BURSTKennan Takahashi recently announced that he made the first ascent of Dreadnaught V14 (8B+) in Yosemite. This latest highball FA from Takahashi is a stunning line that rides a beautiful arete. A “dreadnaught” is a fearless person, and the name is incredibly befitting for the daunting, towering granite climb. Be sure to check out the photos of the new climb in Takahashi’s Instagram post below.
“Perhaps the best moment I’ve ever had on stone, beyond psyching about this one!!!” said Takahashi on Instagram about his ascent. “One of the things that has crystallized recently is that the only thing that feels more terrifying than trying… is not trying. I spent 9 years looking at this perfect arête, and then it took 9 sessions (many of which were prepping and cleaning) to find a perfect moment of float and execution.
“The through line with the ones that have felt the most ambitious is that when I first envisioned them I was so daunted that they seemed unreasonable. But zooming out, I’ve managed to do many of the ones that seemed too crazy initially. This realization has ignited a deep fire for a few more that I have been dreaming of; ones that feel more ambitious than anything I’ve been willing to take on, yet have inspired me more than anything. Deciding to just try and see what happens feels like the key… the path is nobody’s but your own and there are many more steps.”
Takahashi has put up many hard highball first ascents throughout the U.S., including A Little Life V14 in Bishop, Stones Throw V13 in Yosemite, Terminus V12 in Bishop, and Hokusai’s Wave V12 in New Mexico. In July 2023, he topped his first V16, Insomniac in Lincoln Lake, Colorado. That same year in September, he made the first ascent of Ego Death V15 in Mt. Evans, Colorado. Last year, he made the third ascent of The Dark Side V16, an ultra-technical testpiece from Carl Traversi. Takahashi’s sport climbing highlights include Empath 5.14+ in Tahoe, California and Coup de Grace 5.14d in Ticino, Switzerland.
Keenan Takahashi on A Little Life V14
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