Mike Bockino does first 9a at age 43

Mike Bockino has done the first ascent of Skyfall (9a) in Riggins. ”So many tries. 40+ days from 2023 until today. Thanks to Merto for all the belays. Crazy route. I learned a lot from this one. Not sure on the name but that will be decided pretty soon. Grade wise: I don’t have a lot of context here, but for me this route is 14a to a bad shake then a V9/10 roof boulder to a good but not great rest, then headwall of 3 boulders separated by rests. Those boulders are roughly V7, V6 and the last is V5. Someone else will have to do it, could be 14c, could be harder than 14d. I don’t know so will throw out the middle grade. Took me 40 days longer than 2 8c+ routes I’ve done.”

Can you tell us more about the process behind the ascent and your climbing background doing a PB at age 43?
Started climbing 1999, ever since. Routesetting professionally since 2004-present, I am a National Head Routesetter for USA climbing, and an IFSC level 2 Routesetter. I’ve set 7 boulder world cups and around 22 National Championships and 1 youth worlds.

First 8A boulder in 2007, first 8b+ route in 2007 as well. Mostly focus on bouldering but every few years I will get psyched on routes. This one was more special, it’s at one of the first cliffs where I started climbing harder back in 2005 or 2006. It was originally started by the legend, Tony Yaniro when the cave was developed in the 1990s. It’s gone through a lot of different people and settled a number of years ago but nobody really tried it.

I began putting effort into it in summer 2023, taking roughly 20 days that year. Took me almost a full week to sort out the beta for the crux boulder as it involves a very aggressive drop knee and seems improbable when you first feel positions.

I was injured most of 2024, very bad pulley injury and a knee injury in Cresciano in October of 2024. Only did 1 week on it in 2024. Started lead training in May this year, tried the route for 12 more days in June and July, 2 different trips. This trip I sent 2nd try on the first real day. The first day I went up, brushed, did the headwall section a few times to review beta and then sent 2nd attempt that day.

This route is 500 miles [800 km] from home. The pressure was incredible on every trip, and every attempt. Training for it was a fun challenge, every trip I would come home with some small adjustment and something that was lacking and I would adjust my training to match. Most of it is done by climbing, circuits, long duration spray wall and some lead as well. I Focused a great deal on power endurance and then just a bit of aerobic endurance towards the end of the cycle.

At 43 I think people assume you’re heading down, but this is the first time I’ve spent longer than 5 days on a route (previously climbed 8c+) as I tend to boulder more. I feel like I can still get stronger now, I’m also bouldering at a high level each year, since 2011 I’ve only gone 2 years without climbing an 8B boulder and those were due to injury.