Alex Megos climbs possible 9c

Climber News. Anyone know the history of the line? Likelihood it’s really 9c?

Eliot Coffey wrote:

Climber News. Anyone know the history of the line? Likelihood it’s really 9c?

Eh, I climbed it a couple years back, i thought it felt more 9b+ than C,  tbh...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjw8CqK3KJ/ 

He says 9c with the caveat of "it's a climbing grade, who TF knows?" that probably ought to accompany any grade.

Someone needs to convince him and Ondra to try each other's 9cs. Whoever sends first is crowned supreme leader.

Ethan Pringle bolted this line a while back. Since its at a very famous cliff (next to Realization) I would imagine a lot of strong climbers have tried it. So in circles where hard projects are well known, it might have some people back its difficulty.  But perhaps none have put in the effort Alex Megos has. It looks like this is a pure line and not a link up. So thankful for that honestly. 

Short Fall Sean wrote:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjw8CqK3KJ/ 

He says 9c with the caveat of "it's a climbing grade, who TF knows?" that probably ought to accompany any grade.

Someone needs to convince him and Ondra to try each other's 9cs. Whoever sends first is crowned supreme leader.

I don't know anything about this new proposed 9c, but... if it's "normal" climbing (ie, some big power endurance test with a few boulder problems mixed in) then it should get some attention from the world's best.  I doubt anyone's going to want to try and repeat Silence any time soon.  It's an upside-down V15 mono-doigt fingerlock crux, and (if you follow Adam's approach) requires you be able to hang in a kneebar for several minutes.  Plus you have to go to Norway a bunch of times.  Megos's route is at Ceuse.

With respect to the grade: the usual rule of thumb is that if you take X days to climb grade Y, then one letter grade harder takes about 2X days, and another grade after that 4X days.  So if I take (say) 4 days to send 13b, I should be able to send a 13c in 8 days and a 13d in 16 days.  Megos needed 16 days for Perfecto Mundo, so a 9c (5.15d) should take about 32 days.  And this rig took him 60, so he rated it 9c.  Makes sense.

But these high-end guys get understandably nervous grading climbs because it's a little disconcerting when someone else finds a kneebar, or just better beta, or is just more suited to the route and does it quickly and downgrades.  But I'm glad he at least rated it... some people won't even rate routes any more which is kind of disappointing.

Megos is one of the strongest if not the strongest on crimps. This route is in his style and still took him a long time to send it. I imagine that he doesn't want to see it downrated, as John RB mentioned. My guess is that it will hold it's grade.

Short Fall Sean wrote:

Someone needs to convince him and Ondra to try each other's 9cs. Whoever sends first is crowned supreme leader.

Ondra will probably get on this but megos isn't interested in flatanger, he's stated before that it's not his style. 

John RB wrote:

I don't know anything about this new proposed 9c, but... if it's "normal" climbing (ie, some big power endurance test with a few boulder problems mixed in) then it should get some attention from the world's best.  I doubt anyone's going to want to try and repeat Silence any time soon.  It's an upside-down V15 mono-doigt fingerlock crux, and (if you follow Adam's approach) requires you be able to hang in a kneebar for several minutes.  Plus you have to go to Norway a bunch of times.  Megos's route is at Ceuse.

Yeah, I imagine it will be a while before Silence gets repeated, and I doubt it would be by Megos. Seb Bouin maybe.

Did anyone see that Pete Whitataker went on Silence? He worked out a variation using pure jamming in the crack system. He admitted the rest was way out of his wheelhouse, he just wanted to see if crack climbing may open up a different beta.

Used 2climb wrote:

Did anyone see that Pete Whitataker went on Silence? He worked out a variation using pure jamming in the crack system. He admitted the rest was way out of his wheelhouse, he just wanted to see if crack climbing may open up a different beta.

Pete's exact words from here - https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjA9ZLJw6c

The crack on Silence - When half the crux of the hardest route in the world has a crack on it and part of it revolves around a foot jam, I was too curious not to have a look and see what it was all about.
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I wasn't interested in checking out the beginning moves of the crux and getting into the crack (they looked utterly desperate), i was purely interested to see what the climbing was like when established with the infamous feet-first foot jam, and whether the remaining moves up the crack could be climbed using pure jamming technique rather than the drop knee and laybacks that @adam.ondra had used.
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I found an alternative crack climbers sequence to the end of the crux, which used some technical foot and thin hand jams...shame for me that the crack is marooned between impossibly hard looking V14 and 13 climbing

amarius wrote:

Pete's exact words from here - https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjA9ZLJw6c

Thanks!

Well, there we go. Nothing but simple overhanging thin-hands jamming. I’d say a downgrade is in order. 11d/7a?

Frank Stein wrote:

Well, there we go. Nothing but simple overhanging thin-hands jamming. I’d say a downgrade is in order. 11d/7a?

Sounds like it was still feet first jamming so maybe 12a...

Used 2climb wrote:

Sounds like it was still feet first jamming so maybe 12a...

12a is easier than 11d, duh.
5.9+?

The interesting thing imo is that ondra initially considered the crack sequence as one of the hardest boulders he's ever done, so v16, if Pete was able to get up at all would suggest that the crux is actually significantly easier than previously thought so could legitimately be down graded if it ever has a second ascent by a really good crack climber. 

Team Patagonia trying to take down Ondra. 

Used 2climb wrote:

Sounds like it was still feet first jamming so maybe 12a...

I get what you are saying, but it is impossible for hand jams to be 5.12!  Simply impossible!!

Frank Stein wrote:

I get what you are saying, but it is impossible for hand jams to be 5.12!  Simply impossible!!

What would you call a 50’ roof hand crack?

Ted Pinson wrote:

What would you call a 50’ roof hand crack?

Not 50' but this is a classic:

https://www.mountainproject.com/route/105934919/desert-gold

the roof on desert gold is 11+

I’m waiting for one of these young beasts to put up the first 10a. Then I can start bragging that I, too, regularly climb 10a!