A publication of the South Australian Volume 4, Issue 15 Climbing Club (CCSA)... February 2006 BOLFA Special points of inter- est: Further cutting-edge routes (Part II) • Cutting edge routes 1990-2000 1990-2000 So by the end of 1990, the world had its first route graded 8c+ (34), courtesy of a 25 • Joke of the month foot offering in the UK. It was big news, for it was an unprecedented grade – and a route that would stand the test of time and see only 4 repeats in the next 14 years. Nev- • Gallery ertheless, it wasn’t long before another climb came to challenge it in the difficulty • The Last Word stakes – and this time it was Germany’s turn. 1991 Aktion Direkt (originally UIAA XI) (or 34/35 for us Aussies) was the product of Wolf- gang Gullich in 1991. The line had been a project of local Milan Sykora – though his vision was of a slightly different path up the same radically overhanging bulge. Gullich set to work on the project but chose instead to take a direct finish straight through the business. To do this, he specifically trained 1-finger pockets, but more importantly started a campus boarding regime that up until then, was unheard of. To train for the route, Gullich (amongst other exercises) trained plyometrics – specifi- cally on one-finger first joint edges. This involved dropping down and catching his weight using one-finger of each hand – then springing back up to the next rung. Clearly this type of training helped him, because he went on to climb the route over a period of 8 days (spread over a significantly longer period). Being only 15 moves long – this was easily comparable to Moon’s power route ‘Hubble’. Moon himself concerred with the grade after attempting a repeat, coming off the 13th move on linkage before retiring with an injured finger. Nowadays ‘Action’ is regarded as being the first 9a (35), with Hubble coming in at hard 34 (though it must be noted that the latter has had significantly less repeats). On the onsight front, Didier Raboutou walked up Space Camp (30), bringing the on- sight grade ever closer to 8b (31). Over in Oz, big news was that of Steve Bullen, making the first Australian repeat of Lord of the Rings (31). 1992 The well known Frenchman Jibe Tribout – well accustomed to raising the bar in terms of grades outside his homeland, returned to Smith Rocks (US) and got to work on an old Alan Watts project – the extension of the 5.13c (30) route ‘Just Do It’. By linking this lower section into the hitherto unclimbed upper purple band of rock on (Continued on page 3) BOLFA Page 2 JOKE OF THE MONTH A guy is driving around me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with and he sees a sign in spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog front of a house: Talking would be eavesdropping. I was one of their most valu- Dog For Sale. He rings able spies for eight years running. But the jetting around the bell and the owner really tired me out, and I knew I wasn't getting any tells him the dog is in the younger so I decided to settle down. backyard. The guy goes into the backyard and I signed up for a job at the airport to do some under- sees a Labrador re- cover security wandering near Suspicious characters triever sitting there. and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals. I got married, had "You talk?" he asks. a mess of puppies, and now I'm just retired." "Yep," the Lab replies. "So, what's your story?" The guy is amazed. The Lab looks up and He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for says, "Well, I discovered the dog. "Ten dollars," the guy says. that I could talk when I Was pretty young. I "Ten dollars? This dog is amazing. Why on earth are wanted to help the gov- you selling him so cheap?" ernment, so I told the "Because he's a liar. He never did any of that shit." CIA about my gift, and in no time at all they had "You talk?" he asks. "Yep," the Lab replies. "So, what's your story?" Spankin’ the Monkey Bars (V8) Kindergarten—photo by Craig Ingram (Continued from page 1) the Monkey Face – he created America’s first route of 5.14c (34) standard – and arguably the hardest endurance route in the world at 45m long. Not surprisingly, he got shot down by many of Europe’s top climbers who thought that Jibe wasn’t capable of such a grade at the time – but given the route was like climbing a grade 30 to a 32 with a good rest in-between (off a slopey jug with no