New England Bouldering reports: “Dave Graham recently sent what is probably New England´s hardest boulder problem, The Ill Saint, at the Round Pond area at Pawtuckaway. Dave says this problem “has the worst holds I´ve ever grabbed. I spent maybe 4 days on it last winter and spring, but could never figure out some key foot beta. I went there the other day and figured out a weird foot switch” which turned out to be the key to the problem. Dave has given the problem a V12+ rating, and says, “It´s not as hard physically as Nothin But Sunshine or Mandala, but it´s different. Its a weird balance, crimp problem, that relies on body position and pain tolerance. So I guess it comes in around hard V12.” Dave also added some hard new problems to a recently discovered area at Pawtuckaway: The Rat Fish, a V11+ dyno, Uncle Climax, V9, a “a rad campus start problem on bad edges,” The Painfull Traverse, V9, “a brilliant sloper problem until an absurdly painfull finger lock move,” and The Arete of Death, V9, a not so deadly, burly overhanging arete/face. For all of us who uses the proper grading system, V12+ would mean 8a/b bloc. Dave is now heading to Fontainebleau, so let´s hope for good weather!
