Mauro Bole in America

'Bubu's' quick visit to Colorado

info Erik Svab

March 2000

Bubu Bole paid the United States a lightening quick visit between one IWC 2000 competition and the next this February. Destination Vail, Colorado, to try his hand at some of the classic mixed routes in the area.

Day 1
'Amphibian' without leashess served as his initiation rite: he onsighted the first pitch, which has good pro and is graded M9, but on the second M9+ pitch a hold broke and he fell. After lowering off to the belay he calmly climbed past the four bolts, one nut and friend to the top.

Day 2
Next on the agenda was a convincing onsight of 'Octopussy', another two pitch mixed route graded M6+, M8. The rest of the day was then spent climbing 'Amphibian' twice for the camera, this time though no holds broke.

Day 3
Bubu had his sights set on 'Reptile': this shares the first pitch with 'Octopussy' before breaking off on a footless traverse along the roof to join a suspended candle. After a couple of figure-of-fours and an epic 1.5 hours Bubu topped out, shaken but not stirred. The grade still needs to be confirmed, but he reckons it is comparable to Quartier Nord and X-Files, both of which are given M10.

The homecoming
Hesitant to express his opinion about the uncertainties concerning American and European grade differences, Bubu hopes that they will become standardised and that the differences will disappear, for the benefit of all.