The Defying Gravity V15 boulder problem at Thunder Ridge in Colorado is one of the most iconic hard problems in the world. The first move is frequently considered one of the hardest single moves in the bouldering world, so to master the crux, and then add a v13/8B boulder at the beginning would seem impossible.
But Nathaniel Coleman wanted it bad and felt as though he could master the first move. In this short film presented by The North Face and made by Ben Neilson, Coleman discusses the process and story of the first ascent of “No One Mourns The Wicked”, a proposed V17.
“Dating back to Daniel Woods’s first ascent a decade ago, people said there could be a low start to Defying Gravity V15. But people thought the single move on Defying Gravity might be one of the hardest single moves in the world. It was thought that climbing a v13/ 8B boulder into such a difficult and low percentage move could be impossible. Nathaniel decided that this year he would go back to Thunder Ridge Colorado and see if he could truly master the move and add in this new and difficult intro. This is the story behind the first ascent of No One Mourns the Wicked V17.“