Aidan Roberts Opens New V14 in Yosemite
"One of the finest boulders in the Valley," said Roberts after his ascent
Aidan Roberts has just announced his first ascent of The Bee’s Knees V14 (8B+) in Yosemite. The project was first found by Randy Puro. Roberts says his ascent was only possible with some help from his friends, as the steepness of the tall boulder prevented the possibility of working the problem on a rope. Instead it was necessary to use a ladder and many crash pads to unlock sequences. The use of ropes and ladders has become increasingly common in bouldering, allowing climbers to clean the boulder and safely scope out the moves and establish beta.
Roberts is no stranger to hard ascents in Yosemite. Last year, he made the second ascent of The Dark Side V16, the first of the grade in Yosemite. Opened by Carlo Traversi in 2023, the line has seen repeats from Roberts, Keenan Takahashi, and Katie Lamb. Roberts also made the first ascent of at least seven boulders V13 or harder in 2025 alone. Among these were two V15s – Scaredy Cat and Rhythm and Reason.
The 27-year-old climber from the U.K. is one of the top boulderers on the planet. He has three V17s to his name. In October 2022, he was the first climber to repeat Shawn Raboutou’s Alphane V17. He was also the first British climber to tick the grade. In February 2024, he made the first ascent of Spots of Time V17 in the U.K.’s Lake District. The following month, he made the first ascent of Arrival of the Birds V17 in Chironico, Switzerland. He has several V16 first ascents, including Vecchio Leone Sit and The Lion’s Share in Switzerland and Superpowers and Isles of Wonder Sit in the U.K., the first two of the grade in the country.
“A legendary project discovered by [Randy Puro], a striking line of sloped edges on sandstone-textured granite,” said Roberts on Instagram about his The Bee’s Knee’s FA. “Thanks to the generous watering from Bridalveil Falls, the forest here feels different from the rest of the Valley. It’s thick and overgrown, and the boulder is easy to lose even when you know it’s there. The steepness makes it almost impossible to work on a rope, so it’s best attempted from a ladder and over many pads. Ironically, in modern times, this pseudo ground-up style is a bit of a logistical nightmare, and it’s necessarily a team effort to try.
“It often feels that a new boulder is credited almost entirely to the first ascensionist, in a way that doesn’t fully represent how an established line really comes to be. My ascent was only a small part of the work it took to bring this line to life. It’s one of many examples of the generosity of the experienced Valley folk who kindly share these projects, their beta, and support my sessions. Together with [Katie Lamb], [Keenan Takahashi] and [Shawn Raboutou], we deciphered a good method, and I managed to piece it together with just a little left in the tank. A memorable day, and one of the finest boulders in the Valley.”
