News & Notes: 1/6/2009

Ok.  Horrible title.  Forgive me.

Anyway, Jimmy Webb is about a week into his first trip to Font.  Last week he managed that one day ascent of Kheops Assis (V14), and according to his 8a scorecard this week he managed a relatively quick repeat of Dave Graham’s The Island a once V15 but now maybe V14 at Coquibus Rumont.  This latest ascent puts him at 99 problems V10 or harder in the past 12 months which is notable for being 99 more V10s or harder than I’ve done in my entire life¹.

Ben Spannuth, who recently started a blog at LT11, grabbed a rare repeat Golden Direct at the Cathedral in Southern Utah according to his 8a scorecard.  Golden Direct was first done in 2008 by Joe Kinder at a suggested grade of 5.14d and was subsequently repeated by the likes of Chris Sharma and Jonathan Siegrist.  Having climbed five other routes in the 5.14c/d range in the past 6 months, Spannuth felt Golden Direct warranted a grade of 5.14c.

Alex Johnson gave the highballs in Bishop a break to check out the bouldering in Red Rock, Nevada where she repeated the V12 highball Lethal Design according to her 8a scorecard:

great support crew and tons of pads! long and crimpy. worked out all the moves quick and sent first burn.

Since the start of 2012 she has done some eight V10′s or harder across Yosemite, Bishop and Red Rock.

Update:  Climbing.com caught up with Johnson to discuss the ascent