Elias Iagnemma Climbs V18 with Exodia

Elias Iagnemma, who repeated Burden of Dreams V17, has made the first ascent of Exodia at Rifugio Barbara in Val Pellice, Italy. The Italian climber has put forward the grade 9A+/V18, making it the first of its grade and quite possibly the hardest boulder problem in the world.

About it, he said, "When I discovered 'Exodia,' a project left unfinished by climbing legend Christian Core, something clicked inside me. The line was incredibly complex, and there were moments when I wanted to give up, but I kept coming back, season after season, treating it as a personal testing ground. After over four years of attempts, failures, and small steps forward, everything finally aligned: my mental state, the conditions, and yes, perhaps even a pinch of luck... or maybe just pure perseverance."

Will Exodia stay V18? If it does then this is the new benchmark.