Canadian Miles Adamson Rocks Squamish Highballs

Miles Adamson is Canada’s National Bouldering Champion. He was born in Edmonton, Alberta and has been climbing for 14 years, he turned 20 last month. He now lives in Squamish

Last year he climbed The Path, 5.14aR, at Lake Louise, and he has bouldered V12. He started competing at eight years old.

Here is a list of Miles’ summer ticks: Voltage – V3 FA, Ride the Lightning – V8, World of Hurt – V10, Samosa Break Enchanted – V4, Funeral Arrangements – V6, Black Slabbath – V7, Resurrection – V9, Straight outta’ Squampton – V10, Risk it for the Biscuits – V9 FA, Be on Four – V7, The Alpine Ridge – V5 FA, Snakes of Shaolin (stand) – V10 second ascent, Arm your Thoughts – V7, The Drowning Grip – V11, Animal Magnetism – V7++/+, Teenage Lobotomy – V6.

Highballs or no Balls from Miles Adamson on Vimeo.

In a recent correspondence with Gripped, Adamson said: “Although my goals are to do bolder climbs, my approach is still generally cautious and calculated. I top-roped almost all of the highballs, then bouldering them in head-point style once they were dialed. I tried to boulder them once all high moves felt solid. Some climbs didn’t require as serious of an approach, say if the landing was flat or if the high moves easier.

“It was about doing something dangerous in the safest way possible to me. I don’t feel that the ground up ethic applies strongly to bouldering, even though it is indeed much harder and more impressive to do so. On highballs, I think it’s almost completely up to the climber to keep themselves safe.

“If your spotters make an amazing save and keep you from getting hurt, that should be seen as a bonus, not a responsibility of the spotters. And it sounds obvious and almost stupid, but what’s safest is just not falling. It’s more complicated than it sounds though, it means only trying climbs within your own limits, and only committing when you’re ready. Even dropping off is very different in how you land than an actual fall if you’re already climbing.”