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Chris Snobek Sends Big Dolomite D15 Roof as “Warm Up”

Chris Snobek has sent A Line Above the Sky D15 in the Italian Dolomites, a massive drytool route first climbed by Tom Ballard. A line above the sky is located at Tomorrow’s World – a cave at the foot of Marmolada.

“First day and as my warm up,” Snobek said. “But I did a recon of the route in Febrary and had climbed parts before. I’m eternally grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life, you push and inspire me. Melissa, I love you; thank you for being there, the belay and for the photo.”

A line above the sky is an amalgamation of other routes already in Tomorrow’s World including Real Steel D9, French Connection D15- and Je Ne Sais Quoi D14+.

A post shared by Chris Snobeck (@chrissnobeck) on

The route has been repeated by a number of strong tool climbers, such as Angelika Rainer, Gaetan Raymond, Dariusz Sokołowski and Jeff Mercier.

A Line Above the Sky was the first route ever graded D15, taking over Robert Jasper’s Ironman D14+ in Switzerland as the hardest drytool line in the world.

“With 45+ metres of burly, shoulder-straining moves, and more than 25 clips, this route weighs in, I think, at a hefty D15,” said Ballard after the first ascent.

“Is D15 justified? I guess time and repeats will tell…come and have a go if you think you can climb hard enough! It is worth noting that I have graded the routes for pure DTS style, i.e. no Fig 4s. Mainly because I can’t do Fig 4s!”

Watch Mercier on the D15

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