Pietro Vidi Climbs Meltdown 5.14c Trad in Yosemite
Yosemite Valley, USA — Italian climber Pietro Vidi has made a rare repeat of Meltdown (5.14c/8c+), one of the world’s hardest and most iconic traditional climbs. Located in Yosemite’s Cascade Creek, the route was first established by Beth Rodden in 2008 and has seen only a handful of repeats in the 17 years since.
A Modern Classic in Trad Climbing: Rodden’s Meltdown has long been a benchmark for cutting-edge trad climbing. The thin, technical corner crack demands extraordinary finger strength, precision, and mental composure. Its bold nature and Rodden’s visionary first ascent—performed on gear in 2008—cemented the climb’s near-mythical status.
Vidi’s Journey to the Send: Vidi began working Meltdown just two weeks after completing The Pre-Muir on El Capitan. Adopting a headpoint approach, he spent his first two sessions deciphering the intricate sequences before starting to link larger sections on day three.
After two further days of lead attempts, Vidi finally clipped the anchors on his sixth day on the route—his third day of redpoint tries.
“A Big Runout, But Still Relatively Safe”: Reflecting on the process, Pietro shared insights into his battle with the route:
“I started making some good links on top-rope on day three, where I realised I would probably need to skip some gear in the first part and also a crucial nut placement on the second crux—to save energy. This made for quite a big runout but still seemed relatively safe.
“My first lead tries were on session four. I got through the first crux, only to fall right after, when I struggled to place a cam properly and got too pumped to continue.
“That afternoon, I watched a video of Ethan Pringle ripping gear in the hollow flake—right below the nut I’d decided not to place. He almost decked, which made me quite nervous!
“The following day, I tested the gear in the flake myself, almost breaking a nut I thought was bomber. That didn’t help my nerves! Luckily, I found that a bigger nut fit better, and my confidence slowly returned.”
On his sixth day, Vidi’s first attempt ended when he “dry-fired right after the crux,” breaking the trigger wires on his cam. After a quick repair with tape, he tied in again—and sent the route despite “numb fingers and a serious pump.”
“The Hardest Trad Route I’ve Climbed": Vidi described Meltdown as one of the most demanding climbs of his career:
“Meltdown is, for sure, the hardest trad route I’ve climbed apart from Tribe. The climbing is super insecure, with horrible feet—extremely technical but still really physical.
“Beth’s first ascent, more than 15 years ago, was truly incredible and ahead of its time.”
A Testament to Vision and Tenacity: With Vidi’s ascent, Meltdown continues to stand as both a historical milestone and a modern benchmark in traditional climbing. Beth Rodden’s visionary first ascent remains a defining achievement in the sport, and Vidi’s repeat reinforces the route’s reputation as one of the world’s most formidable crack climbs.
