What else is there to write: Christof gets his third Fb8c Boulder in this year, what madness. Christof Rauch gets the first repeat of Martin Keller’s „Highlander“ Fb8c on Sustenpass and thus the third 8c Boulder this year, even though he would rather rarted the Boulder at 8b + / c. It is to be www.8a.nu 119. Boulder in grade Fb8a or harder. Christof: „Yesterday was one of the craziest days I’ve ever had. At the beginning of the day I hurt my ankle pretty bad and couldn’t jump down on my feet. Since I felt really strong and the drive home is quite long for me I decided to still give the „Highlander“ (8C) a few tries. Seems like low expectations are the key for me on this powerendurance-monsters! After a huge fight I managed to nab the second ascent of this masterpiece by @swizzybouldering. About the grade, I am not really sure, probably 8B+/C fits better?! At the end of the day I barely could walk back to the car and my foot was really swollen, later I went to the hospital and found out that I got lucky and my tendons are just strained quite bad.“ .

Martin says to Christofs Ascent: „Little note on the difficulty; chris climbed the „highlander“ with the original (hard) sequence on the first crux; (no „cheating out left“; what was impossible anyway back in the day) but was able to find and climb a bit better beta on the second crux (this beta was impossible for me as i am too tall/not flexible enough; heel hooking ultra close to your hand did cost me my hamstrings and 8months rehab when i tried it agains better judgment back in the day; you have to heelhook very close because the big finishing holds of „traumland“ are off on this climb) – so for him it felt (a bit) easier. on the other hand he struggles a lot with the (for me way) easier „Gepresster Hase, 8B+“ to the left on the same boulder. but then that makes sense as well as he is not as tall and it has a pretty morho crux – thats bouldering – everybody climbs and experiences difficulty in a different way. but what stays is that both climbs are great lines and offer hard and sick climbing; go for it and enjoy.“
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