Is the Fourth Ascent of Burden of Dreams V17 Coming Soon?
Italian climber Elias Iagnemma is getting incredibly close to sending – and he's using some very unique beta
The world’s first V17 (9A), Burden of Dreams, has seen a lot of action over the past year. Many of the world’s best climbers have travelled to Finland to try their hand at the Nalle Hukkatival problem, including Shawn Raboutou, Will Bosi, Stefano Ghisolfi, and Simon Lorenzi, among others. Bosi picked up the coveted second ascent of the line in April last year. Lorenzi made the third ascent in late December.
The climb has been an ongoing, long-term project for Italian climber Elias Iagnemma. He’s currently back in Finland and it looks like he’s getting mighty close to sending. One thing that makes his potential ascent extra exciting is that his beta makes Burden look like a completely different problem. He’s taken a highly creative approach which takes seven hand moves to reach the top, a deviation from the standard five-move beta.
After sticking the first move – a throw with the right hand to a crimp – Iagnemma brings up a left heel near the left hand starting hold. He then bumps his left hand to a tiny crimp unused by other ascensionists. He stays on this hold only a brief moment before bumping again to a high left hand crimp gaston, which is the fourth hold in the standard beta.
Iagnemma then brings his right arm across his body and grabs a left-facing sidepull, a hold unused by previous ascensionists. This allows him to rearrange his feet so that he can move his right hand to a pinch crimp, typically the third hold in the standard beta. From there, like everyone else, he launches to the final three-finger drag hold. But unlike everyone else, he launches for the hold with his left hand. As he hits the hold with his left hand, rather than holding the vicious swing, he uses the momentum to quickly clutch a hold further out right with his right hand. You can watch an attempt from his latest session in the video below:
Iagnemma is one of Italy’s strongest boulderers. He’s climbed V16 in the past including an FA of Ganesh in Crognaleto, Italy and a repeat of Gioia in Varazze, Italy. He has many V15s and V14s to his name, primarily in Switzerland and Italy. On a rope, he’s made 5.15a first ascents, including Ten and Ultimo Tango a Zagarolo, both in Italy.
Elias Iagnemma and Burden of Dreams V17
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