Jimmy Webb Sends “a Contender for the Hardest Technical Boulder in the World.”
Last week Jimmy Webb made the first repeat of Equanimity (V15), which lies in the Kirkwood region of Lake Tahoe and was first climbed in the fall of 2020 by the technical wizard Carlo Traversi. The problem ascends a stunning shield of white and black granite dotted with orange lichen. Vertical seams slash at angles across the wall, creating a unique mix of insecure laybacking and desperate smearing.
Equanimity begins from a stand start, and a few intro moves lead into the line’s physical crux. “This part is the only bit that you can actually squeeze and use your arms,” Webb tells Climbing. A hard foot move off of horrible opposing holds gains a right hand gaston, then another difficult transition sets up the technical crux. “From that point you only have two or three moves before you get to a good jug, but this part is very technical, using some of the worst feet I’ve ever tried to stand on.” Webb mentioned that although the handholds are fairly positive, the laybacking nature of this section means there isn’t any compensating with the upper body. After the crux there is more technical climbing in the V7 range. “The block itself is around 30 feet tall, so the finish is most certainly engaging,” Webb reports.
“I first tried the line when it was a project,” Webb says. “After Carlo did the FA in 2020 I got re-stoked and tried it a fair amount the following year.” But even though he lives in Tahoe, Webb found it challenging to align his fitness with the conditions. Equanimity receives sun all day, and by the time temperatures drop enough to climb on it during the day, winter snow has already arrived in the Sierra. “It’s kinda stressful trying to not only line up conditions but also feel fit and in tune with the line. A lot of seasons you don’t even get a chance,” he said.
Webb says his send of Equanimity is a culmination of things learned from the past seven years of bouldering in the Sierra. “This season the boulder went down very fast, and I do think the years prior are what prepared me for a quick ascent.” Webb describes the style around Tahoe as “faith based.” Oftentimes, the only way to stay attached to the fickle granite is to trust that you’re going to stick, even though it’s unlikely. “Equanimity is the epitome of that. It’s so difficult to feel confident that you’re going to stay. Yet at the same time, when the stars finally align you feel very in control and float upwards. I don’t think Equanimity can be climbed in any other fashion.”
For Webb, climbing Equanimity was an opportunity to reflect on the importance of being a well-rounded climber. “I like to challenge myself in all aspects of climbing in terms of style, technical ability, and different types of stone,” he said. “Every climber knows what they’re bad at and what they can improve on.” Nobody enjoys the feeling of getting completely shut down on an anti-style climb, and Webb is no stranger to that emotion. “I don’t like it either, but when you finally see improvements on something that was once so hard for you, that to me is the ultimate send.”
Webb stated that, for him, training to be better as an all-around boulderer means climbing outside as much as possible—and in every style. “The feeling of improvement motivates me so much. Feeling stronger physically obviously does too, but I think a lot of people put so much emphasis on strength without realizing that, no matter how strong you are, if you can’t climb well on stone you’re not gonna get much done.”
Having just turned 36, and aware that physical gains are going to be harder and harder to make, Webb aims to continue improving his skill, though he’s already increasingly confident that there are few styles that can now shut him down. “That’s a rad feeling and just gives me so much confidence moving forward,” he says. “As I get older I know that what I’ve learned throughout my climbing journey will allow me to continue doing hard lines—hopefully for many years to come.”
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