Margo Hayes Climbs 9a+

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Oplopanax

Mountain climber

The Deep Woods

Feb 28, 2017 - 01:12pm PT

The Huber FA stopped at a lower anchor. It's 8c+/14c to there. The 15a is to the higher anchor. But maybe only 14d and not 15a that way, according to Huber.

Johannsolo

climber

Soul Cal

Feb 28, 2017 - 01:16pm PT

Puigblanque climbed it to the chain and gave it a 9a+/5.15a grade, then traversed to the other route. The last 7 meters (extension) do not increase the grade. The grade changed from 5.14c to 5.15a because repeaters upgraded and thought the route was harder than Huber originally thought.

drljefe

climber

El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson

Feb 28, 2017 - 01:29pm PT

Lol
and along come the downraters...

Oplopanax

Mountain climber

The Deep Woods

Feb 28, 2017 - 01:43pm PT

The last 7 meters (extension) do not increase the grade.

According to Huber. But it's also true he couldn't ever redpoint to the higher anchor. If it wasn't any harder, he should have been able to make it through to the upper anchor, right?

SeaClimb

climber

Feb 28, 2017 - 03:02pm PT

I know Margo personally. She is gifted physically (high strength to weight); however, she trains mentally and physically at the level of an Olympian..

People's arguments (blahblahblah etc.) that this is unimpressive are frankly lame. If that was the case, one could make the argument about any athlete in any sport. I.e. they are only successful at this high of a level because of their genetics.

My son is a high caliber climber. Yes, he's small (roughly 125 lbs). But this doesn't change the fact that he's flat f*#king strong. And this is due to the countless hours lifting weights. He's benching in excess of 200lbs, deadlifting ~350lbs and squatting 326. These are decent numbers for people bigger than him. He was not born with this strength. It was earned with countless hours of sweat and work. This is all of his time spent "not climbing or training for climbing".

Margo has put in more hours and dedication than others. She's trained her ass off, she's restructured her life to this goal. She's refined her technique under masters of movement. She has busted her ass. To watch her competing when she's maxed out, hurt, and blasted and somehow digging deeper is breathtaking.

To comment that this is, yawn, unimpressive and it's "only because of her physical gifts",is bluntly, uninformed and belittling of the effort she has made.

TheSoloClimber

Trad climber

Vancouver

Topic Author's Reply - Feb 28, 2017 - 03:24pm PT

Her ascent is very noteworthy because she's a woman, in my book.

If you're anti-sexist, or a feminist, it should be no more noteworthy than the last 15 male ascents.

Or do you disagree?

I personally find the ladies ascents of hard climbs way more inspiring than the guys. Same with any training videos. I think it's rad to see Nina Williams and Alex P crushing out one arm pull-ups, and I think that Margo's send of La Rambla is ground breaking for all female climbers.
My gripe was with people treating her climb the same way they would if another dude had climbed it, which I think is unfair to her.

snowhazed

Trad climber

Oaksterdam, CA

Feb 28, 2017 - 05:31pm PT

Did blahblah just say the only difference between us and a pro is somewhat smaller holds somewhat farther apart?

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

tool

TheSoloClimber

Trad climber

Vancouver

Topic Author's Reply - Feb 28, 2017 - 05:37pm PT

So you're saying you're a sexist

I'd like to think that that's not the only thing you took from what I said. By that criteria, the very nature of every athletic pursuit is sexist. Why don't men and women compete together? I think it's more sexist to not give credit where it is due. It's unfortunate that you've taken something I think is inspiring and significant and made that a negative thing.

enjoimx

Trad climber

Yosemite

Feb 28, 2017 - 06:00pm PT

People's arguments (blahblahblah etc.) that this is unimpressive are frankly lame.

Absolutely agree. It's a super rad send!! Haters gonna hate

Alex Baker

climber

Portland

Feb 28, 2017 - 07:04pm PT

After watching a few of these 'youngsters' (like SeaClimb's kid) warm up on my projects, what I'm most impressed with is not their strength to weight ratios, but how they became so damn skilled at rock climbing already.

jgill

Boulder climber

The high prairie of southern Colorado

Feb 28, 2017 - 07:54pm PT

But maybe only 14d and not 15a that way, according to Huber.

And to think I used to have trouble in the 1950s deciding between 5.8 and 5.9. Chouinard used to say a 5.9 was probably a sequence of 5.8 moves. Of course, for a while everything above 5.8 was rated 5.9.

How far the sport has come.

Degaine

climber

Feb 28, 2017 - 11:53pm PT

Warbler wrote:

Her ascent is very noteworthy because she's a woman, in my book.

Keep flogging, you're getting good at it!

Warbler wrote:

If you're anti-sexist, or a feminist, it should be no more noteworthy than the last 15 male ascents.

But all past ascents of La Rambla have received considerable media attention - Onzo, Siegrest, Megos, etc. Why should Hayes' ascent be any different?

Free repeats of any number of El Cap routes get media attention as does anyone who climbs all fourteen 8000 meter peaks even though Messner's accomplishment happened in 1986.

We never hear a peep from you about any other repeats of until it's a woman, why is that?

survival

Big Wall climber

Terrapin Station

Mar 1, 2017 - 01:17am PT

and I don't own a hammer or pitons.

Scott

That's f*#ked up....

Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber

San Francisco

Mar 1, 2017 - 05:02am PT

Free repeats of any number of El Cap routes get media attention

Not even close. I personally know people who freed 3+ routes on el cap and had no 'media attention.' Media attention/films is something done for brand name representatives with a name. Most of the time. It is their work to produce content, right?

I guarantee that I could fist fight both of them, at the same time, and win, and then send Robbins Crack with no shoes on.

Can you smoke two poles in Lee vining while mini traxing the caveman?

clinker

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, California

Mar 1, 2017 - 06:11am PT

Can you smoke two poles in Lee vining while mini traxing the caveman?

Whoa Nellie! I hope the Mobile store always has a deep stock of condoms, comic books and those 30 meter telescoping stick clips.

clinker

Trad climber

Santa Cruz, California

Mar 1, 2017 - 06:16am PT

Go Margo!!!

drljefe

climber

El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson

Mar 1, 2017 - 06:21am PT

Another notable ascent for a woman went down yesterday-
Nina Williams sent Ambrosia v11 55ft on Grampa Peabody. Sick.

But she had an advantage, right? Because women are all crazy? :-)

Tom Patterson

Trad climber

Seattle

Mar 1, 2017 - 06:29am PT

Sheesh! Give Margo some stand alone credit for having achieved an astoundingly high level of fitness, skill, and sendage. The end.

Thanks for the post. I wish I could climb half as well as she does. (Maybe it's time revisit the lycra...)