Creature from the black lagoon 8C+ by Dylan Barks

Dylan Barks, who previously has not done 8C, has repeated Daniel Woods' Creature from the black lagoon 8C+ in RMNP. (c) Pablo Hammack

”I believe it took me 8 sessions. There were a few things, but understanding the friction on the crux grip was a big one. I had trouble finding the right balance of how wet or dry my skin should be to stick reliably to a fairly glassy hold in the always dry Colorado air. Letting my body adapt to the superphysical style was necessary too. And, trying real hard on my last day of the trip!”



How can you explain your amazing progress?
I think there were two main factors. I’ve had a lot more time on the rock this year, being fortunate enough to have the availability and support. Additionally, every trip I have taken this year has been longer, giving me more time to really dial into things. I also think I just haven’t had the confidence to try things in the v14+ range, but I was able to do boulders in that range quite quickly this trip, so it inspired me to try!