The Hardest Boulder Problems in the World

LAST UPDATED: October 26, 2016. If I’ve missed anything, leave a comment or drop me a line and I’ll include it in the next update.

Ever wondered what are the hardest boulder problems in the world?

This article is just that: a list of all the V15, V16, and V17 boulder problems in existence (8C-9A in the Font Scale). Here is the complete list criteria.

The list is in a sortable table, so have fun with sorting it however you wish.

As for ascensionists, I’ve listed the first ascensionist first and then listed later ascensionists in chronological order as best I could. If an ascent had a video, I linked to it from the ascensionist’s name — so have even more fun watching all the crazy videos of top boulderers on the hardest problems.

The World’s Hardest Boulder Problems

Boulder Problem	Grade	Crag	Country	Ascensionists
Airian	V15/8C	Baltzola	Spain	Iban Larrión, Alberto Rocasolano
Angama	V15/8C	Fontainebleau	France	Dai Koyamada, Paul Robinson
Asagimadara	V15/8C	Mt. Mizugaki	Japan	Tokio Muroi, Toru Nakajima, Toshi Takeuchi, Jongwon Chon, Adam Ondra, Sachi Amma, Ryuichi Murai
Assassin, Monkey and Man	V15/8C	Kochel	Germany	Toni Lamprecht
Babel	V15/8C	Shiobara	Japan	Dai Koyamada, Motochika Nagao, Sachi Amma, Ryuichi Murai
Black Eagle SD	V15/8C	Rocklands	South Africa	Fred Nicole
Bokassa's Fridge	V15/8C	Kochel	Germany	Toni Lamprecht
Burden of Dreams	V17/9A	Lappnor	Finland	Nalle Hukkataival
Byaku-dou / The Road to the Heaven	V15/8C	Hourai	Japan	Dai Koyamada, Motochika Nagao
Bügeleisen Sit	V15/8C	Maltatal	Austria	Nalle Hukkataival, Jakob Schubert
Catalán Witness the Fitness	V15/8C	La Cova de l'Ocell	Spain	Chris Sharma, Alberto Rocasolano, Felipe Camargo, Nacho Sánchez
Cháron	V15/8C	Petrohrad	Czech Republic	Adam Ondra
Creature of the Black Lagoon	V16/8C+	Rocky Mountain National Park	USA - Colorado	Daniel Woods, Dave Graham
Crisis	V15/8C	Crevillente	Spain	Nacho Sánchez
Cthulhu	V15/8C	Arnao	Spain	Nacho Sánchez
Defying Gravity	V15/8C	South Platte	USA - Colorado	Daniel Woods, Jimmy Webb
Delirium	V15/8C	Lincoln Lake	USA - Colorado	Jimmy Webb, Daniel Woods, Dave Graham
Der mit dem Fels tanzt	V15/8C	Chironico	Switzerland	Martin Keller, Dai Koyamada
Dust Devil	V15/8C	Saalachtal	Austria	Bernhard Schwaiger
El Diablo	V15/8C	Penoles	Mexico	Daniel Woods
Emotional Landscapes	V15/8C	Maltatal	Austria	Klem Loskot, Martin Moser, Nalle Hukkataival
Entropia	V15/8C	Castillo de Bayuela	Spain	Nacho Sánchez, Alberto Rocasolano, Ignacio Mulero
Epitaf	V15/8C	Horai	Japan	Dai Koyamada
Eternal	V15/8C	Hinokage	Japan	Dai Koyamada, Kazuma Watanabe
Fortaleza	V15/8C	Ubatuba	Brazil	Felipe Camargo
Foundation's Edge	V15/8C	Fionnay	Switzerland	Dave Graham
From Dirt Grows the Flowers	V15/8C	Chironico	Switzerland	Dave Graham, Bernd Zangerl, Radovan Souček, Adam Ondra, Nalle Hukkataival, Rok Klančnik, Manuel Brunn, Nils Favre, Kilian Fischhuber, Jan Hojer
Ginga	V15/8C	Kanoto	Japan	Yuji Hirayama
Gioia	V15/8C	Varazze	Italy	Christian Core, Adam Ondra, Nalle Hukkataival
Gossip	V15/8C	Frankenjura	Germany	Markus Bock, John Gaskins (?), Markus Windisch
Half-Life	V15/8C	Frankenjura	Germany	Felix Knaub
