So , as route gets repeated we can fairly say that rouhling is insanely strong in this style. I can understand why he proposed 9b to this route. He didn't use his feet at all. As time passed, roof climbing style has evolved and now we have better understanding of the style. Hats off to Fred! You are a legend
So, it's 2015 now. Since reading the well-known article in Climbing magazine several years ago, I have very little problem believing that Rouhling climbed this route in the mid-90s. He may have made some ethical mistakes back in that day, and maybe he did manipulate holds at some point, but many climbers have made such mistakes, and to me he counts as one of the world's best from this era. It's not likely that Rouhling will ever have an undisputed place in the history books, but I really wish at least a couple more of today's top sport-climbers would come and project this route. I think it's highly important for a clearer historical record of high-end sport-climbing. I am very surprised it hasn't been done. It can't just be the location; there seems to be some collective fear of repeating it with the possibility of confirming the 9b grade, thereby upending the most popular version of the sport-climbing narrative, where Realization is the world's first .15a. I'm not clear on what Andrada's final grading suggestion was, or why he didn't rope up and complete the last 15 feet. I don't know who made the other repeat. But if any top climbers are reading this, I implore you, please go with a witness and an HD-camera, and attempt this route, whatever the outcome.
If not Akira, then Open Air would be the first 9a+. But I think the question of the world's first is a stupid one. Not only are grades subjective but where one grade ends and the next begins is completely arbitrary. For example Hubble and Action Directe would both have been the hardest route in the world at the time they were put up. Whether both are 8c+, one or both 9a doesn't change that. Akira is like Ali Hulk more of a boulder to me anyways - but the line between bouldering, highballing and sport climbing is not a clear one either (see Darwin Dixit solo discussion). To me it is comparing apples and oranges - to grade Akira, Open Air and Chilam Balam on the same scale seems ridiculous. You cannot climb a certain grade you can only climb a certain route. And if you do it for yourself it is not so important whether you have proof or if anybody believes it or if it's the world's first or whatever. Climbing shouldn't be a 'profession'. I agree with you that Fred has shown enough sincerity that Akira deserves checking out from other top climbers and you might be right about their reservations 'confirming' it to be 9b. Although I guarantee there would still be discussions about it being more of a boulder problem and potentially artificial/changed from the 90s. Then again, why is nobody except for Adam going to Schleierwasserfall?
For me Fred Rouhling is one of the best climbers in this World and for sure he was ahead of his time with his dynamic finger climbing style. I am sure that he sent the route Akira in 1995. Everybody can make a proposal of the difficulty of his route. As long as it is not repeated by a climber it´s just a proposal ! Would the route (or boulder) Akira be rated an 9a or 9a+ Chris Sharma, Adam Ondra, or Dani Andrada would have repeated it yet or a boulder master. It´s no question that a climber can have the physics 20 years ago like todays top athletes when he has found (in a cave) optimal training conditions like today in modern boulder halls with plastic grips. All climbers cook with water! Wolfgang Güllich trained round the clock but Wolfgang was more a static than a dynamic climber (old school)
@ gerardo231 he made it like this because when he made the FA crashpads didn't exist (which means you should be always ready to land on your feets) so he developed this crazy style :)
Easy now kids. I would say the obvious reason for why it's not popular in America must be because the route's inconceivably hard - screw nationality. But make no mistake, this route and its grade caused outrage in Europe and elsewhere in the 90s, due to it being the first proposed 9b (no 9a+ had been done yet) and because it uses a glued hold. For that, Rouhling is still a kind of black sheep in the world class climbing world - one beast of a black sheep! Careful about the Sharma claim though.
I'm agree with you Xabi. And i think he don't want to be popular like them also. Some one like free climb, others only boulder. Him, he want to open routes and travel to do boulder. But he has a experience of high level. And say X better than Y, and Z says yes....Too many different style, pleasure and goals to made a top list in this sport
sounds feasible though at the time of ascent im sure mats where around. Either way still an impressive line and the power he uses to control the swings is awesome to watch
De l'autre cote du Fred, I think its the name of the article. (because of the route of that name, which in the article is thought as to be harder than Fred rated, 9a). The route/boulder is sick hard and certainly matches Fred's abilities in terms of long dynamic movements from tiny holds (I'd like him to try Action Directe...), but that's always the case in any top notch route and the first ascender.
Only two climbers repeat it (not finish) and say the route was hard. Dani andrada just say i put a feet and i prefer works on his own routes.....Thirteen years later, he opened Ali hulk, cotation 9b+ . 1995, controversial route like "Akira" with first 9b, no pro ready to work it (yes the place is'nt really beautiful like rondellar for photoshoot). and more than ten years later, we have a ghost of chliam balam and ali hulk, and again many critics on Akira.
