Coudert explains why Story of 2 Worlds is 8B+

Camille Coudert, who climbed Soudain seul (9A) in 2022, has repeated The Story Of 2 Worlds (8C) which he feels is not harder than 8B+. Dave Graham made the first ascent of The Story of 2 Worlds in 2005, and at that time he felt it was the new standard for 8C. Six years after Graham's FA, Paul Robinson made the first repeat and as of today it has been logged 29 times in the VL database, which makes it one of the most climbed 8C boulder problems in the world (if that grade were to stand).

Can you tell us more about why you think The Story is 8B+?
I think I spent 5 sessions on 3 trips, all with complicated weather conditions (rain and heat). Again this weekend I came for 2 days and only had a 3 hour window between the rain to climb.

The main difference [that makes it easier] is the new beta for the stand [The Dagger (8B)]. We could break the boulder down into 7C+ for the sit start part (with a knee pad), 7C+/8A (without knee pad), followed by an 8A+/B [for The Dagger portion] instead of what was originally graded 8B+. All the climbers who did The Dagger seem to agree on that.