Highlander	V15/8C	Sustenpass	Switzerland	Martin Keller
Horizon	V15/8C	Mt. Hiei	Japan	Dai Koyamada, Ashima Shiraishi
Hull Shea Nation	V15/8C	Horai	Japan	Dai Koyamada
Hurricane	V15/8C	Birgkar	Austria	Bernhard Schwaiger
Hydrangea	V15/8C	Shiobara	Japan	Dai Koyamada, Daniel Woods, Motochika Nagao, Sachi Amma, Ryuichi Murai
Hyper Ballad	V15/8C	Shiobara	Japan	Dai Koyamada
Hypnotized Minds	V16/8C+	Rocky Mountain National Park	USA - Colorado	Daniel Woods, Rustam Gelmanov
Il Pirata	V15/8C	Lake District	UK	John Gaskins
In Search of Time Lost	V15/8C	Magic Wood	Switzerland	Daniel Woods, Dai Koyamada, Carlo Traversi, Tamás Zupan
Insomnio	V15/8C	Crevillente	Spain	Nacho Sánchez
Karamu	V15/8C	Unknown	Japan	Dai Koyamada
Kikela	V15/8C	Teverga	Spain	Isaac Montes
Kimera	V15/8C	Piemonte	Italy	Christian Core
Kintsugi	V15/8C	Red Rocks	USA - Nevada	Nalle Hukkataival
Knocking on Heaven's Door	V15/8C	Petrohrad	Czech Republic	Petr Resch
Kryptos	V15/8C	Basler Jura	Switzerland	Franz Widmer, Fred Nicole
La Force Tranquille	V15/8C	Magic Wood	Switzerland	Daniel Woods, Nalle Hukkataival
La Grosse Tarlouze	V15/8C	Magic Wood	Switzerland	Michael Piccolruaz
Le Boa	V15/8C	Unknown	Switzerland	Fred Nicole
Le Marathon de Boissy	V15/8C	Fontainebleau	France	Jan Hojer, Guillaume Glairon-Mondet
Le Pied à Coulisse	V15/8C	Fontainebleau	France	Guillaume Glairon-Mondet, Jimmy Webb, Charles Albert
Le Poinçonneur des Lilas	V15/8C	Basler Jura	Switzerland	Fred Nicole, Franz Widmer
Livin' Large	V15/8C	Rocklands	South Africa	Nalle Hukkataival, Jimmy Webb
Lucid Dreaming	V15/8C	Bishop	USA - California	Paul Robinson, Daniel Woods, Alex Megos
Lurragorri	V15/8C	Araotz	Spain	Markel Mendieta
L'Alchimiste (right version)	V15/8C	Fontainebleau	France	Nalle Hukkataival, Alban Levier
Maria Singer	V15/8C	Kochel	Germany	Toni Lamprecht
Methuselahzation	V15/8C	Yatsue	Japan	Dai Koyamada
Mikelon	V15/8C	Baltzola	Spain	Iban Larrión
Monkey Wedding	V15/8C	Rocklands	South Africa	Fred Nicole, Paul Robinson, Adam Ondra, Daniel Woods, Nacho Sánchez
Montecore	V15/8C	Frankenjura	Germany	Markus Bock, Dai Koyamada, Fabian Christof, Manuel Brunn, Alex Megos
Obseja	V15/8C	Kusięta	Poland	Łukasz Dudek
Orochi	V15/8C	Kanoto	Japan	Dai Koyamada, Makoto Yamauchi, Alex Megos, Toshi Takeuchi, Ryuichi Murai
Paint It Black	V15/8C	Rocky Mountain National Park	USA - Colorado	Daniel Woods, Paul Robinson, Dave Graham, Ian Dory, Toru Nakajima
Pata Ledovce	V15/8C	Holstejn	Czech Republic	Adam Ondra
Pipe Dream SD	V15/8C	Saalachtal	Austria	Bernhard Schwaiger
Poslední mažoret	V15/8C	Labské údolí	Czech Republic	Rostislav Stefanek
Practice of the Wild	V15/8C	Magic Wood	Switzerland	Chris Sharma, Tyler Landman, Daniel Woods, Adam Ondra, Carlo Traversi, Jimmy Webb, Nalle Hukkataival, Anthony Gullsten, Martin Stráník, Toshi Takeuchi, Dave MacLeod, Gabriele Moroni, Baptiste Ometz
Quoi de Neuf	V15/8C	Toit d'Orsay	France	Rémy Bergasse, Sébastien Bouin, Alban Levier
Road Sweet Home	V15/8C	Grampians	Australia	Nalle Hukkataival
Rokudou	V15/8C	Toyamagawa	Japan	Dai Koyamada
Satan i Helvete (broken version)	V15/8C	Fontainebleau	France	Alban Levier
Serenata	V15/8C	Maltby	UK	Mike Adams
Shadowplay	V15/8C	Lake District	UK	John Gaskins
