New Line on Digby Neck - Stick it to the Man (ungraded)
I'm excited to share this stellar climb. It's the hardest boulder I've topped (not that that says much!) But it is also among the harder established lines at Planet of the Apes, and indeed, Digby Neck. There's so much potential out there!
I can't say what grade it is, only that it is harder than "Stick to Your Guns"(V7). Please come repeat it!!
When I first saw this boulder in 2020 or 2021, and looked at the start hold of "Stick to Your Guns", I didn't realize the crack would be involved for feet on that line. It also seemed that a sit start would make for a longer, more aesthetic climb. I played with the sit start on one or two occasions, but gave up due to the difficulty. In the meantime, I learned that the established V7 version went with feet walking the crack, and I ticked that a couple of times between 2023 and 2024, or so.
But I was unsatisfied. In the back of my mind, I felt that to climb the entire face with a left sit start would do this formation more justice. And it would be no more contrived to exclude the crack for feet than to include it for feet alone, making the problem really consistent, and hard.
I had the opportunity to play with this idea for part of the day on two recent trips with Todd Foster, and his support helped me believe it was a worthy project, and possible.
Last night, I went out solo to work the lower moves, but found some new micro beta, and made good links in and out of the crux in just a few tries. Feeling good, I rolled the camera and pulled on for a send go, surprising myself massively with a top.
Sorry for the poor send footage angle. I'll try it again with help to get more of a beta video.