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Nathan Kutcher Climbs Hard New Quebec Route

Nathan Kutcher is no stranger to headlines. He has established a number of hard ice, mixed and drytooling routes. He competes on the world stage at the UIAA ice climbing world cup.

Last year, Kutcher spent three days in St. Alban and onsighted three M10s. St. Alban is an all bolted dry-tooling crag near Quebec City. The rock is not the best, but it makes for great early season training with over 60 dry-tool routes. Kutcher climbed the three hardest routes at the crag on his first try.

He returned this fall and established the hardest route at the crag. Kutcher said, “I bolted it and climbed it a few weekends ago. It crosses and clips a few existing routes and bolts. Mostly all new climbing/moves except for the very end. Only shares a couple holds in the middle, but climbs a different line to and from the holds. The start is all new. No drilled holds.”

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The route is one of the longest at the crag, “I did it first try, but I knew where all the holds were. Its long by St.Alban standards and steep. Has two hard moves and a lot of pump,” said Kutcher.

He named the route First Blood and graded it M11.

Kutcher on the first crux  Photo courtesy of Nathan Kutcher
Kutcher on the first crux Photo courtesy of Nathan Kutcher
Kutcher's new route  Photo Nathan Kutcher
Kutcher’s new route Photo Nathan Kutcher

Watch this video by Dr. Topo about climbing at St. Alban:

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