Orrin Coley makes FA of Ultra Instinct (Font 8C)

• Friday 10th March 2023

Orrin Coley has made the first ascent of Ultra Instinct (Font 8C) at Forest Rock, Leicester.

A regular at Forest Rock, Orrin only lives 20 minutes or so away so given that conditions can be fickle there, being local is a massive advantage. Back in May 2019, Orrin climbed Limit Breaker (Font 8B+) at Forest; back then that was the hardest of all the various additions he’d made to the bouldering venue.

“[It’s] The hardest I've ever done.” Orrin told Climber after his first ascent of Limit Breaker. “I've invested so much time and energy into this thing the last 4/5 months, it feels amazing for it to finally be done.

Each move is potentially the hardest individual move I've ever done. The holds are so small and require such precision to get right. There was such a small margin for error for me to have a chance at sending. But 14 sessions later, the 4-move monster is now done. Not sure I'll top this anytime soon.”

Four years on from that prophecy, Orrin has just sent Ultra Instinct. It took three years of hard work to get the first ascent completed and considerable mental fortitude and commitment! We talk to Orrin to find out the detail.

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“Not sure I'll top this anytime soon.” you wrote after sending Limit Breaker (Font 8B+) at Forest Rock nearly four years ago in May 2019. Four years on it sure looks like you have topped Limit Breaker at last?!

Yeah, I suppose I have topped that moment now! After completing Limit Breaker in spring 2019, I didn't really revisit it or the lower start until January 2020 and that's really when the whole process began for Ultra Instinct.

You said after Limit Breaker that the start of that was a little flawed as it had a vague and high start. However, as Ultra Instinct starts lower it’s not only harder but it’s a better problem overall as well. That must be very satisfying.

Yeah, in my eye Ultra Instinct is the true line now. But it’s easy to say that in hindsight as at the time I couldn't conceive any way of starting Limit Breaker any lower it was I suppose the logical starting point for me. In reality, it only took a handful of sessions in 2020 to work out a sequence that was possible for me to create this new start point.

How do you feel you’ve progressed as a climber since doing Limit Breaker?

It's hard to say how I feel I've progressed as a climber. So much has changed for me in that time, I barely feel like the same person sometimes. I tried to give my all to competitions during this time period, only to put an end to that part of my life last year. I went from barely working and climbing nearly full time to struggling to find time to fit climbing into my life. It's all changed the way I view my own climbing and how I approach it. It's not really the answer I think you're after, but I'm not sure I really have to words to answer it fairly!

What have been the biggest hurdles for you to overcome to get the FA of Ultra Instinct?

The biggest hurdle was no doubt in my mind. It became apparent in 2020 that I could do it, but I never managed. Each year passed by and I still didn't manage and certainly not for a lack of trying. I freaking tried. Hard. Countless sessions working it, double that if you count all the times I walked up only to find it wet. But the overarching antagonist was always my head, I cared too much, I got too anxious, I let it get to me like a school bully. When all it really took was time away, a little focus and a more relaxed approach.

Let’s talk specifics please, how many additional moves does Ultra Instinct add to the start of Limit Breaker and how hard are they in themselves?

So it only adds 2 hand moves really, they're massive and I'm fully spanned out on both, if my arms were any shorter it'd be impossible for me. Then at the end of those hand moves you have an awful cut to reposition your feet to become established in the higher start. It's hard to say fairly now, as it's sort of like clockwork - but initially, I felt that sequence alone was around 8A.

You’ve been trying Ultra Instinct since 2020. How many sessions would you say you’ve had on it in total?

So just to be clear I 100% lost count around the 40 mark, but I think around 60 sessions is a safe bet.

Long-term projects are notoriously difficult to finish off. How did you handle the pressure of the mind games? Did you have any time away from it and did that help?

In 2022 I ended up taking time away from it after I found myself full of dread every time I walked up to it. The breaking point was just yelling at myself about why I was even there and about how much I couldn't bare being stood under it. Unsurprisingly I didn't go back for several months, I decided I wasn't going to until I actually wanted to be there again, until I felt that spark again. Eventually, that came again and after 2 more sessions this year, I did it.

So, true sit start then? Is there a possibility that a true sit start could be added and how hard would that be do you think?

Yes, a sit start could be possible. I've looked before, I'm not sure I can even do the moves, to be honest. But someone could. It would add maybe a short 8A-B sequence I suspect.

And are you keen to try the sit start next or are you happy to call it – at least for now?

For now, I'm very happy to call it, I don't feel I could go through all that again just now. Maybe one day I'll change/lose my mind and give it some real effort. But that day is not today.