It's a route, the video show the only first part. After that you go out the cave and climb the wall on 5-6 meters (i think because i see only photo) type "9b akira" in google you'll see a site with many others photos of akira.
Fred is the king of roof!the second part of this route is a fucking cliff very very bad, dont forget it!i seen it last past year and it s very scary because the roof is high,and a crash pad is light if you fall...only the best climbers can complete this route!c est incontestablement un 9b,sans aucun doute.
i still thinks its a boulder problem though and should get a v grade. look at wheels of life v16 in australia thats a really long boulder problem but its still gets a v grade, i rekon fred rouhling and dani andrada should do the same
...spero tanto che sia 9b... e che poi ci siano i 9c, 10a, 10b e via discorrendo... altrimenti torniamo a 30 anni fa... ed al massimo limite umano... "mentale"
If I could... I would repeat it again, make a video from A to Z, post it on youtube or vimeo, and rate it with 9b again. Then the others come to repeat it to confirm the grade . Like in a gym on weekend the visitors will visit the cave , at least the top athlets :) ... and don´t forget a bottle of vine for the drunken sailor gg
I think you are mistaken, Action direct was sent long before roughling sent this one. So the highest grade at the time was 14d. He skipped 15a. A full letter grade is much different than a full number grade.
Yes there are footholds? Have you been there? Have you tried it? Or are you perhaps judging by what you're seeing on a shitty youtube clip? Either way, you should know that Fred is an amazing climber and he would definately use the easiest beta.
And when you see the video, then it's believeable that the route is 5.15b. But comparing it to "biographie extended" ("realization") is a little bit stupid, because it's two very different routes. Rouhling probably can't do "realization" and sharma probably can't do "akira".
Hah... Fred Rouhling climed this thing when the hardest climbed route was at grade 5.14b, and he rated akira 5.15b. The grade hasn't been confirmed yet, so until anyone else sends it, it will stay at 5.15b. But since som jackasses have chipped a new hold, will i guess the grade has fallen a bit. But i guess without the chipped hold, the route is at least 5.15.
ok.. why did my buddy buck branson beat him at the dyno comp in az. haha chris rules anyway.. climbing rules.. who cares if hes better or not just climb and have a good time thats what its all about this isnt football
exactly it's about havin fun why do write then "chris is way better blablabla" just respect the climb of fred and have fun watchin it. All these chris compares make me sick because you all do that because he's the one who is gettin filmed all the time imagine bigup would have filmed another world class climber on their past videos then everbody would be a fan of them and nobody would talk about chris.
Fred is the king of roof!the second part of this route is a fucking cliff very very bad, dont forget it!i seen it last past year and it s very scary because the roof is high,and a crash pad is light if you fall...only the best climbers can complete this route!c est incontestablement un 9b,sans aucun doute.
exactly it's about havin fun why do write then "chris is way better blablabla" just respect the climb of fred and have fun watchin it. All these chris compares make me sick because you all do that because he's the one who is gettin filmed all the time imagine bigup would have filmed another world class climber on their past videos then everbody would be a fan of them and nobody would talk about chris.
So , as route gets repeated we can fairly say that rouhling is insanely strong in this style. I can understand why he proposed 9b to this route. He didn't use his feet at all. As time passed, roof climbing style has evolved and now we have better understanding of the style. Hats off to Fred! You are a legend
So, it's 2015 now. Since reading the well-known article in Climbing magazine several years ago, I have very little problem believing that Rouhling climbed this route in the mid-90s. He may have made some ethical mistakes back in that day, and maybe he did manipulate holds at some point, but many climbers have made such mistakes, and to me he counts as one of the world's best from this era. It's not likely that Rouhling will ever have an undisputed place in the history books, but I really wish at least a couple more of today's top sport-climbers would come and project this route. I think it's highly important for a clearer historical record of high-end sport-climbing. I am very surprised it hasn't been done. It can't just be the location; there seems to be some collective fear of repeating it with the possibility of confirming the 9b grade, thereby upending the most popular version of the sport-climbing narrative, where Realization is the world's first .15a. I'm not clear on what Andrada's final grading suggestion was, or why he didn't rope up and complete the last 15 feet. I don't know who made the other repeat. But if any top climbers are reading this, I implore you, please go with a witness and an HD-camera, and attempt this route, whatever the outcome.
If not Akira, then Open Air would be the first 9a+. But I think the question of the world's first is a stupid one. Not only are grades subjective but where one grade ends and the next begins is completely arbitrary. For example Hubble and Action Directe would both have been the hardest route in the world at the time they were put up. Whether both are 8c+, one or both 9a doesn't change that.
