Nalle Hukkataival Slices Open Leg, Climbs V15 First Ascent...

After sustaining a life-threatening injury while out bouldering, most climbers would likely be inclined to take a little time off. They probably wouldn't head straight back out and try an unclimbed highball line, especially not if their injury prevented them from landing safely in the event of a fall! Nalle Hukkataival isn't most climbers and he certainly proves that in this impressive video. With his leg barely healed from his injury, Nalle hikes the long walk-in to 'The Mud Springs Project,' an unclimbed Red Rocks highball first attempted by Andy Raether. The line is tall and technical with hard climbing practically all the way the the top. Despite his concerns about what a bad fall could do to his leg, Nalle perseveres with the project, eventually managing to bump his way through the crux and top out the problem. Fittingly, having embraced the role his injury played in the ascent, Nalle named the line 'Kintsugi' in reference to the Japanese art of pottery repair which treats damage as part of an object's history rather than something to be hidden away and forgotten. Indeed, by establishing 'Kintsugi' (V15/8C), Nalle was able to create something beautiful out of an otherwise harsh and damaging experience.
Nalle Hukkataival Slices Open Leg, Climbs V15 First Ascent Anyway | EpicTV Choice Cuts