UKC

Dave Graham completes Hypnotized Minds (Font 8C+)

© Dave Graham

Dave Graham has climbed Hypnotized Minds (Font 8C+) after sustained efforts over seven years. The problem was first climbed by Daniel Woods in 2010 and went unrepeated for several years until Russian climber Rustam Gelmanov made short work of it in 2016.

Hypnotized Minds [8C+] 💎✔️💎 It's pretty thrilling news to share that on Tuesday I finally climbed this incredible problem first ascended by legend @dawoods89 🎉🎉🎉 I have been trying this problem seriously for the past 7 years, but remember my first days in the park as a young lad staring up at this line, already entranced 🌀The saga really starts with me falling off the last move twice, deep into the winter season, just before rupturing my A2 pulley in Mexico back in 2013 💔 Fast forward two years when I was finally all healed for crimping and I broke off a key left foot for the crux move, reducing my highpoint and beta to ashes; It felt like was starting from scratch 😞 I was still obsessed. I dedicated every Fall and Spring season to sieging Hypno, abandoning any other climbing goals in hope that I could rise above and conquer this sequence, yet amidst unpredictable sub-alpine conditions, it wasn't so simple. Most of my friends abandoned my effort, and I started regularly climbing alone on the boulder. Struggling to see my errors by myself, it became a new type of challenge. The pattern of shoveling the boulder out between weekly storms and the long solo drives started to become synonymous with the idea of making attempts 😵 Until this October. First day went really well, I realized my new @fiveten_official Dragons were game changing on both crux moves allowing me to get the crack pocket correctly from the start, and give me a fair sticking the high left pinch from the ground. Day 2 I came super close to sticking the pinch, I felt stronger physically then I ever had, and more calm in the mind. Day 3 was 65 at the parking, pretty warm for my taste, but as a snow storm was rolling in it seemed smart to give at least a few tries. First go I fell off the last move (can't wait to share that 😂), second go at the crux, and third try, I SENT 🤯 IG won't let me elaborate more this post but I can't wait to share the entire story with everyone, and the send!!! Thanks for the support from my homies who believed in me (you know who you are amigos 🙌🏻) and @alizee_dufraisse for reminding me I can actually do what I set my mind to 💞 time to enjoy the FREEDOM 👐🏻!!!!

A post shared by Dave Graham (@dave_graham_) on

Now 37, Graham has been a top boulderer and sport climber for nearly two decades. He has made the first ascents of a huge number of cutting edge boulder problems including The Story of Two Worlds, Big Paw and From Dirt Grows The Flowers, all Font 8C at the time. In 2016, he climbed his first Font 8C+: Creature from the Black Lagoon at Upper Chaos Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park.

In a short post about climbing Hypnotised Minds, Graham describes first seeing the problem on the Veritas boulder years before it was climbed and being 'entranced.' In 2013, he fell off the last move twice and shortly after ruptured his A2 pulley, halting his attempts for another two years.

'Fast forward two years when I was finally all healed for crimping and I broke off a key left foot for the crux move, reducing my highpoint and beta to ashes; it felt like was starting from scratch. I was still obsessed. I dedicated every Fall and Spring season to sieging Hypno, abandoning any other climbing goals in hope that I could rise above and conquer this sequence, yet amidst unpredictable sub-alpine conditions, it wasn't so simple.'

Below is a video of Graham attempting Hypnotized Minds in 2013:

Not wanting to brave the cold of winter, Graham's climbing partners left him to try the climb alone. He found it difficult without an extra set of eyes to spot his mistakes and found the new situation challenging. Weekly snow shovelling sessions and solo driving became 'synonymous' with attempting the problem. However, this October he had a breakthrough:

'First day went really well, I realized my new Five Ten Dragons were game changing on both crux moves allowing me to get the crack pocket correctly from the start, and give me a fair chance sticking the high left pinch from the ground.

'Day 2: I came super close to sticking the pinch, I felt stronger physically then I ever had, and more calm in the mind. Day 3 was 65 [degrees] at the parking, pretty warm for my taste, but as a snowstorm was rolling in it seemed smart to give at least a few tries. First go I fell off the last move (can't wait to share that), second go at the crux, and third try, I SENT.'

Daniel Woods originally graded the climb Font 8C but later upgraded it based on the experience he had gained in subsequent years. Rustam Gelmanov declined to comment on the grade as he climbed it fast and it suited his body type so well.

Daniel Woods climbing the problem in 2010:


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Dave Graham has been a top boulderer and sport climber for nearly two decades. He has made the first ascents of a huge number of cutting edge boulder problems including The Story of Two Worlds, Big Paw and...

Dave's Athlete Page 36 posts 5 videos




15 Oct, 2019

Wow DG so psyched that his instagram post makes total sense?!

15 Oct, 2019

the little squirt is 37 - about time he got a proper job

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