Mark Brand does Unendliche Geschichte 1+2+3 (9a)

Mark Brand has done Unendliche Geschichte 1+2+3 (9a) in Magic Wood. "Funny that a route is the highlight of a bouldering trip. Part 3 adds some great climbing to The Never Ending Story (8B+) and makes it feel like the proper line. Standing on top of the boulder felt so much better than stopping halfway and jumping off."

Can you tell us more about your trip and completing 1+2+3 ?
This trip I wanted to try and climb The Never Ending Story (8B+). Last year I decided to try the boulder on the last day as I didn't have any open projects at that time and I did two parts some days before. I almost did the link second go but I just missed a hold. So I was quite certain that I could do it this year. This year I had a short session at the end of the day familiarizing myself with the moves again, two days later I returned and could do The Never Ending Story in my first real go of this trip. Linking the two parts left me a bit unsatisfied as you jump off not even halfway up the boulder, so I started looking at part 3.

A few days later I worked the moves of part 3 which adds a 7B-C boulder with a crux from a slopey pinch and a slippery foothold making it quite insecure and easily droppable. The route wasn't really the main focus of the trip and the conditions were a bit tricky, so a proper go only came at the end of the trip. I had done The Never Ending story again to keep the moves dialled some days before and felt really solid on it but the top was wet. On the day of the send I had already climbed quite a bit and didn't feel great during the warm-up for the route. Somehow it all came together in my first attempt at linking parts 1,2 and 3. Parts 1 and 2 had felt easier previously but I could recover at the jug and luckily I didn't drop the move in part 3. The rain of the next days made me realize that it had been my only shot of climbing the route this trip, so I am very happy that it all came together that evening. Part 3 adds some great climbing to The Never Ending Story and standing on top of the boulder was way more rewarding to me.