Second ascent of Bombadil by Niky Ceria

25th July, 2023

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Niccolò Ceria has made the second ascent of Dan Varian's 8B+ highball testpiece, Bombadil (f8B+), at Christianbury Crag.

Varian made the first ascent back in 2019, having been 'consumed' by the boulder for the best part of fifteen years. Upon making the ascent, he described Bombadil as 'his perfect experience of climbing', and wrote in a piece for Scarpa:

'To climb it on my own after having my wrist surgically reconstructed in April last year may be the best thing I have ever managed as a climber, so for those few seconds it was nice to feel that momentary perfection. The process of spotting, figuring out and climbing this line has really stood out... There are truly some world class quality experiences up here. Destined for obscurity and to morph back into dirty monoliths, but incredible nonetheless. That just sums up Bombadil for me. It has been an absolute pleasure'.

Ceria, who typically does not grade his boulders or comment on the grades of boulders he climbs, made an extended trip to the UK between late April and mid-June this year. Shortly after returning to Italy, he uploaded a number of photos from his trip, including a teaser of him working Bombadil.

Ceria working Bombadil, 8B+ © Dan Varian — Ceria working Bombadil, 8B+
© Dan Varian

Yesterday, posting on instagram, Ceria confirmed that he had made the second ascent, stating:

'  I'd like to start from the end and express my gratitude to the amazing people who have been part of this process; a climb that will remain in my favorite memories forever.   A huge thanks goes to Dan Varian; a climber I had the chance and the honor to know better during this trip, following some of his steps and admiring some of the most impressive boulders of our era'.

'Bombadil is an incredible vision from him.  Dan supported me a lot on this line since the first moments. He helped me with some precious information both regarding the climbing tricks and the fun facts about the area, not to mention the invaluable logistic cooperation.  I'll forever remember these three days in Christianbury, and I hope to spend more time in this place in the future'.

'More insights about this experience and process will be out in the next few days'.