Shantaram	V15/8C	Osen	Norway	Bernd Zangerl
Shiva	V15/8C	Fontainebleau	France	Thomas Willenberg
Soyuz (low start)	V15/8C	Zarzalejo	Spain	Alberto Rocasolano
Spray of Light	V15/8C	Rocklands	South Africa	Daniel Woods, Dave Graham, Shawn Raboutou, Toshi Takeuchi, Ryuichi Murai
Terranova	V16/8C+	Holstejn	Czech Republic	Adam Ondra
Terremer	V15/8C	Hueco Tanks	USA - Texas	Fred Nicole, Paul Robinson, Daniel Woods, Dan Beall, Simon Parton
The Big Island	V15/8C	Fontainebleau	France	Vincent Ponchon, Lucas Menegatti, Arjan de Kock, Guillame Glairon-Mondet, Jan Hojer, Toru Nakajima, Chris Schulte, Griffin Whiteside, Niccolò Ceria, Edward Feehally, Michiel Nieuwenhuijsen, Jimmy Webb, Jonas Winter
The Bridge of Ashes	V15/8C	Rocky Mountain National Park	USA - Colorado	Dave Graham, Daniel Woods, Jimmy Webb
The End	V15/8C	Zalog	Slovenia	Urh Cehovin
The Game	V15/8C	Boulder Canyon	USA - Colorado	Daniel Woods, Carlo Traversi, Jon Cardwell, Jimmy Webb
The Ice Knife (sit start)	V15/8C	Guanella Pass	USA - Colorado	Daniel Woods
The Matriarch	V15/8C	Rocktown	USA - Georgia	Jimmy Webb
The Nest	V15/8C	Red Rocks	USA - Nevada	Daniel Woods, Jimmy Webb, Paul Robinson, Nalle Hukkataival
The New Chapter	V15/8C	Ozark Mountains	USA - Arkansas	Paul Robinson
The Process	V16/8C+	Bishop	USA - California	Daniel Woods
The Stepping Stone	V15/8C	Grampians	Australia	Nalle Hukkataival
The Story of Two Worlds	V15/8C	Cresciano	Switzerland	Dave Graham, Dai Koyamada, Paul Robinson, Jernej Kruder, Carlo Traversi, Giuliano Cameroni, Gabriele Moroni, Toru Nakajima, Jimmy Webb, Jan Hojer, Samuel Ometz, Martin Stráník
The Story of Two Worlds (low start)	V16/8C+	Cresciano	Switzerland	Dai Koyamada
The Understanding	V15/8C	Magic Wood	Switzerland	Nalle Hukkataival, Jimmy Webb
The Wheel of Life	V15/8C	Grampians	Australia	Dai Koyamada, Christopher Webb-Parsons, Ethan Pringle, James Kassay, Benjamin Cossey, Dave Graham, Ian Dory, Alex Megos, Daniel Woods
The Wheel of Life Direct	V15/8C	Grampians	Australia	James Kassay, Jorg Verhoeven
The Wheel of Wolvo	V15/8C	Lincoln Lake	USA - Colorado	Jimmy Webb, Daniel Woods, Dave Graham, Matt Fultz
Tonino '78	V15/8C	Meschia	Italy	Mauro Calibani, Julien Nadiras, Antione Vandeputte
Topaz	V15/8C	Wild Basin	USA - Colorado	Dave Graham, Daniel Woods, Paul Robinson
Transdendenz	V15/8C	Sachsen	Germany	Thomas Willenberg
Trip Hop	V15/8C	Fontainebleau	France	Sebastien Frigault, Thomas Willenberg, Paul Robinson, Guillaume Glairon-Mondet, Jan Hojer
Vanitas	V15/8C	Horai	Japan	Dai Koyamada, Ryuichi Murai, Ichimiya Daisuke
Viva La Evolution	V15/8C	Flirsch	Austria	Bernd Zangerl
Walk Away (sit start)	V15/8C	Fairy Steps	UK	John Gaskins
Warrior Up	V15/8C	Lincoln Lake	USA - Colorado	Daniel Woods, Dave Graham, Jimmy Webb, Matty Hong, Paul Robinson, Michael O'Rourke, Griffin Whiteside
Whirlwind	V15/8C	Saalachtal	Austria	Bernhard Schwaiger
Witness the Fitness (broken)	V15/8C	Ozark Mountains	USA - Arkansas	Chris Sharma, Fred Nicole, Daniel Woods
Wrath of the Lichking	V15/8C	Frankenjura	Germany	Felix Knaub, Alex Megos
Ziqqurat	V15/8C	Gaby	Italy	Niccolò Ceria
Zunami	V15/8C	Saalachtal	Austria	Bernhard Schwaiger, Hermann Schwaiger, Klem Loskot, Florian Schmalzl, Tamás Zupán

