TWO New Font 9A/V17s?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 พ.ค. 2024
- Aidan Roberts has made ascents of two of his long term projects, The Helvellyn Project, which he has since named Spots of Time, and The Midnight Project, in Chironico, Switzerland.
Read more here: www.ukclimbing.com/news/2024/...
Thanks to @WEDGECLIMBING for the AMAZING footage they're constantly producing.
#bouldering #rockclimbing
00:00 Intro
01:00 Spots of Time
02:56 Midnight
05:12 How hard are they? - กีฬา
I believe that Aidan’s reflection on his experience on his podcast is very important and crucial for others to hear. Social media has impacted the pursuit of harder and harder things and the market around it. Yes, we all like grades, but we too constantly forget about the why of it all. Too much noise in such an internally peaceful sport. Aidan’s mentality is much needed in my opinion.
What's his podcast?
@@dezmilcoisasit's called "The Careless Talk Climbing Podcast" and is hosted by Aidan alongside Sam Prior
Fully respect Aidan’s decision to not just slap a grade on them. Social media has given people an unreasonable sense of right to information. If instagram didn’t exist this would all be news along the grape vine. He doesn’t owe anyone anything, if he wants to take his time to enjoy the experience and reflect on what must feel like the culmination of devoting his life to the sport then he is well within his rights to do that.
Probably because they’re v5
@@EKdlwoasred it’s so obvious now that I think about it 😱
@@EKdlwoasred my god, you’re right
I agree with your sentiment, but this issue has been around a lot longer than social media. In short: people (including ourselves) are interested to know how difficult something is, especially when it’s at the cutting edge. Fair play if Aidan doesn’t want to comment on it, but is it unfair of others not to ask/enquire? I think not…
@@ukclimbingofficial Yes, of course people have the right to be curious, I didn’t mean to suggest that. I have just seen more people than I would expect throwing shade at the fact he only spoke about it on his podcast.
it is an exiting time for British climbing, I've just climbed my first 6a boulder in the pass
Now get on Burden of Dreams!
Here's there now, so hopefully he'll get it done/dusted
if aidan wants a second ascent of the midnight boulder within the next 10 years he should give it v18. No one would put serious effort into it otherwise
basically admitting that pro climbers are a bunch of stardom chasing divas, ey?
@@assaqwwq More like people who like a good challenge
@@romanformicola5904 yeah. Everything above v13 is a good challenge. Go for it!
@assaqwwq How else are we supposed to support the addiction 😅
@@romanformicola5904 Yeah, it physically gets a grade harder when you label it V18.
hahah " They love grades!"
Love them.
Agree likely two v17 but it will be a wide range and some time before v18 is proposed lol but absolutely wild to think about that it will happen sooner than one expects.
Exciting time, isn't it?!
Considering that will bosi is climbing v17 in like 10 days, probably we will not have to wait a lot lol ahah
This was a great video ❤
Max - you're on TH-cam!! Please tell us that there's some content coming...
I was actually with Aidan and Will when Aidan did alphane. I remember talking with Giuliano who said the midnight project could be as hard as 9b bouldering. I have a feeling 9a+ is very likely to be proposed
Well said!
These two boulders look so crazy cool. Completely different styles, so cool to see pro climbers trying stuff that they're not super comfortable with. Props to Aidan for not grading these two boulders and taking the time to think. New vid up on my channel now
Thought there we're 2 new 9A's in Font for a second 🤦♂️
I could see why you might think that - sorry to disappoint 😅
Yeah that was the clickbait for me too.
@@ukclimbingofficial No worries, still glad your reporting on this stuff. Just got me all hyped up for a second 😅
That’s how I read the title as well
Super sick
Seems like not grading the boulders will make people focus even more on the grades 😂
I think you might be right. If a grade is proposed then that gives us something concrete to discuss, as opposed to something you’ve to speculate on. That said, I perfectly respect his reasoning for not giving them a grade; however, it’s also our role - as the climbing media - to try and contextualise these achievements. Hopefully we’ve treated the matter with respect 🙏
@@ukclimbingofficial I’d be surprised if Aidan didn’t expect people to speculate about the grades. The wait just make me want to know that much more.
We’ve got an interview with him in the pipeline, so watch this space (although I think it’ll be written, as opposed to filmed).
@@ukclimbingofficial first question: so what are the grades? 😂
🤣🤣🤣
I think its smart to give some time before settling on a grade of V18, maybe get some different opinions. But if its in his style and that hard for him then it must be at the very least upper end 17 or lower end of 18
He’s right… I do love grades
He'll grade them after he sends Burden.
Yeah, I wonder - maybe that's the case
This video answered an important question for me. I couldn't remember if the Helvellyn project was the one with that crazy gaston undercling press he was training for. But it wasn't, I think that was the low start project to sundial.
Was it Isle of Wonder Sit Start? That features a particularly horrendous looking shoulder sidepull: www.ukclimbing.com/news/2022/08/aidan_roberts_on_isles_of_wonder_sit_8c+-73129
@@ukclimbingofficial I'm quite Jackson is right about it being Sundial Low. He spoke about it long after having done Isles.
Nice cup
😍
ironic title
Very much so - hence the question mark
This title is basically exactly what he didn't want
exactly my thought, they've been diminished down to Numbers rather than Boulders
Wedge did something almost identical back when he was projecting them. A title, by its nature, is a short summary and the shortest summary we could think of was what we wrote. We could have written “Two Hard Boulders for Aidan Roberts” but it would have lacked the context without the grade attached. The fact that there could be 2 x New 9As is a massive deal and - dade I say it - probably the reason why you clicked on it in the first place 🤷🏼♂️
Genuine question, but did you watch the video? Yes, we talk about grades, but we also talk - at length - about the process and do that before we delve into how difficult they might be.