Akira is like Ali Hulk more of a boulder to me anyways - but the line between bouldering, highballing and sport climbing is not a clear one either (see Darwin Dixit solo discussion). To me it is comparing apples and oranges - to grade Akira, Open Air and Chilam Balam on the same scale seems ridiculous. You cannot climb a certain grade you can only climb a certain route. And if you do it for yourself it is not so important whether you have proof or if anybody believes it or if it's the world's first or whatever. Climbing shouldn't be a 'profession'.
I agree with you that Fred has shown enough sincerity that Akira deserves checking out from other top climbers and you might be right about their reservations 'confirming' it to be 9b. Although I guarantee there would still be discussions about it being more of a boulder problem and potentially artificial/changed from the 90s.
Then again, why is nobody except for Adam going to Schleierwasserfall?
Seems time has come. Seb Bouin is now around 😁
It's done. Unfortunately 9a "only".
MUSIC: The Prodigy - Mindfields. Best song-climbing match ever...
For me Fred Rouhling is one of the best climbers in this World and for sure he was ahead of his time with his dynamic finger climbing style. I am sure that he sent the route Akira in 1995. Everybody can make a proposal of the difficulty of his route. As long as it is not repeated by a climber it´s just a proposal ! Would the route (or boulder) Akira be rated an 9a or 9a+ Chris Sharma, Adam Ondra, or Dani Andrada would have repeated it yet or a boulder master. It´s no question that a climber can have the physics 20 years ago like todays top athletes when he has found (in a cave) optimal training conditions like today in modern boulder halls with plastic grips. All climbers cook with water! Wolfgang Güllich trained round the clock but Wolfgang was more a static than a dynamic climber (old school)
Footwork at its finest.
this is awesome 😁
I love this video
Fred for president!!!!
@ gerardo231
he made it like this because when he made the FA crashpads didn't exist (which means you should be always ready to land on your feets) so he developed this crazy style :)
Easy now kids. I would say the obvious reason for why it's not popular in America must be because the route's inconceivably hard - screw nationality. But make no mistake, this route and its grade caused outrage in Europe and elsewhere in the 90s, due to it being the first proposed 9b (no 9a+ had been done yet) and because it uses a glued hold. For that, Rouhling is still a kind of black sheep in the world class climbing world - one beast of a black sheep! Careful about the Sharma claim though.
all of you should look up and read "the other side of Fred Rouhling", an article published by climbing on Fred.
I'm agree with you Xabi. And i think he don't want to be popular like them also. Some one like free climb, others only boulder. Him, he want to open routes and travel to do boulder. But he has a experience of high level. And say X better than Y, and Z says yes....Too many different style, pleasure and goals to made a top list in this sport
what a beast!
sounds feasible though at the time of ascent im sure mats where around. Either way still an impressive line and the power he uses to control the swings is awesome to watch
Ethan Pringle was working Es Pontas for a while. I heard he was very disappointed to discover that the dyno was contrived, not forced.
Almost nobody is able to do this himself as this is the hardes climbing route at the moment. Awesome video!
Now it's "Silence" :)
@@darkmookhyang and maybe DNA
that was just the roof part of the climb, there is a vert section after it that is supposed to be something like 5.13b
De l'autre cote du Fred, I think its the name of the article. (because of the route of that name, which in the article is thought as to be harder than Fred rated, 9a).
The route/boulder is sick hard and certainly matches Fred's abilities in terms of long dynamic movements from tiny holds (I'd like him to try Action Directe...), but that's always the case in any top notch route and the first ascender.
Only two climbers repeat it (not finish) and say the route was hard. Dani andrada just say i put a feet and i prefer works on his own routes.....Thirteen years later, he opened Ali hulk, cotation 9b+ .
1995, controversial route like "Akira" with first 9b, no pro ready to work it (yes the place is'nt really beautiful like rondellar for photoshoot).
and more than ten years later, we have a ghost of chliam balam and ali hulk, and again many critics on Akira.
It's a route, the video show the only first part. After that you go out the cave and climb the wall on 5-6 meters (i think because i see only photo) type "9b akira" in google you'll see a site with many others photos of akira.
how is this NOT a 9b+?? it seems as though it'd be more challenging than chilam balam.
Fred is the king of roof!the second part of this route is a fucking cliff very very bad, dont forget it!i seen it last past year and it s very scary because the roof is high,and a crash pad is light if you fall...only the best climbers can complete this route!c est incontestablement un 9b,sans aucun doute.
