Five V16 Sends in 2024, So Far
Some of the hardest bouldering sends of the year
Summer often isn’t the time for hard boulder sends, due to the heat and conditions, but over the past few months some of the world’s most iconic V16 problems were climbed. Here are five V16 sends of 2024, there have been many others so far this year.
Devilution: American climber Shawn Raboutou made the second ascent of Devilution V16 in the Buttermilks. Located on the famous Grandpa Peabody boulder, the problem is a low start into Evilution Direct V11, a popular right-exit version of Jason Kehl’s Evilution V12. Devilution remained an open project for many years until Sean Bailey made the first ascent earlier this year.
Big Z: Irish climber David Fitzgerald repeated Big Z V16 (8C+) in Lake Tahoe, California. Established by Shawn Raboutou in December 2020, the problem went unrepeated for over three years before Matt Fultz’s second ascent in March of this year. Fitzgerald’s ascent is the third and his first of the grade.
Isles of Wonder: Solly Kemball Dorey made the third ascent of Isles of Wonder in the U.K. and gave it a personal grade of V16. It was first climbed in summer 2022 by Aidan Roberts, who said, “a wonderfully rare alignment where the hardest and best climb I’ve done coincides.”
The Process: On Feb. 27, Zach Galla made the second ascent of The Process V16 (8C+) in the Buttermilks. First climbed by Daniel Woods in 2015, the problem is located on the famous Grandpa Peabody boulder to the right of Lucid Dreaming V15 and Devilution V16. The line was an open project for years before Woods’ eventual first ascent.
Sleepwalker: On Jan. 9, Noah Wheeler repeated Sleepwalker in Red Rock, Nevada. Established by Jimmy Webb in December 2018, Sleepwalker has since become one of the most repeated V16s in the world, seeing ascents from Daniel Woods, Nalle Hukkataival, Drew Ruana, Matt Fultz, Ryuichi Murai, and many others.
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