The World’s Current Hardest Boulder Problem

Judging solely by grade, the world’s hardest boulder problem is currently Burden of Dreams, a proposed V17/9A. Nalle Hukkataival has the first and only ascent.

List Criteria & Grading Guidelines

In order to create this list I had to come up with the criteria for deciding what problems made the cut and guidelines for how to assign grades to problems that don’t yet have a consensus.

Here they are:

• The grade had to be V15/8C or higher.
• If 50% or more of ascensionists graded a problem lower than it’s original grade, I treated it as having the lower grade. This led to me leaving off problems such as Dreamtime (the first problem to ever receive a V15/8C grade) and White Noise, since 50% or more of ascensionists gave the problems a grade of V14/8B+.
• Slash grades were treated as being two separate grade suggestions. So, for example, this means problems graded 8B+/8C with no repeats were treated as having one grade suggestion of 8B+ and one of 8C, at which point the 50%-or-more guideline mentioned above kicked in and I treated the problem as having a grade of V14/8B+.
• A special note about Gioia: Many people think of Gioia as a V16/8C+ boulder problem due to this popular Reel Rock video. However, following my grading guidelines, I have included it on this list with a grade of V15/8C. This is because Christian Core gave it a grade of V15/8C when he got the FA and Adam Ondra gave it a grade of V16/8C+ when he got the second ascent. (Nalle Hukkataival also sent it but didn’t put forth an official suggestion.) So, with only two grade suggestions to go off of, following my grading guidelines I stuck with the lower grade.

I’ve tried my best to be as thorough and comprehensive as possible with this list. However, I’m still human, so if I’ve made any mistakes or left off any problems or people you think should be added, let me know in the comments or contact me.

Who Is the Best Boulderer Ever?

Using the data in the table above, I put together some graphs to help you visualize who has sent the most hard boulder problems and who has gotten the most hard FAs (first ascents).

These graphs open the door to some interesting discussions about who is the best boulderer ever.

Daniel Woods, Dai Koyamada, & Nalle Hukkataival

Just going off of these two metrics it’d be easy to make the case for either Daniel Woods, Dai Koyamada, or Nalle Hukkataival as the top boulderer of all time. They have racked up more hard ascents and FAs than anyone else.

Daniel Woods has the most hard ascents and second most hard FAs.

Dai Koyamada has the most hard FAs and second most hard ascents.

Nalle Hukkataival is third in both categories and has the first and only ascent of the world’s first proposed V17/9A.

