V17 boulders: All you need to know and the first V18
V17 boulders
1. Burden of Dreams (V17/9A): Lappnor, Switzerland
First Ascent: Nalle Hukkataival, 2016
Have you ever wondered if board climbing helps outdoor bouldering? Well this problem is your answer. Burden of Dreams sits at a 45° overhanging angle and requires monster crimping and incredible body tension.
Burden of Dreams was the first proposed V17 boulder problem after Nalle Hukkataival sent it on October 23, 2016. Hukkataival's first ascent required nearly four long years of projecting.
The boulder wasn't repeated for a long time until Will Bosi came along who bagged the second ascent in April 2023 and agreed with the V17 grade. He was even livestreaming his attempts! Here, he can be found projecting the boulder on a replicated version indoors with Aidan Roberts:
The third ascent of this testpiece came from Simon Lorenzi when he sent it in December of 2023. Burden of Dreams marks Lorenzi's third V17 ascent! He holds the first ascent of Soudain Seul near Fontainebleau and has climbed Shawn Rabatou's Alphane in Chironico, Switzerland. Although his ascent of Sudain Seul seems controversial, more on that below.
Then, on March 25, 2024, Burden of Dreams saw its fourth ascent. An Italian climber little known to the international scene who has sent many V14s and V15s, some V16s: Elias Iagnemma. What's cool about Iagnemma's ascent is that he doesn't use the beta all the previous climbers did. He adds in three unused holds!
The fifth ascent came from South Korea's Sung Su Lee in May 2025. Lee famously sent the boulder twice in two days — the first time, a t-shirt was touching one of the holds, so he returned and climbed it again cleanly. That's dedication to a pure ascent.
2. Return of the Sleepwalker (V17/9A): Black Velvet Canyon, Nevada, USA
First Ascent: Daniel Woods, 2021
Daniel Woods pioneered a new beginning to the classic hard problem Sleepwalker (V16/9B+). This was after the first ascensionist, Jimmy Webb, established the tough boulder in 2018.
In 2021, Daniel Woods returned to Sleepwalker and set out to add a sit-start. The sit-start adds six moves to Sleepwalker and proposes that the grade be bumped to V17. The sit start variation of this climb adds in six moves of V13/8B climbing into the already established V16/8C+ boulder. Without a rest on the climb, Woods needed to climb efficiently to save enough energy to pull the lip.
Woods sent it after spending three months living and breathing this boulder problem. On March 30, 2021, Return of the Sleepwalker marked North America's first V17.
The boulder didn't see its next and only subsequent ascent until Will Bosi crossed the pond. Bosi spent a few days working Sleepwalker, sending it on his third day and downgrading Webb's problem to a V15/8C. Climbers were worried that he would downgrade Return of the Sleepwalker the problem once he sent it.
But classic Will Bosi, sending Return of the Sleepwalker on February 20, 2024, confirmed the proposed grade. This send marked Bosi's third V17 and puts him in contender with being the strongest boulderer in the world!
Check out Daniel Woods' first ascent below:
Since then, Return of the Sleepwalker has exploded in popularity. Simon Lorenzi bagged the third ascent in March 2025, followed by Japan's Ryuichi Murai in November 2025. Then came a flurry of sends in December 2025: Zach Galla clipped his second V17 in a week with his ascent on December 11, and Adam Shahar followed just five days later. With multiple ascents now under its belt, Return of the Sleepwalker has overtaken Alphane as the most-repeated V17 in the world.
3. Alphane (V17/9A): Chironico, Switzerland
First Ascent: Shawn Rabatou, 2022
Alphane was the most repeated V17 on the planet until Return of the Sleepwalker overtook it in late 2025. Dave Graham discovered the boulder in the early 2000s. However, since V15 was the hardest grade at the time, it was abandoned, and he established Alphane Moon, V11/8A instead.
Alphane is described as a V15 stacked on top of a V14. Giuliano Cameroni said that whoever sends this climb must simultaneously be extremely powerful and technical. Daniel Woods commented that Alphane requires three distinct style transitions the climber must handle throughout the climb: the powerful crimps, technical body position on open hands, and the V10/7C+ finish.
Shawn Rabatou bagged the first ascent of this climb on April 6, 2022. If you know anything about Rabatou, he's strong and mysterious. Four months later, he announced the ascent; you can watch it and other Mellow climbers here:
Next up was Aidan Roberts, who sent the boulder on October 19, 2022. Aidan's thoughts about the climb were that the crux wasn't any individual move. Therefore, instead, it was transitioning from the different styles throughout the climb.
