The Briton Eliot Stephens climbs Arzak (8c) and rows of more hard boulders

During his one-month climbing trip to Switzerland, professional climber Eliot Stephens from South Wales was plagued by the bad weather in Ticino. Nevertheless, his ticklist is more than visible, among other things, the repetition of the Fred Nicole Boulder Arzak in St. Gallen Murgtal.

The streak of success for the British began with the ascent of the Boulders Heritage in Val Bavona. Next was Big Paw in Chironico, a boulder that Eliot had tried before.

Eliot Stephens ascending Big Paw.

“Actually, I just wanted to try out individual moves of the boulder with Giani Clement. I quickly managed the standing start, Boogalagga (8b). So I started practicing the sitting start just to practice the pulls. Two tries later, out of nowhere, I stood on the block and climbed Big Paw (8b +). The whole thing felt completely crazy, almost like a dream. "

Dodged from Ticino into the Murgtal

After Eliot took advantage of the reasonably stable weather in Ticino, the rainfall became too intense to climb in the areas of southern Switzerland. So the Brit drove to the Murgtal bouldering area on Walensee. There he got the Fred Nicole classic Entlinge and newer lines such as Arzak and Netsuke.

Eliot Stephens's full ticklist

  • Arzak 8c
  • Big Paw 8b +
  • Entlings 8b +
  • Heritage 8b +
  • Netsuke 8b / +
  • Flash Flood 8b
  • Fred's Shield Assis 8a +
  • Deliverance 8a +
  • Dreamtime booth 8a +
  • Extreme ironing 8a +
  • Second Life 8a +
  • Soilwork 8a +
  • Blochx Addiction 8a
  • Deep Red 8a
  • Feeling the Wind 8a
  • Fred's Shield 8a
  • Kirk Windstein 8a
  • Taurus 8a

Eliot Stephens on the New Base Line and Riverbed

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Credits: Cover picture Eliot Stephens

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