1996 – Branson, Valais– Switzerland – by Fred Nicole – 8b+/V14
In January 1996, Swiss climber Fred Nicole established Radja in Branson, Valais, Switzerland. This ascent altered the trajectory of bouldering, marking the sport’s first-ever 8B+ (V14) problem.
Radja Profile
| Problem Name | Radja |
| Location | Branson, Valais, Switzerland |
| First Ascent (FA) | Fred Nicole (January 1996) |
| Grade | 8B+ / V14 |
| Style | Crimpy roof climbing |
Historical Context
Radja is a boulder problem in Branson, Valais, Switzerland. It was first climbed by Fred Nicole in January 1996 and is generally regarded as the first boulder problem to receive the consensus grade of 8B+ (V14).
The ascent marked the next step in the progression of bouldering grades. Earlier in the decade, Nicole had established La Danse des Balrogs, which became the first widely accepted 8B. Radja extended the accepted difficulty to 8B+, a grade that has remained in use ever since.
When Nicole completed the line in January 1996, he proposed the grade of 8B+. While other early claims to the grade were later downgraded or debated, Radja stood. Repeaters agreed on the difficulty, making it the first line to hold a consensus V14 grade.
Consensus Significance: Radja earned its place in climbing history because its grading was confirmed by subsequent climbers over decades of repeats.
Location
Branson where which Radja is located is a granite bouldering area near Martigny in the Swiss canton of Valais. Although relatively small, it contains several historically important boulder problems established during the 1990s.
Fred Nicole developed many of the area’s hardest lines, including La Danse des Balrogs, Radja, and several other benchmark problems. As a result, Branson became one of the key locations in the development of modern bouldering.
First Ascent
Fred Nicole completed the first ascent of Radja during the winter of 1995–1996. Historical sources usually give January 1996 as the date of the ascent, while some climbing databases list 1 March 1996, likely reflecting the date on which the ascent was officially recorded.
The Problem
Radja consists of a short sequence of powerful movements on a granite overhang. The climbing requires finger strength, body tension and precise footwork.
Unlike longer sport climbs, the difficulty comes from linking a small number of hard moves without mistakes. The problem is representative of the style that became common in hard bouldering during the 1990s.
Consensus Grade
The second ascent was completed by Klem Loskot in 1997. Subsequent repeats by other climbers supported the proposed grade of 8B+, making Radja the first consensus problem at that level.
This acceptance was significant because many new grade proposals at the time remained uncertain until repeated by multiple climbers. Radja established 8B+ as a recognised step above 8B.
Sources
https://thetopo.com/crags/branson-29582/description
https://climbing-history.org/climber/526/fred-nicole
https://climbing-history.org/climb/1159/radja
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_grade_milestones_in_rock_climbing