Lucid Dreaming | 8C Boulder problem at The Buttermilks

UKClimbing.com | 8a.nu

Sit start to Rastaman Vibrations.

Originally given 8C+ but later a downgrade to 8C was suggested by the FA Paul Robinson.

Daniel Woods offered this iconic description:

Start matched on a half-pad crescent shaped edge, paste your left foot on a glass smear as well as the right, pull on and do a left hand move to a quarter-pad, rounded, slick crimp. Bite down hard on this hold and move your right foot high and right onto a decent edge, then isolate the left arm and come right hand into the shark's tooth. This hold is so cool yet loco! How you grab this hold determines if you do the next move or not. For me, I place my ring finger on the left side of the spike and middle finger on the right side (the hold size is less than a quarter-pad and bites like no other). I then load my two fingers and wrap my thumb around the side of the tooth. When you get this, you make a fist with the wall and can feel the edge cut through a couple layers of skin, which is what holds you onto the wall. I then bring my left foot high on this knob right below the starting hold and explode to the left hand mini-pinch. This hold is slick, quarter-pad, and has an OK thumb catch, which makes it positive. It is hard to have the right accuracy to get this hold perfect. Now you are in the stand of Rastaman Vibration (V12). From here you switch your right foot onto the knob and place your left foot on a smear out left. You eye up the final half pad, rounded crimp and jump to it. Your feet go nearly horizontal while your fingers are squeezing these two holds. Once controlled, you do the remaining 30-foot slab to the top of the boulder.

Contributors: remus (15 contributions since 25 Jan 2021)
Added 25th January 2021. Last updated 29th February 2024.

Pics + Vids

Daniel Woods
Added at 13:05 on 09 May 2023
Daniel Woods
Added at 17:12 on 20 December 2021
Daniel Woods
View this post on Instagram

Added at 17:12 on 20 December 2021
Alex Megos
Added at 11:03 on 21 March 2023
Alex Megos
Added at 11:03 on 21 March 2023
Toru Nakajima
Added at 17:12 on 20 December 2021
Sean Bailey
View this post on Instagram

Added at 13:12 on 25 December 2023
David Fitzgerald
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Added at 17:02 on 29 February 2024

Ascents

9 recorded ascents, including 1 unsuccessful ascent.

Climber Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Paul Robinson Boulder | worked 30th Mar 2010 8C
First ascent.

Paul originally suggested 8C+, feeling it was a grade harder than Terremer, but later revised this to 8C.

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/lucid-dreaming-new-extreme-boulder-problem-at-the-buttermilks-bishop.html

Daniel Woods Boulder | worked 28th Jan 2014
Alex Megos Boulder | worked 27th Jan 2015
Third ascent. 11 sessions.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdMsY5st2J8

Toru Nakajima Boulder | worked Feb 2017
Fourth ascent. 16 sessions.

After 16days efforts, three seasons, finally I did my long standing project Lucid Dreaming!! We arrived in Bishop the15th but rain kept us inside until yesterday. Rain stopped yesterday noon, I realized I could check the holds and my condition on everything.

We walked and laughed loads because of the heavy snow this January. I cleaned up the holds, placed the mats, and practiced the crux move like last year. I realized I could do the crux move far easier than last year. Although my middle finger skin split, I thought I could complete this problem and had to do it now.

I started from the beginning, caught the glassy and small pinch, and caught the final crimp like it was practice. I couldn't believe it while on my way to the top, or even when I descended to the ground.

I paid enormous energy and time, I felt a heavy mental pressures during last two years, however I felt it easier than I expected.

I was really happy, but as times go on, I became confused. Maybe I have to wait for a while to understand what meaning this three seasons. Thank you everyone who cheered and supported me!! Now it's time to go next thing. There are so many things I wanted do after Lucid Dreaming.

References

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oPBOfakyMg

[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2017/02/lucid_dreaming_f8c_by_toru_nakajima-70949

Jimmy Webb Boulder | worked 7th Jan 2020
Fifth ascent.
Pablo Hammack Boulder | worked Dec 2023
Sixth ascent.

A week before Sean Bailey's ascent.

References

[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/climbing/comments/18qaqux/comment/ketvky8/

Sean Bailey Boulder | worked Dec 2023
Seventh ascent. 5 sessions.

Regarding the grade I thought this thing was hard. Significantly harder than any V15s I've tried and I think in a good style for me. [1]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1QnrzcLlKk/?igsh=bmR0cnJiMTduZzAw

David Fitzgerald Boulder | worked 18th Feb 2024
Matt Birch Boulder | did not finish

Matt was apparently fairly close to doing it before Paul Robinson made the first ascent. Having said that, ascenionists have commented that the individual moves are relatively straightforward to do and the difficulty lies in linking the problem, so it is unclear exactly how close Matt actually was.

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10607.msg306870.html#msg306870