Alexander Megos flashes The Path at Lake Louise in Canada

Alexander Megos from Canada once again. This time not for sport climbing though, but in the unusual role as a trad climbers. For after having established Fightclub - the hardest sport climb in the country and also only the second 9b in North America after Jumbo Love - the 23-year-old German climber has now made a flash ascent of The Path up the Wicked Gravity Wall at Lake Louise. This 40m overhanging line had been bolted over 20 years ago but was freed in 2007 as a trad climb after Sonnie Trotter removed the bolts and "replaced" these with nuts and friends.

In the past The Path has been repeated by perhaps ten other climbers (including Tim Emmett and Read Macadam who recently repeated it on the same day), but so far no one had dared to try to flash it. Understandably so, given that the difficulties weigh in at around 5.14 (8b+). But Megos, once he had the moves explained to him, after having watched the footage and above all after receiving instructions on how to place the gear, decided to give it a go. And, for the first time in his life, he put on a climbing helmet. ...

Trotter explained that in the next 40 minutes Megos "took gear climbing to another level with an all out ground up flash of the route. His endurance and patience were both inspiring and calming, he moved through each sequence with confidence but then allowed ample time to rest and recover. He climbed the route like he had done it 10 times already, (perhaps in his mind). He executed each sequence perfectly. It was AMAZING and was not without a good fight and a decent pump. Thanks Alex for always demonstrating how to give climbing (and life) your ALL."

For the record, this is is not the first time that Megos dabbles in a bit of trad; five years ago in the Frankenjura he made a quick repeated of the trad 8b Archon. Yesterday’s ascent - during which he admits to having felt a bit scared but never risked too much - stands as one of the toughest flash ascents of a trad climb. On that note, it’s worth recalling the 2014 flash ascent carried out by James Pearson on Something's Burning E9 (8a+/8b) at Pembroke in Wales.

Sonnie Trotter climbing The Path, Lake Louise