Like any dangerous activity, highballs take a lot of concentration to pull off successfully.
Success, in this context, means getting to the top of a large boulder — without a rope and without falling and breaking yourself on the way. (And I do mean “breaking.” Too Big to Flail, featured in this video, tops out at an airy 50 feet.)
Bishop, Calif., has become the unofficial world headquarters for this subset of bouldering, with many of climbing’s best athletes testing their mettle against the elite technique and rock-solid mental game required for a send.
In the latest edit from Black Diamond, Timmy Kang tries to send five of the crag’s hardest highballs in a single day: Along with Too Big to Flail (V10), there’s Footprints (V9), Ambrosia (V11), This Side of Paradise (V10), and Evilution Direct (V11).
Does he succeed? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Runtime: 28 minutes