Quickly after this send from Roberts, Will Bosi ventured to Switzerland and became the third person to send Alphane. October 31, 2022, marks the date of the first of three V17s Bosi has sent. In an interview with Climbing Magazine, Bosi said that Honeybadger (V16) felt easier for him. After sending Burden of Dreams, Bosi claims that Alphane is a soft V17.
The fourth ascent came from Simon Lorenzi on December 15, 2022. His ascent marked the problem as the most repeated V17 boulder at the time!
Then, the most recent ascent came from professional competition climber Jakob Schubert. So even though typically seen pulling plastic, Schubert decided to celebrate the holidays early and found himself on top of the boulder. On December 21, 2022, Schubert became the fifth person to climb Alphane. Schubert is the first climber to have climbed a V17 boulder and a 5.15d/9c sport route!
4. Megatron (V17/9A): Eldorado Canyon, Colorado, USA
First Ascent: Shawn Rabatou, 2022
Shawn Rabatou had arguably the best bouldering year of any climber in 2022. After establishing the V17 Alphane in Switzerland, he returned to El Dorado Canyon in Colorado to keep pulling hard.
Megatron adds a sit start to the previously established Tron (V14/8B+), first sent by Daniel Woods. This boulder is the second V17 in North America after Return of the Sleepwalker.
With no rest opportunities, Megatron adds seven moves of V15/8C. Sitting at the top of a talus field, the boulder requires mega effort to reach and maximum strength to climb.
Prolific boulderers Daniel Woods and Drew Ruana have spent many sessions trying Megatron. You can watch Mellow's documentation of what it took to climb Megatron here:
After nearly three years without a repeat, British climber Hamish McArthur made the second ascent in April 2025, needing just five sessions. McArthur's quick send confirmed the V17 grade — and it was only the beginning of a remarkable run for him (more on that below).
5. Arrival of the Birds (V17/9A): Chironico, Switzerland
First Ascent: Aidan Roberts, 2024
Aidan Roberts sent one of the hardest boulders he's ever climbed in Chironico, Switzerland, christening it Arrival of the Birds. True to form, Roberts preferred to focus on the process rather than the grade, leaving the climbing world guessing for months.
To put it into perspective, Roberts dubbed Arrival of the Birds his hardest climb to date — and this is someone who has conquered multiple V17s. Check out his discussion on the Nugget Podcast about the boulder:
Roberts eventually graded it a solid V17/9A in summer 2024, describing it as "one of the crimpiest, consistently crimpy" boulders he'd ever tried. Sean Bailey confirmed the grade with the first repeat in November 2025, cementing Arrival of the Birds as one of the premier V17s in the world.
6. Spots of Time (V17/9A): Lake District, UK
First Ascent: Aidan Roberts, February 2024
Aidan Roberts completed Spots of Time in his "backyard" in February of 2024 but decided against proposing a grade for a while. After his time of reflection, he proposed what is now considered a confirmed V17. Here is a video of his send:
In an Instagram post about his send, he wrote, "So I can only share my opinion based on my own experience. Indeed, most of my time climbing here was solitary and I slightly lack input from others. I will however propose the grade of V17, feeling that it compares in difficulty to others which I have tried, and harder than the confusing blurry pot of V16 lines I've sampled."
Will Bosi is the only climber to repeat Spots of Time and agrees with Aidan's grade assessment. The UK now has a line that Bosi thinks is "one of the best hard lines in the world." You can watch his send here:
7. Shaolin (V17/9A): Red Rock, Las Vegas, USA
First Ascent: Sean Bailey, November 2024
Before his ascent, Sean Bailey had climbed some of the hardest boulders in the world. Deep in Red Rock, Las Vegas, he made history by completing his first V17/9A boulder, Shaolin, adding his name to an elite list of climbers.
Shaolin starts on Trieste (V14/8B+) but is climbed through the direct finish. The crux comes with two powerful moves where Bailey chooses to dyno, labeling them "low-percentage." In the video by Mellow, you can see the accuracy needed to catch the hold and keep his tension. Bailey preferred the dyno method instead of opting for the original shouldery beta. He mentions that he could try that more times before he was toast.
After battling the climb, the weather, and himself, Bailey throws down to add USA's third V17/9A boulder. Check out his historic ascent on YouTube here:
Shaolin has since become one of the most popular V17s. Noah Wheeler made the second ascent in March 2025, followed by Zach Galla (December 2025), Simon Lorenzi (January 2026), and Jakob Schubert (February 2026). That's five total ascents — and for Schubert, it marked his third V17 after Alphane and Mount Doom. For Lorenzi, it was his fifth, putting him among the most decorated hard boulderers alive.
8. No One Mourns the Wicked (V17/9A): Thunder Ridge, Colorado, USA
First Ascent: Nathaniel Coleman, 2024
Nathaniel Coleman has added his name to the hat of V17/9A climbers. He's sent the low start to Defying Gravity (V15), first established by Daniel Woods a decade ago.
