Elias Iagnemma establishes Exodia, possibile first 9A+ boulder in the world

Incredible news comes from the bouldering area around Rifugio Barbara in Val Pellice, Italy, where last week Elias Iagnemma completed a mega-project he'd been working on for years. The result is now called Exodia, and the difficulties are immense. So extreme that the Italian climber has proposed the grade of 9A+. If confirmed, it would be the world's first 9A+ boulder.

The problem was an old project started by none other than Christian Core, which then remained unfinished for years. Iagnemma began working the moves in June 2021 and, in the following years, consistently dedicated time and energy to the line, alternating trial sessions during summer and proper attempts in autumn, for about six months each year. In total, he invested over 200 days on the project learning every tiny detail and nuances.

"When I discovered 'Exodia,' a project left unfinished by climbing legend Christian Core, something clicked inside me. The line was incredibly complex, and there were moments when I wanted to give up, but I kept coming back, season after season, treating it as a personal testing ground. After over four years of attempts, failures, and small steps forward, everything finally aligned: my mental state, the conditions, and yes, perhaps even a pinch of luck... or maybe just pure perseverance," commented Iagnemma.

"Exodia, a name I chose as a tribute to the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe, has been the most difficult challenge of my life, and for this reason, I propose 9A+ / V18. I am sure that repeating a similar process will be extremely difficult, at least for me. I hope that one day someone else can attempt 'Exodia,' experience the same emotions I felt, and share their own thoughts about the line."

Success on Exodia comes after a series of extremely difficult boulders. Notable achievements include his repeat of Burden of Dreams in Finland – the first 9A boulder in history, established by Nalle Hukkataival in 2016 and climbed by Iagnemma after 25 days of effort – as well as the first ascent of The Big Slamm, the first Italian 9A boulder, completed in early 2025 at Tintorale in Abruzzo after 35 days of effort. Iagnemma also has a long list of 8C and 8C+ sends, including benchmark classics like Dreamtime, Gioia, and Ephyra.