It should be noted that there are a few unrepeated Dai Koyamada problems he graded 8B+/8C (V14/V15) which I left off of this list due to my criteria. If repeat ascensionists confirm the higher grade then I’ll have to add them to this list, boosting his numbers of hard FAs and hard ascents.

To me, the data suggests that Daniel Woods, Dai Koyamada, and Nalle Hukkataival are neck and neck and neck for the title of best boulderer ever.

Admittedly, though, sheer volume of hard ascents and hard FAs is not the only way to assess someone’s ability. While someone could make the case that someone else might be the best boulderer ever, at the very least these three are the most prolific when it comes to hard FAs and hard ascents.

The Quest for a True V16/8C+ V17/9A

As you can see by this section’s title and graphic, it was originally titled “The Quest for a True V16/8C+.”

However, now a proposed V17 exists, so I had to make some changes. I think most of the reasoning here still applies, though, so I’ve left this section mostly as is.

Consider this…

The list above has four V16s and one V17. Only one of those problems, Creature of the Black Lagoon, has more than one grade suggestion. Daniel Woods and Dave Graham both climbed it and suggested a grade of V16/8C+.

The other four problems each currently have only one grade suggestion, which means they are at high risk of being downgraded. All of them, in fact, are at risk of being downgraded to grades below V16/8C+ — Burden of Dreams and Creature of the Black Lagoon included. (Though it is not common for hard problems to be downgraded two grades, it is not unheard of.)

I know this because, through my research, I came across many hard problems that were downgraded after a handful of repeat ascents. The Game and Dreamtime are two well-known examples.

In other words, based on the possibility of their being downgraded, there seems to be no boulder problem with a consensus grade higher than V15/8C.

While doing research for this article I ran across this thought multiple times:

The first problem to ever receive the V15 grade was Dreamtime in 2000. That was subsequently downgraded, but, in 2002, five V15s were put up that still stand as V15 today. So, depending on how you look at it, it has been either 14 or 16 years since the first V15/8C. That was a while ago — why don’t we have an established V16/8C+ yet?

I can’t answer that question obviously, but I created another graph of the number of hard ascents by year to shed some insight on the topic.

Top boulderers are collectively sending 30+ hard problems per year now (mostly V15/8C). With this data, it seems only a matter of time before a true V16/8C+ emerges.

What’s more, top boulderers are sending grades below V16/8C+ with ease (at least from an outsider’s perspective). Adam Ondra flashed Jade, V14/8B+, and Jimmy Webb sent Jour de Chasse, V14/15 (8B+/8C), in 15 minutes. This leads me to believe that some of the current top climbers are capable of achieving the V16/8C+ grade, and it appears that some of them are already in the process of establishing problems worthy of the grade.

At the end of the day, though, the most likely explanation for why we don’t have a unanimous V16/8C+ is that it is damn hard to send one. However, the data suggests that V15s are becoming easier for top boulderers.

A ‘true’ V16 feels inevitable. Maybe one already exists.

Bokassa’s Fridge – Assassin, Monkey and Man

I originally had Bokassa’s Fridge – Assassin, Monkey and Man on this list as a V16/8C+ boulder problem.

However, I have since removed it because Jens Larssen from 8a.nu brought to my attention that it was an “elimination boulder”, or, a problem where the climber doesn’t climb the natural line but instead creates the difficulty by avoiding certain holds.

If you have other thoughts on this problem as to whether or not it should be on the list, leave a comment below!

Should We Even Be Talking About Grades?

Many top climbers (e.g. Nalle) have expressed some dislike or frustration in grading problems, especially hard ones. Yet, it isn’t difficult to imagine the intense pressure they feel from the community to do so, and to chase the high grades.

Should we even care about grades, though?

Some of the world’s best climbers and boulderers don’t seem to think so and instead try to view a problem or a route as a mental and physical challenge to be overcome rather than a number to achieve.

Should we take after these people and try not to think about the grades? Or are the grades a necessary proxy to reflect the progression of the sport, and one that we should pay attention to?