@@ukclimbingofficial No and yes. I had listened to Aiden's podcast prior to this so I had already known that he had done both of his long term projects. At this point if there is news regarding Aiden, the assumption I make is that he's done something special. I think the title would have been just as impactful if it outright stated that Aiden Roberts had done two long term projects. While I understand that this is a TH-cam channel and there are algorithms working against you I think there needs to be a shift in how these achievements are written in titles considering a good proportion of people will simply look at the title, watch the first few seconds of the video and be done. That's where the nuance and message is completely lost.
The problem is that for those who don’t know who Aidan is, they’re not going to have that context, whereas for those who’re unfamiliar the title we’ve given will attract them in as they’ll be aware that we’re talking about two problems at the absolute top end - and not just two spuriously difficult boulder problems. You’re completely right about the algorithm though - I suspect it’d have done much worse as a result of the way that works had we not included a number 😭
I wonder how it affects other climber's motivation to repeat boulders when there is no grade. If he had thrown v16 or v17 on these climbs I assume there would be climbers booking flights right now
Good question, I suspect they’ll be curious irrespective of the grade, but that’s because they all know what Aidan is capable of
Wills definitely gonna jump on the lakes one, he's too close not to
We very much hope so!!
I could see the midnight project being V18. I dont envision anyone else be able to make those moves. Besides, maybe sean rabatou
The idea of someone who’s already really strong at that style having to get stronger to do it is blowing our minds a bit 🤯
It doesn't suit shawn well though. Super small holds aren't his best style. I reckon Will has a great shot
@lawsong6663 I don't think will has the potential for these super tensiony snapy moves. Idk he is proving everyone wrong over and over
@domab2604 I'm not saying it suits will perfectly, but I reckon he has the best shot. Definitely suits him better than it does shawn
@@domab2604Will probably is the best to try it. His fingers are super strong even on micros and he has done 3 v17/9a boulders now
Maybe they’re 8C
quite possibly, but I doubt it
Wait if the project was the first climb, that’s crazy, I’ve never ever seen a pro climber wear Scarpa Vapors
Also, I really hope that they would just say the grade already😂 hoping on of these v18, saw a comment where someone said Guiliano Cameroni said that 9B boulder for midnight is possible
I love the Vapour S even more now that I’ve seen Aidan wearing it 🥰
@@ukclimbingofficial yeah, was my second shoe. Might have to get it resoled and wear I again👀
I know the channel is called UKClimbing, but who cares where the climbers were born...? Does it make any difference that these two guys were birthed in the same arbitrarily-defined nation-state?
Rightly or wrongly people tend to root for people from their own country 🤷♂️
@@ukclimbingofficial Weird stuff... I personally root for every climber pushing the sport
@@00Platypus00 Great!
Nobody loves grades, they're vague, inconsistent and not universal enough across the board. Grades are the worst thing about climbing in my opinion. They cause politics to get in the way of organic appreciation of a process and a vision. Aidan has fine tuned the language used to describe said process without grades better than anyone in the entire art form. His impact will resonate for decades.
Some arbitrary numbers caressing and groping some edges on an islolated bit of dilapidated rock in the middle of the field, provides enough rationale to inflate your ego above others, neglecting the process, the journey and complete acquisition of gainz avenues. Less focus on the numbers the better.
fist
Jam?
harder than 9A?!? please stop spectator speculation about grades that don't exist. 9A barely exists. Many pro climbers say 8C+ is still poorly understood. How many sessions has Aiden had on Burden now, between at least 2 trips and his home replica? Number of sessions is not the best indicator, especially for FAs
Grades that don’t exist *yet*
Not offering a grade is such a cop out. He knows what grade he thinks they are, he's just refusing to tell us. Grades and a positive experience of just climbing are not mutually exclusive. With the right mindset they can co-exist.
I actually agree
He doesn't give them grades because that's all you guys care about, The climbs mean more to him than just a number
I’m inclined to agree, they shouldn’t be mutually exclusive, but if it is an issue for Aidan, or his priorities are elsewhere, then we fully respect his right not to offer a number. That said, hopefully he respects our right to speculate. I don’t see grades as reductive as some do. We’re just really excited that he’s done them and the fact they took as much effort as they did just goes to show the difficulty/challenge they represent. Here’s to hoping they get some attention from others 🤞
@@ukclimbingofficial I agree. unfortunately it is not the job of the professional climber to climb and have a good time, their job is to give good climbing performances and publicise their ascents, grade (people like Aidan aren't paid to climb v7s) their performance because this is is tied to their sponsorships, which are what allow them to climb in turn. This create attention for sponsors so they can sell their products. Of course a person can choose not to do any of that, but they'd probably cease to be a professional climber (not get paid).
I think this relationship defines most jobs people are paid to do. You're paid to do work that of a high standard (high grade), and that work needs to me obligations set by your employer. Ideally a person should enjoy doing their work and meeting their obligations. It'd be amazing if I wasn't paid by how many hours I worked or thing I put out.
In conclusion you cannot separate grades from experience because its the metric that is used to measure performance. Perhaps not ideal but probably the best we have for now.
dude he is gonna grade them, he doesn't owe you anything he doesn't need to immediately rush to social media and post the grades. give him some time to process these massive achievements.
climbing is becoming stupid
thanks for your input 😅
@@ukclimbingofficial :-)