2008 – Varazze – Savona – Liguria – Italy – by Christian Core – 8c+/V16
In 2008, Italian professional rock climber Christian Core completed the first ascent of Gioia, a boulder problem located in Varazze, Italy. This ascent established Gioia as the first-ever boulder problem to be assigned or upgraded to the grade of 8C+ (V16) in rock climbing history.
Development and First Ascent
Gioia is situated in a cave within the Antro dei Druidi sector at Potala, located to the right of the existing line Chiavi del Regno. The line consists of 14 primary holds plus intermediate grips. The route characteristics involve small crimps and precarious foot placements on a steep overhanging wall that transitions onto a final slab.
Prior to completing the full line, Core cleared and freed the stand-start version, which starts from a long crimp halfway up the cave and moves obliquely right. To complete the full project, he linked the first half of the cave into the stand start.
Core worked on the project over a period of four months. During this process, wet conditions caused by winter rain and snow resulted in a hold breaking in the hardest section, which forced him to suspend attempts until conditions improved. He successfully linked the entire problem prior to February 25, 2008. Upon completion, Core proposed the provisional grade of 8C to remain conservative, though he noted it was the most difficult problem he had climbed.
Repeats and Grade Confirmation
A climbing route’s grade requires repeats by other climbers to reach a consensus. Gioia maintained its status through subsequent historical ascents:
- Second Ascent (2011): On December 6, 2011, Czech climber Adam Ondra completed the second ascent after 11 days of attempts spread over multiple sessions. Ondra argued that the problem was a full grade harder than standard 8C lines and officially proposed the grade of 8C+ (V16).
- Third Ascent (2014): Finnish climber Nalle Hukkataival completed the third ascent on February 22, 2014, confirming its position among the most difficult boulder problems worldwide.
- Subsequent Ascents: The problem was later repeated by Niccolò Ceria (December 2020), Elias Iagnemma (February 2021, who suggested 8C/8C+), and Stefano Ghisolfi (February 2026, who confirmed 8C+).
Alteration and Restoration
The structural integrity of the line changed during attempts by American climbers Daniel Woods and Dave Graham. A section of rock in a previously unused area of the boulder broke off, revealing a new foothold. This new hold altered the original beta (sequence of moves) of the problem.
To preserve the historical state of the route, Christian Core filled in the broken section to match its exact original profile. Following the restoration, the line returned to the configuration used during Core’s first ascent, as well as the repeats by Ondra and Hukkataival.
Technical Profile of Gioia
| Specification | Detail |
| Location | Varazze, Liguria, Italy (Antro dei Druidi sector) |
| First Ascent | Christian Core (Before Feb 25, 2008) |
| Consensus Grade | 8C+ (V16) |
| Hold Count | 14 main holds plus intermediates |
| Style | Steep cave bouldering on crimps to a slab exit |
Sources
https://www.infoboulder.com/?ID=907&mod=news
https://www.thecrag.com/en/climbing/italy/route/2263889028
https://climbing-history.org/climb/550/gioia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Core
https://www.8a.nu/news/gioia-8c-by-niky-ceria
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_grade_milestones_in_rock_climbing
https://www.reddit.com/r/climbing/comments/2yu9kn/after_a_foot_hold_on_gioia_broke_during_attempts/