Hard International Bouldering Sends 2017
It was one year ago that Nalle Hukkataival climbed the world’s first V17. The steep and technical route was called the Lappnor Project but he named it Burden of Dreams after the climb.
There have been many big breakthroughs in the world of climbing, from Adam Ondra climbing 5.15d and Margo Hayes climbing two 5.15a routes to Alex Honnold free-soloing Freerider 5.13a on El Cap.
But 2017 saw fewer hard bouldering sends than 2016. Some notable climbs this year were Anna Stohr’s V14 and Alex Puccio many V13 sends, Jimmy Webb’s repeat of Black Lagoon V16 and Hukkataival’s new Finnish Line V16 (which was quickly repeated by Alex Megos).
In Canada, Ben Harnden made the third ascent of The North Ridge V14 in Gibb’s Cave on the West Coast. In Spain, Alberto Rocasolano made the first ascent of Eternity V14/15 and Kaizen, a 5.14 traverse.
Japanese crusher Ryohei Kameyama repeated Jour de Chasse V15 and The Big Island V15, Mecanique Elementaire V14, Gecko Assis V14 or The Trap House V14. Earlier this year, Dai Koyamada made the first ascent of Yokuto V16 at Gero in Japan.
In Austria, Christof Rauch repeated Zunami V15 and Sound of Silence V15, both first climbed by Bernhard Schwaiger. In Fontainebleau, barefoot climber Charles Albert made the first ascent of the extension to La Révolutionnaire V16, the first of the grade in the area.
Adam Ondra recently made the first ascents of Drift V15 and Vrtule, which he graded V15/16 at Holštejn in Czech Republic. Also recently, Webb climbed his 14th V15 with the first ascent of The Outer Limits at Donner Summit in California.
As a quick side note, of the 20 countries with a V15 there are 13 in Europe. Click to watch Stohr’s recent climb of Penrose Step V14 at Leavenworth.
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