Another 5.15c for Ondra
made the first ascent of Vasil Vasil, 5.15c, a line he bolted five years ago at Sloup in the Czech Republic. Ondra wrote on “Very frustrating process of making no progression for long days, but when it finally happened, on a super cold sticky day, it felt like nothing.” The crux is a V13 move which is part of a larger sevenmetre V14 problem followed by a 5.13d section. Ondra spent no less than 20 days over two years working on the route. Ondra has climbed over 50 5.15s, having done the first ascent of Change and La Dura Dura, both 5.15c. British climber Nick Bullock and Scottish climber Greg Boswell spent November, in the Canadian Rockies. The dynamic mixed-climbing duo ticked a handful of the area’s most classic mixed climbs. First up was The Maul M7 on The Wedge in Kananaskis Country, which has had less than ascents. Next they set their sights on Man Yoga M8 250 m, on the Stanley Headwall, which also has fewer than 10 ascents. As the temperatures dropped and snow conditions stabilized, they climbed Rocket Man VI M7+ 350 m, on Mount Patterson, which has only had four ascents, including theirs. For their last impressive mixed climb they retur ned to the Stanley Headwall and did the third and fourth redpoints of Victor ia’s Secret Deviation M7++, a gear-protected single-pitch crack that was first climbed by Raphael Slawinski.