Lonnie also told Rock and Ice, “When I first started going to the route, there was this story that all the footholds had broken. And I knew that would be the moment of truth.” Once I figured out how to do that I knew it was going to be redpoint crux. He told Rock and Ice in an interview, “The placement after the crux is totally blind.
In the year since, Lonnie has gone on to re-send the climb at least twice more.Īfter his redpoint, Lonnie upgraded the route to 5.14c. The next fall, on November 14, 2018, he freed the line again, but this time placing all the pro on lead, making the first redpoint of Magic Line.
So he went back in 2017, and began working towards a full redpoint in which he would place all the gear on lead. Lonnie felt as though his work with Magic Line was unfinished, though. Almost exactly 20 years after his father’s pinkpoint, Lonnie sent the route in the same style, leading it on in-situ protection. Then, in 2016, Ron Kauk’s heir, Lonnie Kauk, began projecting Magic Line. He had tried it briefly in 2012, but 2016 was when he committed to the process. He graded it 5.14b.Īnd then the climb remained largely untouched-not forgotten, but revered and feared. Kauk’s first free ascent was done on pre-placed gear. Magic Line, first freed by Ron Kauk in December 1996, is one of the hardest cracks in the world. įindlay reported late last night on Instagram, “Today I climbed Magic Line fourth try of the day, on the last day of the trip with the pressure on and an emotional roller coaster of (more) breaking foot holds, a sore finger, numb feet and wind-blown water from Vernal Falls.” As so often happens, seemingly so improbably, Findlay managed a last-day-best-day redpoint of Magic Line, placing all the gear on lead. After working the route for over a month this fall, she had only one day left to try to get it done.Īnd yesterday, she did. She was reaching for the jug that marked the end of the difficulties, only to have one of the route’s micro footholds crumble beneath her toe.
Two days ago, Hazel Findlay had her best burn yet on Magic Line, the infamous Ron Kauk thin splitter in Yosemite.
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