Beckett Hsin: The Youngest Climber to Send V17 (9A)

The Boulder: No One Mourns the Wicked

• Location: Thunder Ridge, Colorado
• Grade: V17 (9A)
• The Route: The problem is a low, seated start into the pre-existing V15 boulder, Defying Gravity.
• The Crux: It features a sequence of extremely fingery, tension-heavy moves that fatigue the forearms, culminating in a massive, shouldery deadpoint from two crimp ledges. Climbers must cut their feet and bend into a "scorpion-like" position to hold the swing.
• Previous Ascents: Before Hsin, the boulder had only been successfully climbed by two tall, Olympic-level climbers: Nathaniel Coleman (who got the first ascent) and Hamish McArthur.

The Journey and Personal Challenges

Hsin's success on this monumental route was the result of dedication, strategic training, and overcoming personal hurdles over the course of 12 sessions spread across 4 to 5 months.

• Targeted Training: Hsin's father, John, built highly specific simulator holds on their home climbing wall so Beckett could isolate and master the exact micro-movements required for the crux.
• Battling Lyme Disease: Diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2021, Hsin deals with strange neurological symptoms in his legs. While he usually manages it well, the illness made his sessions on this specific boulder highly inconsistent—some days he felt great, while other days he could barely generate enough power to touch the holds.

"I knew it was possible, and I knew it was only a matter of finding the right day. But, I also had to accept the fact that I might not send, and learn to be okay with that. I feel like in the past I've always sent boulders by forcing the moves into submission, but this felt like the complete opposite. I had to submit myself to the boulder."
— Beckett Hsin

"Bouldering His Age": Hsin's Progression Timeline

At age 12, Hsin set a playful goal to "boulder his age" (e.g., climb V12 at 12 years old). He ended up drastically out-pacing his own expectations.