Interesting climb

Published on 2024-10-29 by Michael Stanton

I'm working on an 8- climb in the gym. It is tougher than any other 8- I've mastered. I'm keeping notes here in hopes of eventually leading it clean.

I've marked holds that are interesting at this point.

The start

It is straightforward on the right wall for a while. After making the third clip it is time to touch the blue wall. Foothold #1 gets the left foot on it so that the left arm can reach over to #3. Then you swap feet, getting the right foot on #1.

The grappling

The next interesting move involves hold #6, far out on the right. One is tempted to ignore it, but it is necessary to bend down a bit and hold it with the right hand. The left foot remains on the blue wall, and there is a tough move getting the right foot from #4 to #5. When you can get a hand on #9 (very small but sharp incut hold) you've completed this section and are relatively stable in the corner between the blue and tan walls.

The Triangles

The next section has ingenious footholds on black structure at #10 and #11. At #10, with the right foot on #7, you have a very nice rest, and can shake out the left hand. It is likely both hands are on the black triangle at #12 at this point. Move the left foot up to #11, then you can reach the excellent hold at #13 on the right side of the uppermost black triangle. You also get the right foot on #9 in this area, a very good hold.

Put the right hand on TOP of the left hand at this point. Everything depends on this small hold #13. Get directly beneath it, and paste your left foot on the blue wall right below the large green hold under #12 (sorry, forgot to label this one), and then bring your right hip into the wall and set your right foot on this large green hold. Now PUSH, standing up on your right foot such that your right hip is touching the wall, allowing your right hand (remember, it was on top of the left hand on hold #13) to reach up to hold #15.

Move swiftly but carefully here. You need to make room on hold #15 for your left hand to slide in and become dominant via interlocked finger release. Ideally, you'll grab the hold with your right hand one finger length up and right of what you would prefer, pre-allocating space for the left hand to work its way in.

Both feet now are on that important green block underneath #12. Now the right arm cycles up and around and down (huge shoulder rotation) to land on #16. You can rest here a moment.

Adjust the handhold so that you can lean out from the wall. Your goal is to get your left foot on the apex of the black triangle at #12. Be sure not to touch any plastic hold -- you are only allowed to use the black structure. Your right foot (as you stand up) can rest on the right side of the triangle. The right hand can move up, then the right foot delicately positions on #14 -- not a very secure position, but it only needs to succeed long enough to get the left foot on #13, which is excellent.

Congratulations -- you've done more than half of the route, and now have a few easy moves before the upper crux! Life becomes very hard again at the green undercling hold straight out left from the left shoulder of the woman being lowered down. No need to offer detailed description until that point.