Mari Salvesen repeats Black Mamba (5.14b/F8c)
- Monday 11th December 2023
Mari Salvesen has repeated Black Mamba, a monster roof crack in the White Rim, Utah in the US.
Graded 5.14b/F8c and originally climbed by WideBoyz Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall back in 2019, Black Mamba is half boulder/half route in the depths of Canyonlands in the White Rim, Utah.
Black Mamba starts deep in a tunnel on the White Rim and then snakes out towards the lip as a roof crack. Uniquely, the top of the crack is visible from above enabling climbers to inspect it from above whilst walking about on the Rim. Along its length, Black Mamba has finger jamming, thin hands as well as wider sections requiring hand and fist jamming and then off-width climbing. The first section is close to the ground and hence climbed ropeless. As the height from the ground increases the climbing switches to a traditional roped climb protected by cams. Having climbed several boulder problem sections Black Mamba goes into a 40-foot section of horizontal off-widthing just prior to the lip; finishing the route leaves the climber on the White Rim.
Salvesen’s ascent of Black Mamba is the second from a female climber after @tradprincess (Mary Eden) climbed it last month. Eden and Salvesen are both operating at the very highest levels of crack climbing. Climber Magazine interviewed Salvesen earlier this year so see that issue for more details of her motivation behind her climbing.
Watch the WideBoyz making the first ascent below…