This evening, 24 April, I got an email which made me very happy. It was from Martin Keller:

After more than 3 years and 100+ visits, I have just climbed the "fisch-project" in Chironico.
The boulder is called "Der mit dem Fels tanzt" and it's the most funky, most crazy, most powerful, most delicate and hardest moves I have ever been able to link. Finally got my little bit of luck. The perfect day. The perfect go. No tiny error but also no power left for even one more move. That's how it feels when you climb on/over your limit. Just perfect ;).

Those of us who have been following Martin's blog over the years already know the story of all the fighting, analyzing, progress, ups and downs, including falling several time on the final mantle, and those of you who don't... can read the whole story tomorrow.

It's a must, because it's the best story of what making first ascents are all about that I can think of.

In numbers, Der mit dem Fels tanzt can be described as "a 4 move 8B/+ into a 15 move 8B" or "a 7 move 8B+ into the existing problem Einfisch, Kleinfisch, 8A+/B".

Regardless how you put it, this should add up to 8C or so.

Martin Keller is sponsored by Moon Climbing