The Hardest Boulder Problems in the World
From Burden of Dreams to Return of the Sleepwalker, here’s a look at the cutting edge of bouldering
Hi friend,
This week’s newsletter will be slightly different again. Instead of news, we’re taking a deep dive into the cutting edge of bouldering. Over the last decade, climbers have pushed standards into grades that once seemed unimaginable. Today, only a handful of boulders are considered at the absolute top — V17 (9A) — and each comes with its own story. Let’s take a look at the hardest boulder problems ever done.
Burden of Dreams (V17 / 9A) – Nalle Hukkataival, Lappnor, Finland (2016)
The first-ever proposed V17, Burden of Dreams, is just five moves long but took Nalle Hukkataival over three years and countless sessions. The climb revolves around impossibly small crimps on a tiny overhanging face. Since its FA in 2016, it stood unrepeated until 2023, when Will Bosi confirmed the grade. With its reputation as the pure definition of difficulty, Burden of Dreams is often seen as the benchmark for 9A bouldering.
Return of the Sleepwalker (V17 / 9A) – Daniel Woods, Red Rocks, USA (2021)
Originally a V16 put up by Jimmy Webb, Sleepwalker quickly became one of Red Rocks’ modern testpieces. In 2021, Daniel Woods extended it by linking a low-start into the original line, creating Return of the Sleepwalker. The new sit-start added an ultra-punishing section of small crimps and tension moves, raising the problem to a proposed V17. The second climber to solve this boulder problem was again Will Bosi. Return of the Sleepwalker is widely considered one of the hardest climbs in North America.
Alphane (V17 / 9A) – Shawn Raboutou, Chironico, Switzerland (2022)
Shawn Raboutou stunned the climbing world when he quietly sent Alphane in 2022, later revealing the ascent. The line is a blend of small crimps and core-intensive tension climbing on a steep Swiss wall. Several top climbers have since repeated it, including Aidan Roberts and Jacob Schubert, confirming its place in the V17 club. It’s become a reference point for the modern generation, pushing bouldering limits.
Megatron (V17 / 9A) – Shawn Raboutou, Eldorado Canyon, USA (2022)
Just months after Alphane, Raboutou added another proposed V17 with Megatron in Colorado. The line extends Tron, a difficult V16 roof, into an even harder and longer sequence. With powerful compression and toe-hooks on bad holds, the problem pushes endurance and strength to the absolute limit. Still unrepeated, it shows just how much Raboutou has been pushing the sport in recent years.
Each of these problems represents the cutting edge of bouldering. Whether it’s the tiny razor edges of Burden of Dreams, the relentless linkup of Return of the Sleepwalker, or the visionary ascents of Shawn Raboutou, these climbs define what’s possible when power, precision, and obsession come together.
If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world if you forwarded it to a climbing buddy — or shared this link:
Big love,
BJ