Newsflash Simon Lorenzi repeats Return of the Sleepwalker, Font 9A / V17
Belgian climber Simon Lorenzi has repeated Daniel Woods' Return of the Sleepwalker (Font 9A/V17), in Black Velvet Canyon, Nevada.
Belgian Simon Lorenzi has made the third ascent of Burden of Dreams, the world's first 9A boulder in Lappnor, east of Helsinki, Finland. Initially known as the Lappnor Project, Nalle Hukkataival climbed the line in 2016 after over three years of effort to establish the world's hardest boulder problem.
Lorenzi arrived in Finland around five weeks ago, according to his Instagram feed. Despite freezing temperatures, heavy snow and skin issues over the past month, Lorenzi finally ticked the problem yesterday (27 December).
Announcing his success in a post today, he wrote:
"From being something not even imaginable in my craziest dreams not a long time ago to the achievement of a life goal."
Lorenzi was the first person to have both repeated and established a Font 9A boulder.
He has now climbed three established 9As, with ascents of Soudain Seul - also known as The Big Island Sit - in 2021 (UKC News), Alphane in December 2022 (UKC News) and Burden of Dreams.
Will Bosi made the first repeat in April this year (UKC News) and confirmed the grade at 9A/V17 after 14 sessions on the problem and 24 days working the line in total, combining time spent on both an indoor replica and the boulder itself.
Comments
Amazing stuff.
Also worth re-celebrating Nalle’s effort establishing such an incredible line in the first instance.
Death slab topout.
Death from 10', I don't think so.
But I know what you mean, would it have counted if he'd stood up over the lip, totally on the slab, and slipped off the icy stuff at the top - INCOMPLETE 🤣🤣
I expect his ice axes and crampons would make short work of that.
I’m psyched to see the video, surely the top-out is going to be the most exciting part!
Yeah! And a relatively long time ago too.