Obviously I’m aware of how much attention I’m calling to grades with this article, and how I’m definitely not making it easier to ignore them. Above all, though, I’m interested in starting a discussion around the topic of hard boulder problems, and the question of grading is one that must be brought up when you do that.

Where in the World Are the Hardest Boulder Problems?

There’s a graph for that:

The Potential of the Sport of Bouldering

Currently, only 18 countries are home to a boulder problem that is graded V15/8C or higher. This makes sense given the newness of the sport, but it is also quite incredible to realize:

• 12 of those countries are in Europe
• There is only one country from Asia, Africa, and South America on the list (Japan, South Africa, and Brazil, respectively)
• There is not a single country from mainland Asia on the list

Just imagine in a few decades all the amazing crags, problems, and climbers that will come about as the sport expands.

When to Project vs. When to Train (Backed by Data)

Finally, I graphed the ascents of the hardest problems by month for both the northern and southern hemispheres. At the very least this graph can give you some general insight into the seasonality of the sport and when to train versus when to project.

Comments

Generally, the data suggests that if you’re in the northern hemisphere you should tackle projects near or during October and March.

However, the data is admittedly more nuanced than that.

While this could potentially be thought of as a good rule of thumb, location of the project also plays an important role. For example, all five ascents of Terremer, 8C/V15, in Hueco Tanks, Texas, have been done in either December or January. This could be because the warmer climate of Texas necessitates you project there in the coldest months.

If you’re climbing in the southern hemisphere, it seems June to September is the best time to project.

The Stories of the First Ascents

The hardest boulder problems usually have an interesting backstory to their FA (first ascent). Here are the stories for some of the problems listed above.

Babel, 8C/V15. Dai spent THREE YEARS working on this project at Shiobara. The problem consists of 30 moves (!!) on a 12 meter roof.

Cháron, 8C/V15. Adam Ondra worked on Charon for three days one year, but didn’t send. The next year, he came back and needed only 30 minutes to reach the top. According to Adam, the problem fit his style exactly… it would appear so.

Defying Gravity, 8C/V15. There’s an article for that.

El Diablo, 8C/V15. El Diablo was initially spotted by Jimmy Webb on an expedition to Peñoles and Dave Graham popped a finger tendon while trying it. Daniel Woods had to climb the problem at night since it was too hot to climb during the day, finally getting the ascent on the last day of the trip.

Fortaleza, 8C/V15. At first sight, Felipe Camargo wasn’t sure whether or not the problem was possible. He eventually rappelled down the boulder and, in the process, discovered a small pinch on the problem’s arête that made him think it was doable. In the end, the line took Felipe Camargo four one-week trips to complete. As of this writing, Fortaleza is Brazil’s hardest boulder. Camargo was interviewed after the send, the transcript of which you can read here.

Hurricane, 8C/V15. Hurricane consists of 10 tiny holds on a steep overhang. Bernhard Schwaiger wasn’t strong enough to climb the line when he first tried it in Fall 2008. He trained for the FA by working other projects and revisiting Hurricane every so often to practice the moves. The perfect conditions came together in Fall 2009 and — with the help of a cool mountain breeze — he was able to reach the top.

Hydrangea, 8C/V15. Dai Koyamada added a six-move sit-start to the existing problem Hydra (8B+/V14) to form Hydrangea. Ever the fan of insanely long problems, Hydrangea consists of 25 moves and includes a 30-foot section of horizontal roof.

Hypnotized Minds, 8C/V15. There’s an entire video on this problem’s backstory.

La Force Tranquille, 8C/V15. Daniel Woods spotted the line for this problem in Fall 2010, but didn’t send. He returned in Fall 2011 and it took him five days to finish. At the time of his FA, Woods said it was one of his hardest ascents so far.

Livin’ Large, 8C/V15. Nalle Hukkataival started off by top-roping the boulder to figure out his route. This process alone took him five days. After days of trying, he finally woke up to perfect bouldering conditions. This time when he went out, he only had four pads to break his fall from the crux which was 8 meters (~26 feet) off the ground. However, he sent the problem without falling from that height, and called it “a proper 8C”. Read the full story here.