The low start adds 7-8 moves of crimpy overhanging tension-climbing to get to the start of Defying Gravity. After this, a desperate feet-cutting scorpion-kicking lurch is needed to reach the sloping crimp right before another precision-needed dyno.
USA's fourth V17/9A saw the mastery of micro beta, ending with Nathanial Coleman on top of it. Mellow does it again, showcasing their creative documentary-style filmmaking. Watch Coleman's struggle to lock in the move and his trials and tribulations with grading this climb here:
This boulder has produced two of the most remarkable stories in hard bouldering. In May 2025, Hamish McArthur made the second ascent — arriving at the boulder at noon and topping out at 2:47pm. That's a V17, first try of the day, in a single session. It's believed to be the fastest anyone has ever climbed a V17 on their first visit.
Then in February 2026, 16-year-old Beckett Hsin made the third ascent, becoming the youngest person in history to climb V17. The next generation is coming, and they're coming fast.
9. The Big Slamm (V17/9A): Southern Italy
First Ascent: Elias Iagnemma, 2025
Elias Iagnemma, an Italian crusher, completed his year-and-a-half-long test piece, The Big Slamm.
The sandstone boulder sits in a valley in southern Italy where Iagnemma says, "The humidity rate is very often at very high levels, and finding the right conditions remains really difficult." Regardless, he found the right conditions.
Iagnemma breaks down the boulder on his Instagram, explaining how it starts with a V11 move into another V11 move into a V13/14 ending. He has climbed Burden of Dreams and knows what a boulder takes to be graded so highly. He claims the intensity was very similar to his ascent of the other V17.
The Big Slamm remains unrepeated. Given the humidity challenges and remote location, it may stay that way for a while.
10. Mount Doom (V17/9A): Maltatal, Austria
First Ascent: Nicolai Uznik, March 2025
24-year-old Austrian climber Nicolai Uznik put his country on the V17 map with the first ascent of Mount Doom, a granite boulder in the Malta Valley combining multiple double-digit sequences. It was Uznik's first V17 and Austria's first as well.
The grade was confirmed when Jakob Schubert made the second ascent in November 2025. For Schubert — fresh off his Olympic campaign — it marked his second V17 after Alphane, proving that the competition climber continues to push the limits outdoors just as hard as he does on plastic.
11. Realm of Tor'ment (V17/9A): Raven Tor, Peak District, UK
First Ascent: Will Bosi, May 2025
Will Bosi has climbed more V17s than anyone, but Realm of Tor'ment is special — it's his first first ascent at the grade. The eight-move limestone power problem sits on a steep wall at Raven Tor in the Peak District, sandwiched between the routes Hooligan and Boot Boys.
Bosi proposed it as a low-end V17. It gave the UK its second V17 after Aidan Roberts' Spots of Time. With five V17s to his name, Bosi continues to stake his claim as the strongest boulderer on the planet. Realm of Tor'ment remains unrepeated.
Disputed V17s
Climbing grades, while ultimately subjective, carry some consistency after they've been repeated many times. Anybody can propose a particular grade for a climb; that's easy. What's difficult is accepting that your proposed grade needs to be corrected after others have sent it.
When I first started bouldering outdoors, I cleaned a new line in a small park. I then nabbed what I thought was the first ascent. After struggling to decide on the grade, I opted for V6/7A. My little outdoor experience quickly told me that I was wrong.
After friends and others who had traveled to the area repeated the boulder, I learned I was way off. The grade now stands as V3/V4 — much different! So, it doesn't matter what grade you propose a climb; just be prepared for others to contest your thoughts.
Proposing a high grade on a climb is an excellent way for others to challenge you. More climbers will flock to that area and see if you were right or contend that you were wrong. Either way, more people hopped on your climb!
1. No Kpote Only (No Shoes Only) V15/V16: Fontainebleau, France
First Ascent: Charles Albert, AKA "Barefoot Charles," January 2019
Climbing without shoes or kneepads will undoubtedly make a boulder feel harder. I believe this happened with Barefoot Charles' ascent of No Kpote Only. Should we take the grade of somebody who climbs barefoot or the consensus of others who wear shoes?
If I campus the whole thing, I can make a V2 feel like a V5, but I wouldn't take the V5 grade. This is where climbing grades are tricky, and I still have work to do. Does using kneepads count as aid? What about simply using tape? All I know is that Barefoot Charles is climbing in the purest way. If we really get into it, should climbing shoes count as aid?
After proposing a grade of V17, Ryohei Kameyama repeated this climb. Kameyama suggested that the grade be V16/V17. Next came Nico Pelorson, who shocked the community and proposed V15, two grades lower! Who is to say how hard a climb is without "aid" other than Barefoot Charles?
