Roberts and Bosi wrap-up Swiss trip with a Font 8C+ each
- Wednesday 16th November 2022
Days after making the second and third ascent of Alphane (Font 9A) Aidan Roberts and Will Bosi wrapped-up their Swiss trip by climbing Vecchio Leone Sit Start and Ephyra respectively, both are Font 8C+.
If their ascents of Alphane wasn’t enough both Roberts and Bosi have continued to punch out top-end blocs in the remaining days of their trip to the Chironico area in Switzerland.
In the days after his second ascent of Alphane Roberts made quick repeats of both Stairway to Heaven (Font 8B) and Child of Hell (Font 8C) in the Gotthard Pass. Commenting after repeating both in the day Roberts said, “In places like this, there’s a lot to be grateful for aside from doing climbs. I’d like to think this day would have been as special without standing atop any climbs, but it’s easy to say now and admittedly a nice bonus to a fun day out.”
In the final days of his trip Roberts returned to Valle Vwezasca and Veccho Leone a Font 8B he had previously climbed. This time, however, the sit-down start was Robert’s objective. He outlines the problem, “But this one is a bit of an age-old project. Very obvious and rather deceptive. Upon first glance it looks as though a jump would be the easy solution but some subtle texture and rounded holds make them too poor to maintain tension, the alternative swing being far too wild for myself! Instead some poor feet and complex body tension was the solution for me.” Grading it Font 8C+, the first ascent of Veccho Leone Sit Start was a stunning end to Robert’s trip.
Having made the third ascent of Alphane Bosi then flashed Veccho Leone a Font 8B saying, “Great problem! Been enjoying trying a lot of the classics here over the last week.” A couple of days later Bosi posted again this time confirming he’d repeated Forgotten Gem (Font 8C), “This is an absolutely incredible line and will be a classic of Chironico in the future.”
With his trip coming to an end Bosi turned to Jimmy Webb’s Ephyra (Font 8C+). Remarkably, it took Bosi only “a couple of days” to get the fourth ascent of this too. Bosi’s post-match analysis was - as usual - ‘informative’, “Very happy and pretty surprised to climb this really fun @jwebxl boulder in only a couple of days! I briefly tried it last year and felt like I was too spanned to do the crux move. Coming back with stronger shoulders I was able to stick the move quite fast and eventually get through it from the ground š
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Grade wise I think it’s bottom end 8C+, definitely harder than Forgotten Gem 8C but easier than Alphane or Honey Badger.”
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It’s hard to look at what Roberts and Bosi have achieved in this trip to Switzerland and not conclude that it is one of the best bouldering trips ever by British boulderers and that British bouldering is now dining at the top table! As remarkable as their trip has been, however, perhaps the hardest aspect for both Roberts and Bosi may be that they now have to come to terms with the stark reality that they are both world-class boulderers right up there with the crème de la crème! Getting them to say that though might well be a step too far at the moment?!