broken since it was done or otherwise, and there are others I believe (I think Outliers, and maybe Tranquilitas, amongst others?)

There's obviously a lack of video evidence etc, this being before the time where that sort of thing was standard, a lack of witnesses, descriptions of sequences, implausible lines/claims/etc that once accumulated to a certain point become too much for some.

I have no view on this and am not looking to argue about the detail, only repeating my understanding of what the position is!

 GrahamD 23 Dec 2020
In reply to AJM:

Thanks.  Thats a shame.  I hadn't realised Gaskins' ascents were in that shadowland.

 Lord_ash2000 23 Dec 2020
In reply to UKC News:

Yeah it's all just come together for him this year, super strong, on form and stuck at home and with the lakes strongest boulders as mentors.

I've been on or around every bit of lakes rock featured on that video I think, and I can tell you the holds he's pulling off on most of those problems are diabolically poor. The sit start to karma of the trees was particularly impressive, as is the the face at the copper mines. 

The thing with Gaskins is a lot of his hard accents have been called into question, I believe the prospect of shadow play being included in the new guide was described as an insult to the sport hence why it's been diplomatically suggested some holds may have broken off it now. (Ie it's been deemed impossible). 

Post edited at 22:03
 SDM 29 Dec 2020
In reply to GrahamD:

It's a real shame. I had always wanted to believe he had done them all.

Comments from Dan Varian (carlisle slapper) and others in the 'Chasing a spectre' thread on the other channel are as conclusive as they could possibly be:

After spending many years looking up to Gaskins', trying Gaskins' problems, and grading all his first ascents on a scale relative Gaskins' climbs, Varian eventually came to the conclusion that Gaskins could not have climbed a number of his claimed first ascents. Gaskins' suggested grades for a number of them were way off (in both directions) and his comments about beta were not consistent with anyone who had actually tried the moves.

Gaskins was clearly very strong but it seems clear that he couldn't have climbed a number of his claimed FAs. (From my armchair perspective; I had one extremely optimistic session on Karma of the Trees sit, but other than that, I've never tried any of the problems in question nor am I in the same league as anyone who can climb them).

It would be great to see some of Aiden and Dan's hardest problems get repeated to see other people's opinions on the grades. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a number of upgrades being suggested.

https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,30355.msg594221.html#msg5942...

Post edited at 00:18
 Mr Fuller 29 Dec 2020
In reply to UKC News:

Awesome film. A savagely strong, motivated and skilled climber taking advantage of a very strange year. 

The discussions about grading in different countries was interesting. From my armchair, it's seems like various strong UK boulderers often spend months putting up something nails in the UK, then go abroad and tick a dozen problems of equivalent grade in a week. Ondra has been brilliant for sport in repeating and benchmarking routes around the world. Bouldering perhaps needs the same, but that would go against the far more holistic 'have fun where you are' message of the film.  

 GTubb 30 Dec 2020
In reply to Mike D:

t

Post edited at 15:51

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...