#3 - Font 8C+ Video, Scary DWS and a WideBoy on Silence
In this week's Ticklist, we have a video of one of the world's hardest boulder problems, a repeat of a scary looking E8 and a WideBoy cracking on with Ondra's hardest route. Let's get to it:
Video: The Grand Illusion (Font 8C+) First Ascent
Top US boulderers Nathaniel Coleman and Drew Ruana attempt one of the best and hardest projects in the States in this new video from mellow. The unclimbed line is a low start, which adds 13 moves, to a Chris Sharma 8B called Euro Roof. The pair spent over two weeks working the line at similar rates of progress before Nathaniel made the first ascent during a night time session.
Underworld (E8 6b) Gets Repeated
Ben Bransby and Ian Vickers climbed Underworld (E8 6b) at Hollow Caves Bay, Pembroke, in 1999 and it has since gone unrepeated. Bob Hickish and Howard Lawledge made the 2nd and 3rd ascents by deep water soloing the 34m high route.
More Rocky Mountain Bouldering
Another week and another few 8B's get climbed in Rocky Mountain National Park. Katie Lamb climbed three 8B's in just over a week: The Wheel of Chaos, Freaks of the Industry and The Wheel Direct. The 22-year-old climbed her first 8B in June and now has a total of five under her belt.
Freaks of the Industry had two other ascents from Natalia Grossman and Brooke Raboutou. Raboutou would have been competing in the Olympics right now had it not been for the pandemic and it's been fascinating to see her apply her skills on rock.
Poppy (8b+/8c) for Rhoslyn Frugtniet
Rhoslyn Frugtniet has climbed Poppy (8b+) (8b+/8c), Ken Palmer's 1994 route at Anstey's Cove. The GB Climber has had a successful time at the Devon crag post-lockdown, also climbing Pet Cemetary (8a+).
Writing on her Instagram, Rhoslyn described her redpoint experience: 'As often with redpointing this felt easy on the send - though that definitely wasn't the case in previous sessions, with me saying I'd give up trying it on almost every one I think! Thankfully the people around me had more belief in me than myself - lesson learnt!'
Pete Whittaker cracks Silence
He may never climb the whole route (sorry, Pete) but Pete Whittaker has taken on the crux of Ondra's hardest route, Silence, with his unique crack climbing skillset. Pete said:
'When half the crux of the hardest route in the world has a crack on it and part of it revolves around a foot jam, I was too curious not to have a look and see what it was all about.
'I found an alternative crack climbers sequence to the end of the crux, which used some nice technical foot and thin hand jams. Shame for me that the crack is marooned between impossibly hard looking V14 and 13 climbing.'
Take that, Ondra. Kind of.
Jesse Dufton of 'Climbing Blind' ticks Forked Lightning Crack E2 5c
Jesse Dufton - a GB Paraclimbing Team member whose lead ascent of the Old Man of Hoy was documented in the popular film 'Climbing Blind' - has ticked his first E2 with an ascent of Forked Lightning Crack at Heptonstall. The line is an intimidating lead for a sighted climber, let alone a person who can only distinguish between light and dark in a very narrow field of view. Jesse has been gaining mileage in the HVS-E2 range, with ascents of Left Unconquerable E1 at Stanage and Overhanging Groove HVS at Almscliff in the last few weeks. Stay tuned for a UKC interview with Jesse.
Silbergeier 8b+ in a Day for Seb Berthe and Nico Favresse on their Zero-Carbon Bike/Dog adventure
Belgian climbers Nico Favresse and Sebastien Berthe - a former competition climber who made a surprise free ascent of The Nose last Autumn - have ticked Silbergeier 8b+ (240m, 6 pitches) in the Swiss Rätikon in a day. Nico had climbed the route previously, but this was Seb's first ascent after an earlier attempt seven years ago. The pair are part of a team who are currently travelling around the Alps by bike for a month with their pooches in tow!