The most impressive highball

Jaren Watson wrote:

People clean hard boulder problems from the ground up? That’s news to me.

same. from all the new and old videos I've seen of ground breaking high balls or any hard highball for that matter have included TR sessions or rapping down to clean and see if it even goes

A climb is still a high ball if it was rehearsed or cleaned on tr or rappel. That’s like saying that Dawn wall isn’t a big wall because Tommy and Kevin rehearsed it, and that is totally absurd.

Actually I am curious as to how many and which hard high balls (let's say v12 & 20' minimum) were FAd ground up. This means no cleaning/working/preview from rap, TR or ladder. 

Bennett G wrote: A climb is still a high ball if it was rehearsed or cleaned on tr or rappel. That’s like saying that Dawn wall isn’t a big wall because Tommy and Kevin rehearsed it, and that is totally absurd.

yeah......because bouldering and big walls are totally analogous.

Read the essay "The Games Climbers Play" by Lito Tejada-Flores.

sooo, like I said above^.... honnold did the highest because, he did the boulder problem on PITCH 23 ;)

the schmuck wrote: Actually I am curious as to how many and which hard high balls (let's say v12 & 20' minimum) were FAd ground up. This means no cleaning/working/preview from rap, TR or ladder. 

Probably a few, if the crux is low into jugs. Otherwise, nil. Pretty rare to find rock thats completely solid, clean and hasnt been climbed

livin large gets my vote

that thing is beautiful

the schmuck wrote: Actually I am curious as to how many and which hard high balls (let's say v12 & 20' minimum) were FAd ground up. This means no cleaning/working/preview from rap, TR or ladder. 

Not sure how Carlo worked the Penrose Step but it could qualify. It was cleaned prior to him doing it though

Yeah, that's the thing. If the upper sections were cleaned prior to attempts at sending, then it really was not FAd ground up.  Unless you clean it from the ground using painter poles or similar devices. 

the schmuck wrote: Yeah, that's the thing. If the upper sections were cleaned prior to attempts at sending, then it really was not FAd ground up.  Unless you clean it from the ground using painter poles or similar devices. 

Haha. Okay. Im not really one to get into the weeds that deep on trivial matters. 

Would it matter to you if he had not been the one that cleaned it? Would it matter if the block was immaculate and didn't require any cleaning? 

Too Big to Flail (V10) gets my vote.  

Mike Brady wrote:

Haha. Okay. Im not really one to get into the weeds that deep on trivial matters. 

Would it matter to you if he had not been the one that cleaned it? Would it matter if the block was immaculate and didn't require any cleaning? 

This is starting to sound like a thread on ukclimbing...

Owen S. wrote:

This is starting to sound like a thread on ukclimbing...

How so mate

Wilson On The Drums wrote: The Thimble both for it's general lack of repeats and its historic accent by Gill back in the day... https://cdn-files.apstatic.com/climb/114502754_large_1529505608.jpg https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105714549/the-thimble 

Agree with the FA of Thimble by Gill.

My all time favorite highball is Shiver Me Timbers (Camp 4 Boulders, Yosemite). Turning that corner after the V4+ crux and committing to the V1 slab moves above, topping out at ~25’... My fingers are sweating just remembering that thing.

Sure, it’s not a super-difficult one, but an awesome problem. 

If you're in the Midwest, Yosemite Slab V0 at Jackson Falls, while a low angle slab, is second to none in my opinion. Not difficult by any means, but a very eye-catching climb with excellent movement!

Will O. wrote: If you're in the Midwest, Yosemite Slab V0 at Jackson Falls, while a low angle slab, is second to none in my opinion. Not difficult by any means, but a very eye-catching climb with excellent movement!

What about big red in DL

Bennett G wrote:

What about big red in DL

I haven't climbed it, but besides the nice backdrop and sketchy landing I don't know if it's as striking as Yosemite Slab in my opinion. DL has plenty of highballs and while Big Red is definitely a classic, I don't know if its more impressive than Big Bud or Sex & Chocolate.

"Giant Prostitutes in Space" or "Earn your Stripes".

It's so odd now, after Peter Croft's 50+ highballs on The Rostrum and multiple Astroman highballs, now Alex Honnold's Moonlight Buttress, Regular Northwest Face on Half Dome, and now Freerider on El Cap...highballs seem to take on a totally different context.