BURSTMichael Piccolruaz has flashed Shakey Warrior, an aesthetic V14 at South Africa’s Rocklands. This is the first flash of the problem, which was first climbed by Dave Graham in 2015, on record.
About his send, Piccolruaz said, “Wow, felt effortless. Had a good plan, executed perfectly and it fit my style really well. With all of this coming together magical things can happen.” Piccolruaz, who’s 29 years old, has previously climbed several 5.14d and V15 routes, including the first ascent of La Grosse Tarlouze – a V15 in Switzerland.
“For preparation I watched videos of Alex Khazanov and Vadim Timonov,” said Piccolruaz on 8a.nu. “Thankfully the both used exactly the same beta so I didn’t have any struggles of choosing one and I simply trusted theirs to be the right way of climbing the Boulder. I then took my time to feel the holds out well to know exactly how I wanted to hold them making precise tickmarks for later when I would be climbing. Before climbing I simply visualized the climb a couple times and then just went for it.”
Rocklands, located in the Cederberg Mountains, has some of the world’s most famous sandstone boulders. The area spans multiple areas, including The Pass, Roadside, and Tea Garden. Problems range from V0 to V15, with a few notable routes being Girl on Your Mind V4 and Minki V8-.
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