On the lookout for a next level boulder problem to test your climbing skills? You may want to think twice before tackling this new Yosemite climb from Irishman David Fitzgerald.
The 32-year-old made the first ascent of what he calls The Last Line of Defense by making a low start to The Shield, a well-known boulder problem established in California's Yosemite National Park by American Randy Puro in 2006.
The boulder requires climbers to hang on to two tough pinches, release a toe hook, and make a drastic move to the left, all while keeping a right hand on the rock.
Fitzgerald's proposed rating of 8C+ would make The Last Line of Defense one of Yosemite's hardest boulder problems.
Fitzgerald documented the climb in an Instagram post, in which he credited a childhood obsession for his sustained efforts in Yosemite.
"Whilst on a family roadtrip back in 2016, we drove the Valley loop and pit-stopped at ‘Housekeeping’. I remember seeing chalk on the lower holds and assuming it had already been climbed. Gawked at it for a while, but couldn’t make heads or tails of it," reads the post.
"I knew how cryptic and subtle the rock type could be, as I had learned to climb on the same stuff back home, but this thing seemed unfathomable. It wasn’t until I moved here that I learned of its semi-mythical status."
Fitzgerald worked on the route for months over the winter, battling with the narrow "tendonitis-inducing" pinches and challenging toe hook. After countless failed attempts, he made a breakthrough in March, successfully breaking into a standing position before falling just short of completion.
"It then held its ground for another six sessions until I eventually wore it down; the extra fight making it feel all the more memorable," continued Fitzgerald.
"(The problem) feels like the most complex section of rock I’ve ever linked and best thing I’ve ever climbed!"
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