Brothers Nicolai and Timo Užnik have both climbed Defying Gravity, Daniel Woods’ Colorado classic graded V15. Nicolai sent the boulder in about an hour, fulfilling a goal he’d had since he was 13; Timo called it a dream line and “maybe the best boulder in the world.”

By the Numbers
  • Defying Gravity is graded V15 (8C).
  • Woods made the first ascent in 2013.
  • Nicolai sent it in about one hour.
  • The climb was Timo’s second V15.
Yes, But

The V15 grade is part of the climb’s stated difficulty, while the brothers’ descriptions of it as a favorite or possibly the world’s best are personal judgments.

State of Play
  • Nicolai has climbed more than a dozen boulders graded V15 or harder, including his V17 first ascent of Mount Doom.
  • Timo’s previous V15 was Bügeleisen in Austria; he also recently made the second ascent of Carinthian Trademark, graded V14.
Bottom Line

The brothers’ shared ascent adds a standout Colorado classic to both résumés—and marks another major milestone for Timo at V15.