Will Bosi makes first ascent of Pôr Do Sol (8C+) at Sintra, hardest boulder problem in Portugal

Will Bosi started 2026 with a bang, completing a long-term project at Sintra in Portugal, alongside a flurry of other hard first ascents. The 27-year-old from Edinburgh completed Pôr Do Sol, suggesting 8C+/V16 which, if confirmed, would make it the hardest boulder problem in the country.

Pôr Do Sol rises diagonally up a slightly overhanging granite bloc with only just enough holds on the wall to make the climb possible. It took Bosi three trips to Portugal to complete the line. Commenting on the ascent, he stated "This boulder has to be one of my top three all-time favourites! Firstly, the boulder looks so big and blank. The fact that there is just the perfect amount of features to make it work is really surprising. Then, the sequence is just insane... lots of unique moves leading to the crazy ‘comp-style’ double clutch crux move. The only downside was how sharp the holds are, which meant my sessions all had to be quite short. Every session trying this bloc along with my good friend Chris was incredibly enjoyable and really memorable.”

The proposed grade of 8C+ makes this potentially the hardest boulder in Portugal. Previously, there have been other boulders proposed at 8C in the country, including one by Bosi last year with El Dorado Sit 8C/V15. “Grading is always hard, but this line felt considerably harder than any of the other lines I’ve done in Portugal or of similar style lines elsewhere. So 8C+ seems right to me. However, the unique style of moves and low angle definitely makes it hard to grade this one!"

Alongside Pôr Do Sol, Will has also established other hard blocs in the area. He established two 8B/V14’s, T-Rex as well as The Navigator, which he flashed. He also established two other 8A+ boulders, Tornado and Relampato.

Looking ahead to 2026, Bosi explained "This year I really want to focus on Silence (9c in Norway), so I will be trying to get back to Flatanger as soon as the season starts. Therefore, I’ll be mostly focusing on training and local Scottish projects until then. However, if possible, I would love to take another trip to try Terranova (in Moravsky Kras, Czechia)."

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by William Bosi (@will_bosi)