by Jack Geldard – Editor – UKC American climber Ethan Pringle has repeated thehard trad route China Doll, in Boulder Canyon, USA. Pringle has been steadily ticking cutting edge trad routes recently, with ascents of Sonnie Trotter´s super routes the Cobra Crack in Squamish and The Path. China Doll is graded 5.14 (F8b+) and Pringle says: “For me, this was definitely the second hardest trad line I´ve done.Easier than the Cobra for sure, but harder than The Path. A moretraditional style, crimpy and technical.” China Doll was originally a sport climb and finished after 30 metres of F7c+ climbing. In 2007 the route was extended and climbed without bolts by Mike Patz, giving what is now one of the USA´s hardest traditional routes. The original sport route was climbed by Bob Horan, who started looking at the line in the 1980´s. On a discussion on the Rock and Ice website he stated: “In the past I have sent some beautiful lines with marginal gear, andthey sat their unrepeated because of this. I felt what a waste, abeautiful line that only a few people will ever want get up the nerveto send. I figured the same with China Doll, after puttingall that time into it, why not make it so you can do it safely. Ifigured that you don´t have to clip the bolts if you do not want to, asthe latter climbers have chosen. I also ask if they climbed the routein traditional style without a bolted lead attempt.” Sources: Ethan Pringle´s Blog, Rock and Ice website
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