Tommy Caldwell, 46, does Empath 9a (+) calling it 8c

Tommy Caldwell, famous for establishing the 32 pitches The Dawn Wall (9a) in 2015, reports on Instagram that he has redpointed Empath (9a+) in Tahoe (CA). (c) Corey Rich

”With the way I used my trad-dad skills to get it done—it’s probably more like 8c.”

This was the 46-year-old’s first hard sport route since 2003 when he did the FA of Flex Luthor (9a+). Together with Alex Honnold and Sonnie Trotter, he has a race getting back to the 9a grade. ”I think the new race is for one of us to climb an old-school, indisputably 9a route.”