Flex Luthor 9b by Carlo Traversi

12 November 2021

Carlo Traversi, who did his first 8C out of ten in 2011 and first 8C+ last year, has done Flex Luthor 9b in The Fortress, after some 15 sessions. "Dream route. No real opinion on grade, so going with Matty's suggestion for now. Definitely not easy."

It was opened in 2003 by Tommy Caldwell as the first 9a+ in America and last month, Matty Hong did the first repeat and suggested the upgrade. From Traversi's Insta.

"I’ve always been drawn to climbs that have both historical significance and an air of mystery surrounding them. In today’s day and age, that combination is getting harder to come by, with every piece of stone captured a million ways and cast out into the daily feed without a moments thought. While this sharing of information satisfies our immediate arm chair curiosity, it has the potential to rob us of a real experience complete with the trials and tribulations of understanding something for yourself. In American climbing, there is no route more shrouded in mystery than @tommycaldwell ‘s Flex Luther at The Fortress of Solitude."

What is next?
Doing Lead and Bouldering National Championships starting tomorrow. Then headed to Yosemite to try and free the Dihedral Wall. I also have a long time bouldering project in Yosemite that’ll hopefully go this season. So yeah, trying to stay at a high level in all disciplines.
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