
19 December 2019
Entlinge from 8C in 2005 to 8B in 2020?
Fred Nicole put up Entlinge in Murgtal as an 8C in 2005. It is a very steep modern problem where you finish by going feet first. It took four years until it got repeated twice both confirming the 8C grade.
In 2011, Daniel Woods flashed, video, it calling it 8B+ and later James Webb was the first one giving it 8B in 2014 which now also Vadim Timonov recently did. Using average grading, it should still be considered as a hard 8B+ but in reality, most probably this great test piece will possibly settle as an 8B?
As we have seen similar grading stories before one might ask why? First of all, at that time in 2005, we did have relatively few in- or outdoor steep problems where the best could train and challenge themselves. Furthermore, it just might be the very first hardcore problem ending with a feet first move. In other words, as Nicole and others approached this style that had limited experience and it just felt super hard.
Personal grading was not that popular in 2009 when it first got repeated and the repeaters just took what had been offered and this was considered as a confirmation. When Woods did flash it, suggesting it could be much easier, he could not go any further then 8B+. If it would have been his FA, he just might have given it 8B but surely he had to take into consideration that three guys have called it 8C.
It should be underlined that the whole process is just natural and part of the game. Fred Nicole did, based on his training experience in 2005, think this was 8C which is of course perfectly fine. If he were to try it now, with a more modern steeper training background, he might just think it is equally hard as some of his other 8B classical test pieces. Surely there are other routes and boulders around the globe that just because of better training facilities, beta and equipment are waiting to get downgraded to better fit the standard of 2020.
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Jorge Diaz-Rullo reports on Instagram that he has made the first ascent of Cafe Colombia in Margalef. At 27, heโs already stacked four 9b+ sends and now heโs adโฆ
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Sean Bailey reports on Instagram that he has done the first ascent of Duality of Man (9c) in Dry Canyon. โ After four total years and three seasons of climbing,โฆ
Favorites
Jorge Diaz-Rullo reports on Instagram that he has made the first ascent of Cafe Colombia in Margalef. At 27, heโs already stacked four 9b+ sends and now heโs adโฆ
16 March 2026
Ondra flashes 3*8C in two weeks
โI stopped focusing on competition bouldering after last yearโs World Cup in Prague, partly because I can already feel it on my body, especially in my shoulders. The modern competition style, with a lot of jumping from one hold to another, is very demanding for the shoulders.
Outdoor bouldering isโฆ
26 January 2026
Sean Bailey FAโs Duality of Man (9c)
Sean Bailey reports on Instagram that he has done the first ascent of Duality of Man (9c) in Dry Canyon. โ After four total years and three seasons of climbing,โฆ


