Blackout 8B by Alex Johnson

Alex Johnson has done Blackout (8B) in Joe's Valley (UT) and here is the video. (c) Melina Costanza

”My thoughts have been absorbed by this thing for months, waiting for temps to drop in Utah. Getting on Colorado crimp lines this summer only made me obsess over this one more. I tried it once last year with Allison Vest when she sent, and it was one of those climbs that just sunk its hooks into me. Quintessential crimp pulling test piece; the epitome of my climbing style. After dropping the end last weekend in maybe the biggest punt of my life, I’m real content with putting it away, and where I’m at with my climbing and fitness right now. What’s next? Unsure, but I know without a doubt this isn’t my limit.”

The 33-year-old first made headlines on 8a in 2008, when we followed up on her victory at the Vail World Cup 2008 in an article. The same year she did her first 8A+ and was also #1 in the 8a ranking game. In 2010, she was overall #4 in the Boulder World Cup including winning one event. She stopped competing in 2015 and took it up again in 2019, trying to qualify for the Olympics. Outdoors, she is having her best year ever in 2022 with two 8B’s and five 8A+’.