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Uncut of No Kpote Only V17 Posted on Mellow

Charles Albert climbs the first ascent of "No Kpote Only" in Fontainebleau, France.

Fontainebleau, France has long been one of the most prestigious bouldering crags in the world. With a history dating back over a century, Font has stood as a proving ground for recreational and professional climbers alike.

Last year, French climber Charles Albert established No Kpote Only suggesting a grade of 9A / V17. This would make No Kpote Only the second, and only other, boulder problem to bare such a high difficulty. The first 9A, Burden of Dreams, was established by Finnish climber Nalle Hukkataival in 2017 and has not yet seen a second ascent.

No Kpote Only saw a second ascent by Ryohei Kameyama just two months after Albert established the problem. The line took Kameyama four sessions and he proposed a grade of 8C+/9A or V16/17.

Due to the disparity between the number of sessions Hukkataival required to establish Burden of Dreams, some have wondered at the legitimacy of the 9A grade for No Kpote Only. The discussion once more shows the subjectivity of climbing grades. Fortunately, difficulty is just an aspect of bouldering and not the essence of the sport. For the first time, Mellow has released the Uncut footage of Charles Albert establishing No Kpote Only one of the most challenging boulder problems in the world.

Featured photo by Neil Hart of Charles Albert.

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