Video:  Paul Robinson Mandala Direct Assis (V14) First Ascent

Video: Paul Robinson Mandala Direct Assis (V14) First Ascent

Every one of you has probably seen or heard of The Mandala (V12) at the Buttermilks outside of Bishop, CA. After it was first climbed by Chris Sharma in 2000, he famously joked in Dosage I that the problem must be V16 because it took so long to see an ascent. However, after a quick repeat by Dave Graham the grade has settled somewhere in the V12 range. In 2002, Tony Lamiche added a difficult sit start that is sometimes referred to as The Mandalion that bumped the grade up to V14. Since 2002, the Mandala SDS has been repeated several times and the stand version has been climbed by dozens of climbers including a recent FFA by Lisa Rands.

In early 2007, an obvious variation to the original Sharma line was also climbed.
buy synthroid online www.mobleymd.com/wp-content/languages/new/synthroid.html no prescription

Jeff Sillcox did the FA of The Mandala Direct (V12) which climbs directly up the prow to the top instead of escaping off to the left near the top. The direct variation adds a difficult and committing deadpoint right near the top of the prow. This obviously opened the door for someone to climb from the SDS into the direct finish, a door which Paul Robinson walked through less than a week after Jeff’s send to create The Mandala Direct Assis* (V14). Paul commented on his 8a.nu card that he felt the direct finish was, “much harder than regular mandala”.

Here is the video of Paul’s FA:

*Assis, sit start, SDS…whatever you want to call it

Posted In: Bouldering, Videos
Climbers:
Areas: ,

Subscribe

Subscribe to the RSS feed to receive updates, and follow us on Twitter & Facebook

22 Responses to Video: Paul Robinson Mandala Direct Assis (V14) First Ascent

  1. peter December 3, 2008 at 8:59 am #

    Any word from Paul on why this problem is Log-book, No score on his 8a card? Just too much SDS to a variation nonsense to count it twice?

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  2. PAUL December 3, 2008 at 10:20 am #

    I registered it as a log book because Jens felt that the lines are too similar to count the climb twice on my scorecard and would be unfair because I would be obtaining double points. I understand that they do share the same bottom crux but i did feel that the upper crux added a fair bit of difficulty. Jeff Silcox is a very strong climber and worked the line for some time before getting the FA. He is fully competent to climb V13 in a short amount of time, much less than it took him to finish the Mandala Direct. In my opinion the direct could possibly get a slash grade to 12/13 or maybe low end 13. Jeff i think would agree with me on this subject but in my opinion rated it the same grade as the mandala to not stir anything up because of how famous a problem the mandala is.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  3. phil December 3, 2008 at 12:24 pm #

    jens is a nut.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  4. sock hands December 3, 2008 at 12:52 pm #

    funny that jens never gives me a hard time about the 1,000 variations i log for each and every climb i do.

    fools might think that this is because i never send anything of importance or merit, but the wise know that it is because jens FEARS MY UTTER AND COMPLETE DOMINATION OF THE INTERWEBNET! no on dare oppose my powers, expecially the swedes!

    now i must flex and remind little jens that only one person can berate and publically mock paul robinson on the intardweb and it is ME.

    next, i’d like to point out how much paul looks like the kid who plays edmound in the chronikalz of gnarnia movies… especially the new one that just came out on netflix… since everyone knows that bouldering anything over v9 is only for total and complete dooshbags, perhaps paul can give up on climbing, kidnap that actor kid, and replace him for the next movie?

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  5. peter December 3, 2008 at 1:04 pm #

    Interesting, Paul. Thanks for the response. I was just vaguely interested because, having never been to Bishop, it always looked like the Mandala SHOULD go up that arete. Whatever, thank goodness for the climbing police…

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  6. matt December 3, 2008 at 1:47 pm #

    Ha! Jens.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  7. Narc December 3, 2008 at 2:30 pm #

    Thanks for the info Paul.

    It is at times like this when it is helpful to remember a wise quote from Steven Jeffery in the Dr. Topo video where he says something to the effect of “all bouldering is pretty contrived isn’t it?”.

    @Sockhands, if only people could see your comment prior to you editing it. Even I was confused!

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  8. sweatpants December 3, 2008 at 2:34 pm #

    he is a confusing lad inideed… hense socktard, no?

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  9. Mark December 3, 2008 at 9:07 pm #

    Every day I see Jens being put down more and more and more. I don’t necessarily get a lot of what he does, especially on this account, but atleast even his stupid stuff gives me stuff to read.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  10. Mark December 3, 2008 at 9:13 pm #

    It isn’t nearly as interesting as Narc’s stuff though. Didn’t mean to come off sounding like a downer dude. Love ya Narc!

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  11. sock hands December 4, 2008 at 10:44 am #

    please note that anyone who posts to a climbing forum on the internet is off topic… topic being: work; life; responsibility.

    some of us just fall deeper into the fantasy land.

    FRITTERS, BITCH! FRITTERING YOUR BILLABLE HOURS AWAY CAN BE OH SO SWEET AND TASTY!

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  12. sock hands December 4, 2008 at 10:45 am #

    @ narc. i was confused too. and above, i may be again.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  13. nicros December 4, 2008 at 1:12 pm #

    that problem is a pile.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  14. nicros December 4, 2008 at 1:12 pm #

    Paul,

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  15. nicros December 4, 2008 at 1:13 pm #

    a Pile, Paul…paul, pile, pile, paul..

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  16. PAUL December 4, 2008 at 2:07 pm #

    yes nic it is a pile.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  17. nicros December 4, 2008 at 2:51 pm #

    wo! no names.. I am trying to be discreet.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  18. tissue December 4, 2008 at 5:40 pm #

    lol. jens. heez a climbing scientist with a flair for fascism.

    he completes me.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  19. sock hands December 5, 2008 at 3:20 pm #

    discreet on your face!

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  20. sweatpants December 5, 2008 at 4:19 pm #

    sounds delicious

    GD Star Rating
    loading...
  21. PAUL December 8, 2008 at 9:04 am #

    as everyone can see above i changed my original post. I talked to Jens about what we had spoken about and he and i both found it unfair how i worded our discussion. I did not mean to start any sort of internet bashing and hope that with this post and my modified first post it can all be dropped. thanks.

    GD Star Rating
    loading...

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Hard, Unrepeated American Boulders | Climbing Narcissist - January 25, 2009

    […] Mandala Direct SDS V14 – Paul Robinson – Buttermilks […]

Leave a Reply