Free at last 9a+ FA by Will Bosi

William Bosi has done the FA of Free at Last (9a+) in Dumbarton. ”What a line! This has got to be one of the best sport routes I've seen. Also if confirmed it will be Scotlands first 9a+ and hardest route. This is the bolted line right of requiem. I reckon the crux section could be around 8B+/C boulder.” (c) Band of Birds

Despite being bolted a long time ago, the route, known as Dumbarton Oaks (aka La Dumby-Dumby Project) had not received serious attention until 2014 when Dave Macleod and Alan Cassidy re-bolted it and put time into unlocking the sequence of moves.

Bosi commented on the ascent: “Dumby is one of my favourite crags and having climbed there a lot, it feels really special to add my own route to the crag which has such a special place in Scottish climbing’s history.”

On the climbing, Bosi commented, “Although there looks like a lot of holds from the floor, almost everything is an undercut or a side pull. This makes the climbing very technical as the feet are tiny! The climbing is also very intense and powerful as you cannot relax. The send go went really well with almost no mistakes and just a lot of try-hard! The day was pretty still so conditions were not great but while I was sat on the ledge above the slab the wind picked up and the conditions aligned! Topping out felt absolutely incredible and this route is definitely a highlight for me.”