Shawn Raboutou has made the third ascent of Nalle Hukkataival's Livin' Large (8C) in Rocklands, South Africa. Hukkataival climbed the problem in 2009 and despite attempts from many climbers, only Jimmy Webb has climbed it since.
Livin' Large is a stunning 8m arete featuring a complex sequence low down, followed by a tenuous and highball top section. Adam Ondra fell from just below the top in 2011 and the resulting impact on his spine meant he lost interest in the problem. Hukkataival describes the problem on his blog:
'Livin' Large is by far the hardest thing I've ever climbed and I feel confident saying that it's a proper 8C. The movement on Livin' Large is anything but simple. Apart from the difficulty, Livin' Large is pretty much a perfect boulder problem in my eyes and I hope the upcoming seasons' other climbers will get as psyched to try it as I was.'
Raboutou's ascent was extraordinarily late in the season for Rocklands, where most climbers leave in September due to rapidly rising temperatures.
In 2018, Raboutou also repeated Hukkataival's The Finnish Line (8C/+) which is another stunning highball arete in Rocklands
Raboutou is quickly emerging as one of the brightest young talents in bouldering and is working his way through the world's hardest test pieces, and adding a few of his own.
Below is a video that features Raboutou's ascent of The Finnish Line:
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