Midnight Lightning, the legendary boulder problem in Yosemite

Almost 40 years have passed since Ron Kauk first climbed Midnight Lightning, arguably the most famous boulder problem in the world. The problem is certainly hard - at the time it was the first to receive the unprecedented grade V8 (7B/7B+) and as such it was considered the most difficult in the world - but it was clear right from the outset that it was one of those problems destined to capture everyone's imagination. The reason for this lies in its tricky and tenuous moves almost five meters off the ground (there were no crashpads back then), and also in the fact that it could be revered by everyone since it sat on the huge Columbia Boulder in Camp Four, the historic climbers campsite located immediately below El Capitan.

Unsurprisingly, this problem has fueled the dreams of generations of climbers climber. Kauk sent the problem while attempting it with John Bachar and John Yablonski and years after his climb Kauk explained: "After 4 months of off and on effort, I was the first one to pull over the lip and complete the climb, which to this day has had an effect on my personal sense of place and history, within the climbing community, throughout the world."

For its first female ascent the problem had to wait 20 years and the arrival of Lynn Hill who climbed it in 1998. Young Pietro da Prà amazed everyone shortly afterwards with the first up and down climb of the legendary problem and even today a repeat is something special. In this video Kauk explains why to young climbers David Sjöquist and Caro North.

Info: www.mammut.ch