Urh Čehovin climbed THE END Fb 8c
napisal: robi, dne: December 3, 2007Urh Čehovin (Dynobouldering.com) climbed his dream project THE END in Zalog, graded with an unbelievable bouldering grade Fb 8c! There is no need to emphasize that this is the hardest Slovenian boulder. Boulders of this difficulty are a rarity in the world.
What does Urh Čehovin, the hero of the hour, has to say: “This is a realization of my dream project.
The problem has 16 easier, semi-hard and extremely hard moves.
At the start of the boulder you are introduced to three easier moves, followed by two hard moves – a long move on an undercling, from not the best position (arms and legs close together, power move), and the second, much more technical, when trying to catch a sloper (precision move with good timing). We get to two better holds, where we com to the hardest crux of the boulder. This is the crux of two moves in Beginning of the end (Fb 8b+), which become much harder, due to previous moves.
To outline: I did the moves in Beginning without a problem, if I started there. When doing eight moves beforehand, the story changes completely. They are very precise moves, where you hardly breathe. The first hold is a bit sloppy (sort of a squeeze) and can be held only if the conditions are right. We get to an even worse squeeze hold. It is important to get each finger just right on the mineral bumps on this hold. Every movement of legs on this holds makes the hands slide a bit.
Even though you have to hold this two holds for maybe ten seconds, it seems like an eternity. It is crucial to be pinpoint accurate with your feet, body and hands, because otherwise you cannot do the hardest move that follows. This is a jump from these two holds to the next little ledge. The problem is that you cannot swing; you have to jump from a stiff position. To hold on the hold after so many moves was the most difficult thing for me, because everything starts to “slip” and it is hard to keep the force on the lower hold, when you have your feet in the air.
The last part of the boulder is about power endurance. After the crux a “risky” move to a sloper follows, which you are never sure, if you are going to make. Not to end the thing too fast, I fell once more on the next move, which is not difficult by itself, but I was already “drained” out. Three moves on slopers follow, which don’t become difficult until you link everything together. The boulder is finished with the most beautiful way possible - a top out.
You need humidity to be below 70%, and the temperature around 5 °C to have the conditions for the boulder.
One of the problems are the conditions, which are extremely hard to obtain in such a scale. If it is a bit colder, the holds stick better, but your fingertips get numb with cold, and you don’t have any chances to succeed. It helps, to live nearby, like I do, and try then, when the conditions are just right.
I had my eye on this line already four years ago, when I spent a year and a half to study Beginning of the end, but I didn’t have any real chances, because Beginning was my top limit at the time. This year, I spent two and a half months of intensive attempts to climb The End. I came by up to four times a week. We became friends at the end, enemies in between, and best friends at the end.
The End represents an end of a certain period, which was full of simple-minded youthful wildness. I believe I entered a more mature period, where I would like to spend more of my time climbing with a rope.
I propose the grade Fb 8c for The END, because it is by far the hardest thing, I have realized in climbing. I tried two 8c boulders, for which I am sure I would climb in much less time, if they were closer to me, because I’ve done all the moves on the first day. Time will tell its story. At this time, Beginning is also still unrepeated.”
Photo: David Mencinger, translated by Rok Malek
Kategorija: Angleščina |
Sorodne objave:
postovani mi bismo htjeli da se upoznamo mi sma sa kosova grupa alpinista ja vama zhelim sve najbolje i puno uspjeha
puno pozdrava sa kosova alpinisti