Bouldering News 2021: Some Big Sends to Start the Year
New V15 problems in Spain and Czech and some burly repeats
We’re only two weeks into 2021, but already some big bouldering sends have gone down. Many classic bouldering areas have been warm enough this winter to allow climbers to project lines in near-perfect conditions.
Pol Roca has just established one of the hardest boulders in Spain with the first ascent of Purple Panther V15. The line was first tried by Chris Sharma and took Roca 20 days over three months.
Strong comp climber Nicolas Collin climbed The Big Island V15 in Fontainebleau after nine sessions. Also during the first week of the year, Natalia Grossman, 19, climbed Wet Dream V12 and Burnt V12 during a one week trip to Red Rock. And Marine Thevenet sent Portici V12 in Osogna.
Ryohei Kameyama has amde the second ascent of Kuzai V15 in Mie, Japan, a problem first climbed in 2017 by Toshi Takeushi and extended in 2016 by Tatsuya Muraoka.
Martin Stranik, 30, has climbed two V14s with Leda Kost Low in Moravský kras and the first ascent of Teorie Tygra in Vesec, Czech, an area with hundreds of established problems. Watch here.
In Canada, boulderers have been getting out thanks to the spring-like weather. At White Buddha near Calgary, Alyssa Weber climbed Hasselhoff Arete V9 and Segundo V8. In the Bow Valley’s Jura Creek, Matt Lucas has sent Baby Beluga V9 and Jellyfish V5.
At the end of 2020, Nathan Williams made quick work of Sleepwalker V16. “This boulder just suited me very well, and with every session, I felt stronger and stronger on the underclings,” he said on 8a.nu. “Ten sessions this season and around five or six last season. I think I fell going to the sloper from the bottom almost 30 times before I stuck it on point.”
Also at the end of last year, Shawn Raboutou made the first ascent of Big Z V16 in Tahoe.
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