Dave Graham’s ‘The Island’ (V15) Repeated Twice

Dave Graham’s ‘The Island’ (V15) Repeated Twice

Posted December 11, 2008 at 11:40 am · Comments { 12 } · Photo: Chuck Fryberger

Dave Graham’s amazing problem The Island (V15) at Fontainebleau’s Coquibus Rumont has seen a lot of action lately (for a V15).  Back in October, Finland’s Nalle Hukkataival repeated the problem after 4 days of effort.  He commented that he felt “the grade is right for this problem, especially for shorter people”.  Chuck Fryberger has been doing some filming with Hukkataival for his upcoming film Pure, and in a recent blog entry Chuck described how Nalle was able to make the long spans needed to send The Island.

Nalle Hukkataival on The Island

Island 1

Photo:  Chuck Fryberger

Then, just this past week, Joost has noted that Australian Sam Edwards registered an ascent of The Island on Bleau.info  Edwards is probably best known in the U.S. for his FA of Goldfish Trombone (V13 or 14) at the Happy Boulders outside of Bishop, CA.  Other than that he has been pretty much off the international climbing news radar which makes it hard to know what he has been up to lately.  

You can see footage of Dave Graham’s FA of The Island here.

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  • Peter

    Not that any of this matters too much, but I find it interesting that Graham put in several days on this problem before making the ascent and almost did another v15 (Kheops asssis) in a day (really would have if it hadn’t been for shitty weather). And now this one is being repeated and that one isn’t? Seems odd to me based on Jens’ foolproof “time it takes to make an ascent” logic, though the Island is indeed one of the very best problems I’ve ever seen a picture of

    Also, doesn’t his new problem “Big Paw” remind you in style of “Kheops assis?” He even commented that it is “very font like for granite.” While timing may be irrelevant, how much harder must this problem (assuming it’s okay to consider them to be similar in style) be for him if it took him more than three times as long? Just makes the FA of Big Paw that much more impressive. Psyched for him, especially given the fact that he’s already ticked a 8b+ and two 8c+’s. Was bummed while he was injured and worried that his time may have passed. VERY psyched to see him back in the game.

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  • http://www.straightouttabedlamv7-2.blogspot.com sock hands

    the island LOOKS way cooler and more proud, so maybe the reason kheops is not getting the attention is that it is less classic?

    note that if it was v9 or lower, most would call it a turd, or at best, and immaculate turd. the island, however, is supadope and would be so at any grade.

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  • JE

    Having seen both, Kheops is a turd, the Island is amazing.

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  • http://www.straightouttabedlamv7-2.blogspot.com sock hands

    word, je, though based on photos, i stand strong on my charge that DW’s cave line is cooler than call of the wild

    and we all know that opinions based purely on intardweb footage are BOMBPROOF, BITCHES!

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  • Jamie

    justin your opinion is pretty laughable, i think ang pinto olson and I would all wholehearteedly agree on that one.

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  • http://www.straightouttabedlamv7-2.blogspot.com sock hands

    pinto is just being agreeable; he’s a nice guy and doesn’t want to make you feel totally foolish, even if you are in this instance.

    rolson counts for nothing since he’s not updated his photo page. opinion value totally nullified.

    also, his red hair tells me that his opinion is ALWAYS masking an ulterior motive.

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  • Mark

    Either way, props for being on top of this news Narc. You beat the fools at 8a.nu. Not like you needed anything more to prove how much better you are then Jens and those guys.

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  • http://climbingnarc.com Narc

    What can I say, I have a lot of free time.

    On the topic of 8a, it would be nice if they did a better job of crediting people like Joost for coming across this news.

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  • Mark

    I agree. I’m not one to bash someone for trying to do a good thing by sharing news or new ideas, but their ethic leaves a lot to be desired sometimes, and their rationale is kinda iffy sometimes on things. I once messaged Jens some constructive criticism and told him it was only that, and he kinda interrogated me.

    On the topic of free time, I do too, thats why I can check this site and 8a every 5 seconds to see how faster you are on legitimate news. And when I told my friend Nick who knows you, that you beat 8a, that was his reasoning to. Free time.

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  • chris

    Kheops was a project for a number of years, as was the island. It helps to have some beta for doing problems- obviously an FA will take more time to figure than one that has video and photo sequences posted everywhere. And, I don’t think (I hope, anyways) that anyone believes in Jens idea about time=difficulty. Anyone who climbs knows this don’t compute.
    And, I think Kheops is amazing. And so is the Island. And everyone has their reasons for their opinions.

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  • http://climbingnarc.com Narc

    If memory serves, there is footage of DG sending Kheops on MVM.

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  • chris

    perhaps another reason that island gets more attention is that it is a new-school problem, steeper, more like a gym climb. Kheops is very vertical, technical. Dave is an excellent climber in the realm of technique and balance, but he is not exactly a big, powerful dude, is he? Many real font climbers have not done kheops, and not for lack of desire… O. Lebreton, a very talented, born and bred font climber, just completed kheops not too long ago. Julien Nadiras did it with new beta several years ago, only to return to complete the sds a couple days after falling from the top to find the new method impossible after the previously unnoticed hold was struck from the climb by parties unknown, assumably in order to preserve the problem in its original sequence.
    Anyhoo, they’re both great, but, obviously more folks out there will, for example, be able to climb a v12 overhang rather than a v12 slab.
    Turd is a bit strong for anything in Font, ‘cept maybe Ouzo, or starting a certain v12 sit start two moves in and calling it a separate v13 problem. I am guilty of doing Ouzo, though!

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