Ethan Salvo Tops Squamish’s The Singularity V15
The long-term project for Salvo is arguably Squamish's most difficult established boulder problem
On February 5, Ethan Salvo completed his long-term project in Squamish, The Singularity V15. Established by Tim Clifford in 2007 and originally graded V14, subsequent ascensionists have started the problem from a lower hold, upping the difficulty. Nalle Hukkataival made the second ascent in 2017 and Lucas Uchida repeated it in 2022. Arguably the most difficult problem in Squamish, The Singularity was a multi-year project for Salvo.
“Four years ago I walked the path I’ve now walked more than any other in the forest,” said Salvo on Instagram. “It was then I saw The Singularity for the first time and told myself ‘I have to climb that in my lifetime’. In 2022 I moved to Squamish and dove head first into granite bouldering. As the year went on, some of my projects went down and others started to feel possible. I’d frequently try The Singularity, but always felt so far from being able to do the crux move.”
In the autumn of 2023, Salvo got extremely close to topping the problem, but the Squamish rains ended the season. After a trip to Bishop in early 2024, he returned to Squamish reinvigorated to try The Singularity.
“Last week I was having a pretty mediocre session,” said Salvo . “My skin and energy levels were low, and the crux move was feeling far away from the start. I told myself and my friends that I’d give it one last try to end the session. I pulled on, and gave the try that would end the journey. Upon topping out, I looked down and imagined a 17-year-old me staring back. It felt surreal to be standing in the place I envisioned back then, especially since the vision was nothing but a youthful dream. You really need everything to come together to have that moment, I guess that’s what The Singularity is.”
Salvo is one of Canada’s foremost boulderers. Over the past couple of years he has repeated and put up some of the hardest lines in and around Squamish. In late 2022, in a period a little over a week, he repeated The Reckoning V14 and Deadlift V14. In February 2023, he made the first post-break send of Zazen, a low start to the famous Gibbs’ Cave V8, grading the problem V15. Later in 2023, he made repeats of three V14s: Room Service Low, The Megg, and I Shot the Sheriff. He also established Sword in the Stone V14, a stunning problem that climbs into the top of Merlin V12 north of Squamish.
Before moving to Squamish, Salvo lived in Ontario where he regularly climbed at the Niagara Glen and climbed many of the area’s hard classics. In 2020, he made FA’s of Rite of Passage Low V13 and The Wheel of Bonfire V13. In 2021, he made the first ascent of the striking Vilified V13.
Nalle Hukkataival sends The Singularity
Lucas Uchida sends The Singularity
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