Daniel Woods Climbs New V16 in U.S.A.
The steep line includes using a painful ring lock to reach a small crimp
Daniel Woods has made the first ascent of a new hard problem in Colorado called Adrenaline and proposed the grade of V16. Last week, Woods upgraded a Drew Ruana problem from V14 to V15, read more here.
Woods almost made the first ascent of Adrenaline last month after returning from a trip to Europe. One of the crux moves involves using a ring lock in a flared slot to move to a rounded quarter pad vertical edge. The ring lock is “super painful and bruises my left index finger,” said Woods. “It only feels secure when my fingers are numb and I can’t feel it. This eliminates the pain, so I can pull through and not think about it.”
Woods is one of the most accomplished boulderers of all time, with over 20 ascents of V15 or harder problems. In 2021, he climbed the first V17 in America, and only the second ever at the time, with his first ascent of Return of the Sleepwalker. Other hard problems Woods has climbed include the first ascents of Sleepwalker V16, The Box Therapy V16, Creature from the Black Lagoon V16, The Process V16 and Hypnotized Minds V16. Woods has also pushed grades on roped climbs and in 2019 sent his hardest grade to date with La Capella 5.15b in Spain.
“What a painful ride with this one,” said Woods. “Stellar line and rock though. Was difficult to get into a rhythm with it. Had to have skin and conditions line up to properly stick and execute the moves. I think low end V16 but it’s a tricky one to grade.” Watch him project the hard line below.
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