🧗 Bosi Continues His Bouldering Streak

Howdy. FlashPumped here. Bringing you the good, the bad and the ugly of climbing, without the fluff.

Here’s what’s on this week’s overpacked schedule:

• Jorge Díaz-Rullo sends Siurana's Sleeping Lion

• Will Bosi Returns to 'Return of the Sleepwalker'

• Adam Ondra’s Many Sends of 2024

• Get Pumped for Strength Training

• Is Climbing Really That Dangerous?

• How to Use a Moonboard

• 5.10 NIAD VCS Review

Let’s get goin’

Jorge Díaz-Rullo Gets the Thirds Ascent of Sharma’s Sleeping Lion

There was a recent third ascent of Sleeping Lion in Siurana. Jorge Díaz-Rullo completed the climb originally established by Chris Sharma in March 2023, and early last month, the second ascent was completed by Alex Megos. 

Chris Sharma initially graded Sleeping Lion as a 9b+(5.15c), but Alex Megos suggested it could be 9b after his second ascent. 

Sleeping Lion is a strenuous climb best described as 40 metres of boulder problems stacked on top of each other. To be successful on this climb, you need plenty of power and endurance, as it doesn’t provide many rest positions.  

With Díaz-Rullo’s announcement of his project completion on Instagram, he mentioned that it was “one of the routes on my infinite list of projects!” While it may have taken more attempts than he thought it would, he’s now motivated to tackle his next challenge.

Return to 'Return of the Sleepwalker'

Will Bosi was on our radar at the start of 2024 with his send of Sleepwalker 8C/V15, and we knew that he’d go back to project Return of the Sleepwalker V17 soon. 

Well, Bosi has successfully made a second ascent of Return of the Sleepwalker after just 12 sessions. 

Return of the Sleepwalker was established by Daniel Woods in 2021 and is a sit start that connects to the original Sleepwalker line. 

Bosi reflected on his successful ascent in an Instagram post: 

“Sending Sleepwalker 8C/V15 in only three days completely blew my mind, and having a long time left on the trip, I was pretty confident I could have a good stab at getting Return of the Sleepwalker done.”

About the grade, Bosi said, “grade-wise, I still believe the stand start is only 8C/V15, but I do think the sit start adds enough for it to remain 9A/V17. In comparison to the other climbs I have done at this grade, I think Return of the Sleepwalker comes in around the bottom end of the grade.”

Bosi has two other V17 ascents, bringing his total to three complete V17 problems. With Simon Lorenzi they are the only two climbers to have sent 3 V17 problems. Not too shabby!

Adam Ondra is Still on a Roll

Earlier this year, Adam Ondra successfully climbed Bon Voyage, one of the hardest trad routes in the world.

While we may have expected to see him take a quick break, we should have known better!

Firstly he climbed Steroid Bull in Greolieres, France, an 8c+, in two tries after coming very close to the flash but fell on the final crux.

En route home, just a day after Steroid Bull, Ondra made a quick pit stop to onsight Kalmia-Moci an 8b+/c and climb Narcissus a 9a in two attempts. Both climbs are located in the Italian climbing region of Albegna.

Narcissus was originally rated by Matteo Gambaro in 2020 as a 9a/9a+, and because Ondra used a kneepad with the slightly different beta, he mentioned with the new beta, it could be closer to an 8c+.

Pump Up Your Strength Training

It is easy to feel as though the best training for climbing is simply to climb, which is true to an extent. Strength training is an excellent way to cross-train and build additional strength to improve your performance on the wall.

Strength training, also commonly referred to as resistance training, is a mode of exercise where you force your muscles to contract against an outside force or resistance.

There are various options for strength training and many benefits, all of which we go into detail about in our recent article, “Strength Training for Climbing.”

All strength training has benefits, but there are climbing-specific approaches that may benefit you more. Strength training can be a very personalized addition to climbing conditioning, and building a resistance training plan into your climbing routine is sure to yield results.

Climbing is Inherently Dangerous, but…

When most people think of climbing, they think of movies that push it to the extremes. Think ‘The Dawn Wall’ and ‘Meru.’ And while climbing involves inherent risk, it isn’t as dangerous as you might think. 

Dramatic climbing accidents are more in the public eye and are sensationalized by news outlets, but most climbing injuries are actually relatively minor. 

Things like overuse injuries, sprained ankles, pulley injuries, or below tendinitis tend to be more common. Now, it is still possible to take a bad fall and, say, break your ankle, but with proper safety precautions in place, you can, at the very least, minimize the risk. 

The type of climbing you participate in can also influence the likelihood of a more severe injury. Bouldering may see more foot and ankle injuries than other disciplines, but trad climbing is one of the more likely to lead to a severe injury. Trad climbing requires a higher level of knowledge, skill, and the ability to place gear that won’t fail in a fall. 

Whether you climb in a gym or outdoors, it is essential to remember that all climbing involves some level of risk. That risk can be minimized with proper equipment and knowledge.

Take Me to the Moon(board)

Now that climbing has become more mainstream, it is common to see gyms stocked with various training equipment. Some gyms may have full gyms on top of climbing-specific tools like campus boards and moonboards. 

Moonboards are a highly effective way to train for climbing, so if you can access one, use it!

If you don't know what a moonboard is, you need to read our recent article overviewing what they are and how to use them. Plus, the differences between different types of training boards like a kilter board.

You'll need our tips and training instructions to use the moonboard in your next sesh and build to more explosive power, better contact strength, and improved dynamic climbing style.

Of all the climbing boards, it's by far the simplest, and it's been around the longest for good reason.

5.10 NIAD VCS Review

If you’re in the market for a budget-friendly and comfortable climbing shoe, peep at our recent review of the 5.10 NAID VCS climbing shoes. 

The 5.10 NIAD VCS shoes are the successor of the 5.10 Anasazi. The NIAD VCS is similar and can be seen as a jack-of-all-trades type of shoe. It is highly versatile and comfortable when sport climbing, gym climbing, or bouldering. 

It is an excellent intermediate-level shoe that can tackle a variety of projects and terrains. The shoe struggles some on steep terrain because it has a more laid-back design. 

While it’s not the most technical or aggressive shoe option, it is one that most intermediate-level climbers find suits their needs.

Bacon & Waffles

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That's it for today. See y’all next week!