Simon Boes ticks Deep Fake (8C+)

Simon Boes, who has been struggling with different injuries for two years, has sent Deep Fake (8C+) in Brione. ”Checked out this line last year, such a cool one. All the moves felt fairly doable on their own, but linking everything without any mistakes ended up being the crux for me. Took about 9 or 10 sessions in total. I’ve been going back and forth on the grade; I wish 8c/+ was an option, but 8c+ (soft) seems fair considering other strong climbers have suggested 8c+. (I might revisit the grade after I’ve done a few more in the range).”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
I thought topping out my hardest boulder to date would feel different, but more than anything, I’m just relieved to close the chapter on two years of injuries. Funny how that relief almost outweighs the pure joy of climbing. It’s a strange mix—less explosive joy, more quiet satisfaction and gratitude just to be back doing what I love.

All in all, the process felt quite smooth with the good conditions, and the moves felt dialed. In the end, it really came down to executing properly.

Can you tell us more about your injuries?
I developed tenosynovitis (inflammation of the sheath that surrounds your tendons) in both middle fingers, one after the other. This alone took about 12-18 months to recover from. My fingers felt tweaky and painful, but I luckily still managed to climb at around 80% capacity during that period.

With my left middle finger (the second injury), I pushed a bit too far while trying to balance rest and training, which led to some scar tissue buildup. This made the inflammation harder to heal.

After all that, I then injured the A2 pulley in my left ring finger, which took about six months to be pain free. In total, I’ve spent around two years climbing with finger pain.

Lesson learned: high risk, high reward. I was constantly on the edge of overtraining. While I did become significantly stronger, the process was less enjoyable and way less outdoor bouldering.