Alexander Megos climbs Lucid Dreaming 8C at Bishop

Lucid Dreaming is a huge highball and after the crux moves the problem continues a long, lone way to the top. Megos told Planetmountain "I had checked the remaining 15m to the top of the problem, after every day’s attempts I climbed the slab after the crux to feel sure about what I was doing. In the beginning with a rope, on the other seven days without. So I knew exactly what to expect and knew it wouldn’t be a problem. On day I finally sent it it was very foggy and it had rained earlier. The upper slab was wet therefore. And when I say wet, I mean wet, not damp. But I just said to myself “who cares!” I’ve got the slab so wired that I’ll be able to send it even if it’s wet… The first meters above the crux were still OK, but once I got established on the slab proper the footholds were so wet that I couldn’t continue, I had to take off my T-shirt and tried to dry the holds. My friends threw a chalk bag and brush up from the ground (10 meters below me) and although it took a while, I managed to dry the holds fairly well! When I reached the top I pulled my harness up on a rope and also my mobile phone and called my friend Felix Neumärker. I’d promised him he’d be the first to know in Europe and I called him from the top!"

This ascent marks yet another step forward in Megos’ climbing and is noteworthy not only because of the difficulty but also because of the fact that it's the longest project yet for the 21-year-old. In truth 11 days to send 8C really isn't much at all, but Megos is renowned for his lightening fast ascents such as his two-hour repeat of Action Directe in the Frankenjura, his one-day repeat of Biographie 9a+ at Ceuse in France, his second-go repeat of La Rambla at Siurana in Spain and, above all, his historic, world’s first on-sight of a 9a climb, Estado Critico at Siurana in Spain.

Alexander Megos thanks his sponsors: DMM, Patagonia, Tenaya, Entreprises and Blue Water Ropes


10/02/2014 - America, Bouldering, Climbing = Bishop, Buttermilks, California
Claudia Colonia and Alessandro Penna report about their climbing trip to one of the most beautiful, and important bouldering areas in the USA: Buttermilks close to Bishop, California.