25 August 2015

La Rambla 9a+ defines grade inflation and Huber should get more credit

Alex Huber put up La Rambla in 1994 as an 8c+. In 2003, Ramon Julian Puigblanque made an extension by climbing into the neighboring 8c route's finish, claiming La Rambla Original a 9a+. With 12 ascents it is now a well-confirmed and the most repeated 9a+ in the world. Interesting is that Ramonet climbed diagonally into the 8c eliminating a big flake, meanwhile all the rest but Adam Ondra, being then 15 years old, traversed to and rested on the big flake. Ramonet said some eight years ago that this makes the route just a 9a. Alex Huber has also stated that the new traversing extension does not add any major difficulty. La Rambla Original is now, including the failure of many 9a+ climbers', considered a benchmark 9a+. It might be time to give Huber some extra credit once more and upgrade another of his hardest test pieces from the 90'ies? In fact, already five years ago, he said that most of his FAs have been upgraded and this could be his super impressive Tick List based on the 2015 grading standard: 1993 Om 9a, 1994 La Rambla 9a, 1994 Weiße Rose 9a+, 1996 Open Air 9a+ The amazing thing is that such tick list would put him almost in the Top-10 list today, some 20 years after his prime. Add to that that he bolted and projected the routes more or less by himself and that most likely some of his old-school 8c's and 8c+'s, might be contenders for being 9a's today. Interview from 2010 and here one from 2008 with great pics.
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