feet) – it remained the US’s first 5.14c. guy is driving around and he sees a sign in front of a house: Talking Dog For Over in the UK, virtual ‘unknown’Sale. Scottish He rings climber the bell upped and histhe personal owner tellsbest redpointhim the leveldog isfrom in the 31 (Malham’sbackyard. Mag-The netic Fields) to 34 when he stunnedguy goes the climbinginto the scenebackyard by making and sees the amuch Labrador sought retriever after second sitting ascent there. of Moon’s route ‘Hubble’. Rumour had it that success came after his brother had done two moves of one of Malcolm’s home board problems back in Dumbarton."You talk?"Malcolm he returnedasks. "Yep," home, the sent Lab the replies. entire problem "So, what's with your a sit-start story?" – then went back to Hubble and quick success. The problem was later recognised as being probably the first V14 in UK history (albeit on wood!) Not content Thewith Labthis though,looks up and and being says, a training"Well, Iaddict, discovered Smith changedthat I could his regime talk when and returnedI Was to Hubble yet again 6 months laterpretty – thisyoung. time I repeating wanted tothe help route the 3 timesgovern andment, doing so the I told crux the statically. CIA about Clearly my here gift, was a man that knew how to getand strong! in no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be Over on the continent, Slovenian Tadj Slabe made big news by claiming one of the world’s first 8c+’s (34’s) with Za Starlo Kolo in Majhnega Pas (34).eavesdropping. A couple of years I was later on ethe of route their gainedmost valuablenotoriety spiesfor two for reasons. eight years 1). It running.repelled the likes of bouldering maestroBut Fred the Nicole, jetting and around 2). the really second tired ascentionist me out, foundand I anknew easier I wasn't sequence, getting prompting any Slabe to chip the newly discoveredyounger holds so off I anddecided force to his settle original down. line. In Austria a young Alex HuberI finally signed clipped up for the a jobchain at onthe his airport 45m projectto do somedubbed undercover ‘Om’ – giving security it 8c+ wandering (34). 3 years later this rating was up-gradednear Suspiciousto 9a (35) based characters on his ownand listeningexperiences in. with I uncovered more than some four moreincredible routes of 8c+ over the intervening years.dealings To date itand remains was awarded unrepeated. a batch Interestingly, of medals. in retrospect I got married, this was had the a mess2nd route of of 9a (35) standard in the world. puppies, and now I'm just retired." Carles Brasco, one of Spain’s bestThe climbers, guy is amazed. established L’Odi Social (33) at Suirana. Later it was to see a broken hold at the crux – and remain un-ascended until the Swiss climber Elie Cheveaux re-climbed the route some years later (taking only 5 tries) and uppingHe goes the backgrade into and34 in asks the theprocess. owner what he wants for the dog. "Ten dollars," the guy says. Jerry Moffatt meanwhile made the trip down to Mt Arapiles and after falling off Anxiety Neurosis (26) for his first route, made the fastest ascent (first"Ten redpoint) dollars? ofThis Punks dog In is theamazing. Gym (32) Why in aon super-fast earth are two you days, selling confirming him so thecheap?" grade at French 8b+. He also added Zorlac the Destroyer (31) (the long thought of direct finish to Slinkin’ Leopard) and made onsights of Straight Outta Compton (28) and You’re Terminated (29) (then both given 31). But the big news was his onsight of Serpentine (29) in 35 degree conditions. 1993 Making headlines in 1993 was Lynn Hill, who freed The Nose in Yosemite Valley over four days. She labels it 5.13b (29) (VI) and launches the amusing Ad campaign ‘It Goes Boys!’ for Boreal. Swiss climber Fred Nicole – already more famous for his bouldering exploits – makes the first ascent of Bain De Sang – giving it 9a (35). The route is unique amongst top-graded routes, as it is described as merely ‘vertical’. This is the 3rd route proposed as 9a at the time. In Italy Severino Scassa sends Noia (34); making this the hardest Italian route to date. He then backs this up by on- sighting Sarre 2000 (30/31) – probably the hardest onsight made to date. Competition climber Suzi Good steps off the plastic and ventures outside, with the result that she sends No Sika, No Crime (32) at Lehn (back in her home- land of Switzerland).