Joe Kinder Sends New 5.14d/15a Called Bone Tomahawk

Strong American climber Joe Kinder has sent a 2010 project after nearly 40 attempts graded it 5.14d/15a. Read his post below for a full recount. Kinder told Andrew Bisharat of Evening Sends earlier this year, “I have about four different routes that are all next-level for me and they are my goals. (Listen to Kinder talk about training and new routes below)

“I guess I don’t really want to boast too much publicly about them, as I really don’t need any pressure or expectations from anybody, including myself. This is the year for me to go and enjoy climbing and try to excel for me and nobody but me. Call it selfish and narcissistic, but after training and seeing a new open door I am really eager to push it and see what I can do.” Bone Tomahawk is in the newly developed Fynn Cave in southern Utah.

Yesterday, one of the routine tries it happened. The day was bizarre. I kept thinking of my late friend Phil who recently passed away. My mode was glum, the normal sequence of events seems disturbed and completely off kilter. I had been 100% devoted to climbing this anomaly for the past 3 weeks and wanted some fuc*ing return for it. I wanted to send and complete my goal. I was close and had been close. The clock was ticking and my time here was feeling limited. So yeah, stress was higher than normal. I fell off the start boulder problem 3 times. I was flipping out. Screaming, cursing, and feeling like a victim. I felt like a shaken bottle of soda. About to explode and that's not my style. I rested again, pushed record on the camera and shrugged like "what the hell" before I jumped to the starting holds. Same feeling. Same motive. I traveled through the moves of contorted roof climbing and was thinking completely clear the whole time. I somehow grabbed the hold at my high point. Barely. The body seemed to deal with the whole event differently. I felt numb but so in touch with everything going on and was able to control it. I completed my hardest climb yet. I won't lie. I cried. I thought about my girlfriend and the time and energy she devoted to this endeavor. I thought about Phil and how he didn't need to leave us all. I thought about how special this project was to me. My gawd. I'm glad we were alone in there. ?Bone Tomahawk ?Too scared to call it 9a+ so let's say 9a/+. ?Bolted in 2010 ?Tried on and off for nearly 6 years. ?Perhaps 35 days of effort? ?Obsessed over all of those 6 years. Thank you Lindsey for sticking with me on this. I dedicate this send to Phil Schaal. ? @sav.cummins

A photo posted by Joe Kinder (@j0ekinder) on Oct 26, 2016 at 8:10pm PDT