The world of climbing is abuzz with the news of Jakob Schubert's latest feat: scaling Shaolin V17 in Red Rock, Nevada. This achievement marks Schubert's third V17, a remarkable milestone in his illustrious career. But here's where it gets controversial... Some climbers argue that the sandstone problem's immense difficulty is not as significant as his previous ascents on granite. And this is the part most people miss... Schubert's journey to this V17 was not without its challenges, including a series of injuries and a mental battle with the problem's distilled difficulty. But how did he manage to climb it? Let's take a closer look.
Shaolin, established by Sean Bailey in February 2024, is the United States' third V17. It connects a V13/14 starting sequence into a single-move V12/13 into a final throw that clocks in around V11/12. Noah Wheeler made the second ascent in March 2025, a little over a year after it was established. Wheeler described the challenge, saying, 'I was able to climb the intro boulder 95% of the time, the crux throw 75% of the time, and the last move 100% of the time. Yet linking these sections together felt super improbable.'
Schubert, on the other hand, fell in love with the problem immediately. He described it as 'one of the best boulders in the world,' praising its aesthetic, perfect landing, obvious start, and amazing holds. But the real challenge lay in the two hard crux moves on sandstone. Schubert had to take a bigger break to heal his skin, and even then, he struggled with the mental battle of re-working moves he had already dialled. Despite the physical and mental challenges, Schubert managed to send the boulder, topping out in pure joy and disbelief.
Before his Shaolin send, Schubert made quick work of Daniel Woods' The Nest V15. He also made the first ascent of Adam Ondra's 'Project Big' in Flatanger, Norway, naming it B.I.G. and proposing a grade of 5.15d. Schubert's achievements have made him the first climber ever to tick the hardest bouldering grade (V17) and hardest sport climbing grade (5.15d) in the world. To top it off, he placed third at the Paris Olympics in 2024, earning his second Olympic bronze medal. But does this V17 ascent deserve the same level of acclaim as his previous achievements? That's a question for the climbing community to debate.
