Luke Gerhardt, 18, completes Pegasus (8C)

Luke Gerhardt, who did his first 8A only 18 months ago, has sent Pegasus (8C) in Left Fork.

Can you tell us more about sending your first 8C?
Yeah so I put around 6 sessions on the boulder last spring but wasnt able to stick the crux move very consistent and usually only got 5-10 tries on the crux hold before getting a blister because of how bad it was on the skin. I had a lot of frustrating sessions where I felt like I couldn’t do it.

Once the season ended I trained all summer until the weather was good again and finally tried the boulder again and had a pretty good session where I reworked all the moves and they felt a lot easier. Second session back and 2nd try from bottom I fell on the last move because my foot popped and I knew I could send that day. Next try I managed to send. Definitely the hardest boulder I’ve done and the most I’ve had to push myself mentally and physically to send a boulder.