The Meltdown (9a) in Twll Mawr, Llanberis Slate Quarries first came to prominence in the 1980s when it escaped the grasp of slab master Johnny Dawes. The route remained unclimbed until local James McHaffie bagged the first ascent in 2012, giving the UK its hardest slab climb at 8c+/9a. In 2018, Spanish climber Ignacio Mulero made his second trip over to attempt the route and repeated the route.
Filmmaker Talo Martin was on hand to document Ignacio's ascent:
Who is Ignacio Mulero?
Born in Madrid, Ignacio climbs anything and everything. He is one of the most well-rounded climbers nowadays as he's ticked Nacho Sanchez's Entropía 8C, freed an aid route and made the FA of Clandestino 9a. Meanwhile, he'll be bolting a new route and destroying your beta on a project while he finds a thousand tricks and kneebars, one of his top skills. In Pedriza (Madrid), a crag where he's pushing the limits as one of the up and coming young local climbers, he made the FA of one of the most difficult slabs in the world, Territorio Comanche 8c+.
Ignacio has also freed an 8b+ and 8c on trad gear and a classic 40º roof bolted ex-aid route from the 60s, grading it 8c and appearing on the cover of a Spanish magazine. Add to all of this some gut-wrenching 8A+ high ball first ascents. With no driving license yet (because it's time wasted if he's not climbing) the day before Ignacio climbed The Meltdown, he walked an hour to the crag, abbed down from the top of The Quarryman and checked all the moves of the route on a single rope.
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The Meltdown
Comments
Me and some friends were in Serengeti the day before he did Meltdown. If only I had known who the guy sitting down and watching me punter off Windows of Perception on TR was, I might have clung on a bit harder and stopped dicking around!
I'd like to think I inspired him to get on it...
Impressive bit of climbing and cool video only let down by the subtitling.
I especially liked two bits:
First when he lassoed the next clip - cool I thought :-)
Then the bit where he pulled his foot up with his hand and then snatched to the next holds with both hands at the same time - had to rewind/replay a couple of times to confirm "did I just see that?"
Amazing that he did this in Boreals
Why?