Action directee 1991 and akira 1996 i think
Do you have the link article of MATT RALPH ?? when he sent
great. do you have the force- ´ts the question.
sure you did so you can talk about. Dani Andrada tried it and he failed
i still thinks its a boulder problem though and should get a v grade. look at wheels of life v16 in australia thats a really long boulder problem but its still gets a v grade, i rekon fred rouhling and dani andrada should do the same
Sorry, you're right:) But it's still a hell of an achievement in 1995.
@Xabi088 there are more routes and boulders in the world than the ones you watch in Dosages!
sick, sick, sick
This just mostly purely upper body strength.
You need super strong arms for this.
Something I completely lack!!
Need to start going to the gym more...
Now officially 9a....
Take it there's no uncut footage of him doing the route in one go? Anyone got a link?
When he climbed this nobody knew who he was so there is no footage of his send.
Yes it has V16.
awesome!! :o
...spero tanto che sia 9b... e che poi ci siano i 9c, 10a, 10b e via discorrendo... altrimenti torniamo a 30 anni fa... ed al massimo limite umano... "mentale"
I didn't know Gael Garcia Bernal was so strong a climber ;-)
Are those mono campus moves really necessary? I mean it's hard to believe that there is no feet anywhere for those moves.
Spider man, spider man, does everything that a spider can
No it makes Adam Ondra insanely strong
If I could... I would repeat it again, make a video from A to Z, post it on youtube or vimeo, and rate it with 9b again. Then the others come to repeat it to confirm the grade . Like in a gym on weekend the visitors will visit the cave , at least the top athlets :) ... and don´t forget a bottle of vine for the drunken sailor gg
I think you are mistaken, Action direct was sent long before roughling sent this one. So the highest grade at the time was 14d. He skipped 15a. A full letter grade is much different than a full number grade.
Yes there are footholds? Have you been there? Have you tried it? Or are you perhaps judging by what you're seeing on a shitty youtube clip?
Either way, you should know that Fred is an amazing climber and he would definately use the easiest beta.
amazing, amazingly powerful.
its a campus problem?
spiderman retired after seeing Fred
@ Jonas223XC
maybe you are trying to comment the "es pontas" video :)
Why fred you almost never put your foot on that roof?
And when you see the video, then it's believeable that the route is 5.15b. But comparing it to "biographie extended" ("realization") is a little bit stupid, because it's two very different routes. Rouhling probably can't do "realization" and sharma probably can't do "akira".
but about 1:10 i see what looks like a crash pad in the bottom left corner
@ferrariboy95 : i think it is !!!
Hah... Fred Rouhling climed this thing when the hardest climbed route was at grade 5.14b, and he rated akira 5.15b. The grade hasn't been confirmed yet, so until anyone else sends it, it will stay at 5.15b. But since som jackasses have chipped a new hold, will i guess the grade has fallen a bit. But i guess without the chipped hold, the route is at least 5.15.
why has it got a sport grade? its a boulder problem
I'd guess there are no decent footholds.
@38guitou Mindfields - Prodigy
What is the song?
Adam ondra will send it in sandals;D (the kid got la rambla on his 5th go:D0
isn`t it a boulder, not a route?
maybe u will do Realization and then u will do Akira and downgrade it to 7b?!
Du coup personne n'a jamais eu l'audace de la répéter cette ligne ?
good music ? ? ?
i heared he sleeps with the bats
it has - V 16 ?
this is dangerous
so what!!! does that make the climb bad
ok.. why did my buddy buck branson beat him at the dyno comp in az. haha chris rules anyway.. climbing rules.. who cares if hes better or not just climb and have a good time thats what its all about this isnt football
6 month ago i saw 9b+, now 9b. Ok :)
exactly it's about havin fun why do write then "chris is way better blablabla" just respect the climb of fred and have fun watchin it. All these chris compares make me sick because you all do that because he's the one who is gettin filmed all the time imagine bigup would have filmed another world class climber on their past videos then everbody would be a fan of them and nobody would talk about chris.
1:01 - 1:06 :s
Holy shit. Those moves look impossible. Like no human or animal should be able to do them kind of impossible. . .
Wheel of life shouldn't have a V grade.
Since never, he/she said its because he's not an american climber, nothing to do with the climb- learn to read.
campus much?
Omg please use proper grammar.
Fred is the king of roof!the second part of this route is a fucking cliff very very bad, dont forget it!i seen it last past year and it s very scary because the roof is high,and a crash pad is light if you fall...only the best climbers can complete this route!c est incontestablement un 9b,sans aucun doute.
exactly it's about havin fun why do write then "chris is way better blablabla" just respect the climb of fred and have fun watchin it. All these chris compares make me sick because you all do that because he's the one who is gettin filmed all the time imagine bigup would have filmed another world class climber on their past videos then everbody would be a fan of them and nobody would talk about chris.