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Some Big Bouldering News This Week, From V13 to V16

Off the Wagon Low V16 in Switzerland got its fifth ascent and a U.K. climber sent V13 in a day

Belgium climber Simon Lorenzi and U.K. crusher Molly Thompson-Smith have both logged impressive sends this week of some hard boulders.

Lorenzi, 24, made only the fifth ascent of Off the Wagon Low V16 in Val Bavona, Switzerland. The previous four climbers were Shawn Raboutou, James Webb, Daniel Woods and Giuliano Cameroni said that he remained focused on the project after spending a few days on it in 2019. This week, we put in a three-hour session and after 20 goes finally topped it out.

Earlier this year, he made the first ascent of Soudain Seul, the sit start to The Big Island, at Coquibus Rumont in Fontainebleau, France, and graded it V17. The project had been tried by many strong climbers, including Jimmy Webb and Jan Hoger, and if confirmed would be the second V17 ever climbed, and first on a sandstone boulder. The first and only other suggested V17 is Nalle Hukkataival’s Burden of Dreams from 2016, which has not been repeated. Charles Albert sent No Kpote Only in December 2018 and graded it V17, but it was downgraded to V15/16. Lorenzi’s first 5.14d was Action Directe and his first V15 was Dreamtime in Switzerland. Last year, he flashed L’Insountenable V13 in Font. Lorenzi is 168 cm tall and has a +8 cm ape index.

Off the Wagon Low V16 with Jimmy Webb

Fellow 24-year-old, Thompson-Smith, also had a standout day bouldering this week with her first V13 in one session. Competing for the U.K., she placed 11th in the Lead World Championships this year.

Earlier this year, Thompson-Smith climbed her first V13 with Keen Roof in the U.K. She’d been spending more time outdoors this spring than in the past. A serious finger injury and surgery at the end of the 2017 season forced her to take eight months off, but she fought my way back to win the National Championships in October 2018. “Outside of sport, I am a huge advocate for diversity and inclusion in sport,” she said. “Currently, my full focus is aimed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”

This summer, she worked for BBC as a commentator for Sport Climbing in the Olympics. When asked how her experience competing helps with the job, she said, “I think it helps me to describe the less obvious details of what’s happening, for example what could be going on inside the climber’s head during a round of five-minute boulder rotation.

“There are things that are just subconscious to athletes but are interesting to anyone outside of the competition arena, and being able to share those with the viewers will provide another dimension to their understanding of the event.”

A 2021 interview with Thompson-Smith

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