11 August 2020

The first 8c+ (8c+/9a) and 9a in history books

Hubble by Ben Moon in 1990 and Action Directe by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991 are generally called the first 8c+ and 9a in the world. Originally, AD was graded XI, which converts to 8c+/9a but since the first repititions some 20 years ago, it was considered 9a.

When it comes to Hubble, some of the best climbers like Ondra have said it might be 9a and both Ben Moon and UKC have actually called it the first 9a in the world. In practice and in order to save some of the history, Hubble could be given 8c+/9a and the first route to be listed with a slash grade in the grade progression list. This means that Liquid Amber 8c by Jerry Moffatt in 1990, with only three repeats, could be the first 8c+ in the world, as it has been upgraded.
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