South Korean climber Lee Sungsu has made headlines with his ascent of Burden of Dreams (V17/9A)—not once, but twice! This legendary boulder problem, located in Lappnor, Finland, was first climbed by Nalle Hukkataival in 2016 and is widely regarded as one of the hardest in the world.
Lee initially sent the problem but later realized that his shirt had brushed the pad during the first move, leading to a debate on whether the ascent was valid. While many climbers, including Alex Megos, Ethan Pringle, Yannick Flohé, and Tyler Landman, believed the dab was insignificant, Lee wasn’t satisfied. Determined to make his send indisputable, he returned two days later and climbed the problem again—this time shirtless to eliminate any doubt.
His ascent marks the fifth repeat of Burden of Dreams, following Will Bosi (April 2023), Simon Lorenzi (December 2023), and Elias Iagnemma (March 2024). Lee used a drop-knee beta, similar to Lorenzi’s approach, to navigate the problem’s notoriously difficult moves.
Before this achievement, Lee had climbed The Process (V16) in the Buttermilks, USA, and several V15s, including Tokio Muroi’s Asagimadara in Mizugaki, Japan. His success on Burden of Dreams solidifies his place among the elite boulderers of the world.
