BURSTIn late Summer and Fall 2024, Hamish McArthur spent time in Squamish. Over the course of the last few months, he’s run through many of the town’s hardest boulder problems, and even established a few himself. The 22-year-old Paris Olympic finalist’s Squamish visit is reminiscent of Connor Herson’s in 2023 and 2024, albeit for bouldering rather than trad and sport.
McArthur started his Squamish bouldering with a top of I Shot the Sheriff V13, following that up with a repeat of North Ridge V14. In late September, he made the first ascent of Life Is Limbo, suggesting a grade of V13. Two months later, near the end of November, he made another first ascent by climbing a sit start to the popular Frontside V12 in the Apron Boulders. He named the problem Backside Blowout, grading it V14.
From here, things really pick up. On November 28, he made the sixth ascent of The Singularity V15, one of Squamish’s hardest boulder problems. Established by Tim Clifford in 2007 and originally graded V14, subsequent ascensionists have started the problem from a lower hold, upping the difficulty. Nalle Hukkataival made the second ascent in 2017, and it’s since seen repeats from Lucas Uchida, Ethan Salvo, and Andy Lamb.
“Last Thursday, in a proleptic state of rapture, I knelt before The Singularity,” said McArthur on Instagram. “There is just one video, showing one single attempt of me on this iconic granite line, which goes some way to explain my disbelief as I slowly ascend beyond the lip. It is not even that I couldn’t comprehend the miracle of linking moves that I hadn’t yet done, but that space and time themselves were hiding from me, that I was both spread across the universe and infinitely dense, all in one place, trying not to overthink if I was dreaming.”
McArthur then had an incredible three days of climbing in a row, flashing Fool Me Once V14 on day 1, sending Sword in the Stone V14 on his second go on day 2, and topping Seven V14/15 on day 3. Fool Me Once, formerly known as The Megg, isn’t a boulder you’d really consider “flashable”. The 20-foot bloc is quintessential Squamish in style. It features bad feet, lousy slopers, crystal crimping, and technical, balancey body positioning.
After it’s first ascent by Andy Lamb in 2023, Fool Me Once was repeated later that year by Lucas Uchida and Ethan Salvo. Found north of Squamish-proper, the crimpy and powerful Sword in the Stone was established by Salvo in October 2023. The ultra-athletic Seven was put up by Uchida in May 2023. It’s seen repeats by many of North America’s best, including Lamb, Salvo, Keenan Takahashi, and Zach Galla, among others.
“I don’t get moments this intense very often, and usually when they do arise it’s an inappropriate setting to scream ‘what the fuck’ repeatedly while breathing like a horse,” said McArthur about Fool Me Once on Instagram. Thank you to my guide [Ethan Salvo] for teaching me how to crystal whisper my way up this granite tech compression test piece, and to [Quinn Mason] for all the support and photos.”
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