Lucid Dreaming, 8C/V15. The night before the day of his FA, Paul Robinson had a dream that inspired him to check the weather. The weather forecast called for rain later in the morning, so he — while it was still dark — packed up some pads and set out alone to attempt the problem before the weather got worse. He sent it and called his friends up to tell them the good news. The route follows the south face of a 60-foot boulder called Grandpa Peabody. The name is a tribute to Robinson’s father, who passed away eight months before the FA.

Paint It Black, 8C/V15. Jamie Emerson first spotted this boulder in 2011, and Daniel Woods first ascended it in 2012. The boulder overhangs 65 degrees and juts out over a river. According to Woods, falling from the top of the problem would cause you to fall 20 feet (~6 meters) into the water below. Yikes. Hope they checked that water for submerged rocks beforehand…

Pata Ledovce, 8C/V15.  Adam Ondra got the FA of this problem the SAME DAY he got his first ascent of a 5.15a route called Perlorodka. That’s right — he sent an 8C/V15 and 5.15a in the same day.

Terranova, 8C+/V16. Adam Ondra spent a total of 11 days working this problem. He consistently says that the line is, well, pretty lame. It’s a simple traverse along a limestone wall that never takes you more than a few feet off the ground and consists of some downright ugly moves. However, the problem was a longstanding challenge for Ondra — he found the limestone walls when he was younger (they’re near his home in the Czech Republic) and always wondered if they were climbable. When he got older he returned to satisfy his curiosity. It seems they are climbable — they’re just damn hard!

The Bridge of Ashes, 8C/V15. Check out the video of Dave Graham’s FA.

The End, 8C/V15. Check out the video of Urh Cehovin’s FA.

The Game, 8C/V15. The Game had been tried by elite climbers for years, but went unclimbed until Daniel Woods snagged the FA in 2010. Woods had worked on the problem for at least 17 days over the course of two years. While warming up for an attempt, Woods broke a crucial handhold and had to figure out another beta. He was able to send the same day.

The Nest, 8C/V15. Daniel Woods himself wrote a blog post on Evening Sends about his FA.

The New Chapter, 8C/V15. In early 2013, Paul Robinson took friends Daniel Woods and Jimmy Webb to try an old project of his in the mountains of Arkansas. The three friends quickly sent the roof problem, called it Child’s Play, and graded it V13/8B. Robinson then spotted a line of holds deeper into the roof that led into the start hold of Child’s Play. Nighttime came and the group had to leave, but Robinson thought about the problem constantly for the next couple months and finally got the FA on his third trip. With the ascent, Robinson felt as if he had started a new chapter of life, hence the name. Here is the story in his own words.

The Process, 8C+/V16. Here is the amazing write up of the FA.

The Story of Two Worlds, 8C/V15. There isn’t much known about the story of Dave Graham’s FA (the footage didn’t come out until many years later), but the story of the second ascent is quite interesting. Dai Koyamada was confused as to where the start of the problem actually was (no footage, remember) so he started from what he thought was the proper location, sent the problem, and graded it 8C/V15. However, it then came to Dai’s attention that he might have started at the wrong spot. He returned to the problem and then started from an even lower spot than the original. He sent this this new interpretation, The Story of Two Worlds (sit start), and suggested an 8C+/V16 grade for it.

The Understanding, 8C/V15. This video tells all.

The Wheel of Life, 8C/V15. When Dai Koyamada nabbed the FA of this 60-move boulder problem, he gave the line a grade of 8C+/V16. Later ascensionists have either downgraded the problem (some to as low as 8B+/V14) or given it a route grade due to its length.

The Wheel of Life Direct, 8C/V15. James Kassay added 10 moves to the already incredibly long Wheel of Life line to create an even more difficult problem to grade.

The Wheel of Wolvo, 8C/V15. Rock and Ice interviewed Jimmy Webb about his FA.

I have to give a special shoutout to 8a.nu and HardClimbs.info. Both sites were instrumental in putting together this article, and without these amazing resources it wouldn’t exist. Check them out!!

Lastly, if you’re reading this article, I bet you yourself are interested in climbing harder. If you’re struggling to pick out the proper gear, though, check out our list of the best climbing shoes.