Another Famous V16 Gets a Downgrade
Sleepwalker was first climbed in 2018 as one of America's hardest problems. A climber known for downgrading has just downgraded it
Zander Waller has repeated Sleepwalker in Red Rocks, Nevada, for the problem’s 10th ascent. It was first climbed by Jimmy Webb at V16, but Waller suggests it’s a V15. Earlier this week, we reported that Brooke Raboutou suggested Box Therapy is V15, not V16 – story here.
Webb made the first ascent of Sleepwalker back in 2018; the sit-start was first climbed by Daniel Woods as Return of the Sleepwalker V17. After his send, Webb said it was maybe “the hardest boulder in the country.” Matt Fultz was the first to suggest it was a soft V16, with Drew Ruana, Ryuichi Murai and Nalle Hukkataival giving it V16.
“Regarding the grade, I’ve definitely messed around downgrading stuff as a joke in the past, but I am completely serious about my decision on this one,” Waller said. “The beta I used is much easier than previous betas, and I don’t think that it can possibly warrant a V16 grade. Admittedly, I have almost no experience on difficult boulders, but for me to skip V14 and V15 and then do a V16 in less than four sessions seems outlandish.”
About his downgrade, Waller said on Reddit, “I did the boulder in four sessions and found beta which changes the intro of the boulder from hard V14 into V13. I have wanted to climb V16 my entire life, but I’m not going to take the grade when I do not deserve it.”
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