2. Soudain Seul V16/V17: Fontainebleau, France
First Ascent: Simon Lorenzi, August 2021
The Big Island is one of the most repeated V15s in the world. Sitting in beautiful Fontainebleau, it's no wonder that the boulder has seen many sends. However, an extremely small number of people have climbed the established sit-start variation, making Soudain Seul.
Simon Lorenzi adds 6-7 moves of V12/8A+ into The Big Island. Without a rest, this stands as one of the hardest boulders in Fontainebleau. The controversy surrounding this problem is that Lorenzi used a book to widen the span of his kneebar. This certainly makes the climb easier, but should it still count? Or should his send receive an asterisk?
In March 2021, Nico Pelorson repeated the climb. While he claims it was one of the most challenging climbs he's ever done, he proposed that it's V16. But get this: In February 2022, Camille Coudert repeated Soudain Seul and agreed with Lorenzi's grade assessment of V17.
Adam Ondra joined the Soudain Seul ascentionists in February 2025 with the fourth ascent. Ondra's thoughts on the grade: "My suggestion is that it feels harder than V16, but if it is V16/17 or soft V17, I really don't know." Then Sam Richard climbed it in October 2025, also using a book under the kneepad as Lorenzi did.
With five ascents now, Soudain Seul remains in a gray area between V16 and V17. The book kneebar controversy is unresolved, and the grade debate continues to split the community.
Check out Adam Ondra's send in the video below:
3. L'Ombre du Voyageur (The Traveler's Shadow) V15–V17: Saeve, Haute-Savoie, France
First Ascent: Charles Albert, AKA "Barefoot Charles," November 2023
Barefoot Charles is known for his, you guessed it, barefoot climbing. After starring in his film, which premiered in Reel Rock's season 8, the barefoot climber gained world popularity. There's no denying that Albert climbs hard. However, some wonder if grades feel different to him because of his lack of climbing shoes.
L'Ombre du Voyageur is nearly 10 metres long and sits in a limestone cave in France. After years of projecting barefoot and without kneepads, Albert proposed V17 — and hinted that climbing it without shoes or kneepads could bring one closer to the elusive V18.
Then came the controversy. In July 2025, Italian climber Pietro Vidi made the second ascent — but using climbing shoes, four kneepads, and crack gloves, he completed it in just three sessions compared to Albert's 60+ barefoot sessions. Vidi proposed a significant downgrade to 8B+ (V15), arguing that grades should reflect the easiest possible style.
The downgrade opened a fascinating ethical debate: should grades reflect the hardest pure style or the easiest aided style? Albert climbed it in the purest way imaginable, and it was undeniably V17 for him. Vidi used every legal tool available and found it V15. For now, the grade sits somewhere in the contested range between V15 and V17, depending entirely on your philosophy about climbing style and what constitutes "aid."
The first V18: Exodia
The question was never if V18 would happen — only when and who. On November 10, 2025, Elias Iagnemma answered both.
Exodia sits at Rifugio Barbara in Val Pellice, Italy — a 25-move, 8-metre problem on a 60-degree overhang that Iagnemma worked for 211 sessions over four years. The boulder was originally envisioned by Italian climbing legend Christian Core, but it took Iagnemma's relentless dedication to turn it into reality.
Iagnemma breaks the boulder into two halves: a V14 (8B+) opening section, followed by a 40-second kneebar rest, then a V16 (8C+) second part. The total package, he proposes, is Font 9A+ — the first boulder problem ever graded V18.
This is the same climber who sent Burden of Dreams and established The Big Slamm at V17. Iagnemma knows what V17 feels like, and he's saying this is harder. He admitted that repeating the process would be "extremely difficult."
Exodia remains unrepeated, so the V18 grade stands as proposed. The climbing world is watching to see who will attempt the second ascent — and whether they agree that humanity has officially entered V18 territory.
What's next for hard bouldering?
2025 was a record year. Sixteen V17 sends across the calendar year — the most ever — with eight climbers ticking their first V17. The grade that once felt unreachable is now being climbed by a growing roster of athletes, some in a single session, and one by a 16-year-old.
The names to watch keep expanding. Will Bosi now has five V17s and the first FA at the grade. Simon Lorenzi has five sends across different boulders. Hamish McArthur burst onto the scene with back-to-back V17s in weeks, one in a single session. Jakob Schubert is proving that the competition-to-outdoor pipeline is stronger than ever.
And then there's Iagnemma, sitting alone at the top with a proposed V18 that nobody has yet confirmed. History tells us that the repeat will come — it always does. The real question now isn't whether V18 is possible. It's whether V19 is.
