Groin climbing at its finest: Aidan Roberts commits Unison (8C, FA)

The strong Briton Aidan Roberts manages the first ascent of Unison in Brione. The 8C-rated line offers rock-hard groin shooting in overhanging terrain and demands finger strength and precision in equal measure.

“It felt hard,” says Aidan Roberts after the first ascent of Unison (8C) in the Ticino bouldering area Brione. "The strips are small and require a lot of precision - for hands and feet alike." Therefore, in his opinion, the real difficulty lies in the coordination of the two. As a difficulty he suggests 8C.

Video: Aidan Roberts during the first ascent of Unison (8C)

Unison (8C): Impossible at first glance

The mega line Unison (8C) caught the eye of Aidan Roberts during his first trip to Ticino. With dirty grips and without a sensible landing, the highball seemed hardly possible for him.

"I had almost forgotten the line when Shawn Raboutou drew my attention to it again last fall and we felt the first excitement about the potential."

Aidan Roberts
Aidan Roberts on the first ascent of Unison (8C). Image: Vladek Zumr
Aidan Roberts on the first ascent of Unison (8C). Picture: Vladek Zumr

Aidan Roberts then spent the first rest days of his recent trip to Ticino cleaning the line and repairing the landing zone. "But it still looked a little too dangerous to try." So he rounded up the crew, who together built a solid platform and thus laid the foundation for the first ascent.

"We were still able to make the individual moves at dusk and I knew that the line was possible."

Aidan Roberts

When they next returned, it wasn't long before they climbed through. "I would say that the style suits me almost perfectly," enthuses Aidan Roberts. «After a decent break, I was able to climb Unison from the bottom in the first attempt.

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Credits: Cover picture Vladek Zumr

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