Climbs

Sleepwalker is a boulder problem in Red Rocks in the USA. Nalle Hukkataival first cleaned and tried the line, and was then joined by Jimmy Webb and Daniel Woods in trying it. Jimmy Webb made the first ascent, shortly followed by Daniel Woods. After a prolonged battle with skin and conditions Nalle was able to make the third ascent.

It has become one of the most popular hard boulders in the world, in part due to relatively reliable conditions and ease of access, with 15 ascents at the time of writing.

Around 2019 some pebbles broke on the crux holds making the problem slightly harder.

Around November 2009 the crux pinch broke off making the problem harder. Dreamtime is now considered 8C.

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/dreamtime-a-dream-which-vanished-for-a-second-only.html

Originally climbed with a sika'd hold by Nic Sellars in 1992 and named 'Justified and Ancient', a song by The KLF. Then claimed as Yorkshire's first 8c after being reclimbed by Tony Mitchell without the sika'd hold. Subsequently an easier method looping out right was discovered, resulting in the route settling at 8b+

Hubble is a route at Raven Tor in the UK's Peak District. Ben Moon made the first ascent in 1990 suggesting a grade of 8c+, making it the hardest route in the world at the time. It is now considered closer to 9a, making it both the first 8c+ and the first 9a!

The route is unusually bouldery and powerful with the meat of the difficulty being a short section on undercuts at the start of the route that is around 8B/+ as a boulder problem. The top of the route is roughly a 7c sport route so shouldn't present any issues for a climber capable of getting through the bottom, though Ben Moon famously fell off the top the first time he managed to climb through the boulder problem.

A kneebar on the crux undercut match move was first discovered around 2014 which apparently makes this move slightly easier. It was first successfully used by Mathew Wright on his ascent in 2020. This method has now been used on several successful ascents. So far, ascentionists using the kneebar method have suggested it doesn't significantly alter the overall difficulty with leg length being a crucial factor.

References

[1] https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Cai72J2Sn9BulGmXw7vYE?si=i-sq4M9RShin62B56rWk8A

The route was first climbed on the 2nd of March 1988 by Andy Pollitt and graded E9. The pre-clipped 'hand-held' peg used on the first ascent was later discovered to have actually been placed with a 'hand-held' hammer. [1]

The grade of a given ascent depends quite a bit on the particular gear used.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2010/10/ryan_pasquill_flashes_knockin_on_heavens_door-58563

Previously called the Black 90 project a reference to Jade which was called the Green 45 project before it was climbed.