Watch Carlo Traversi Send Magic Line, 5.14 Trad, in Yosemite
This is pure climbing footage; there is no story, no interview, and no posing. And it's beautiful.
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Last February, Carlo Traversi made the fourth ascent of Magic Line (5.14c), an insecure seam that protects entirely on micro gear, in Yosemite. The slabby route is serious but safe, with many micro-cam and Ball Nut placements in a row while laybacking up to V11.
“Your feet get destroyed from smearing for so long,” Traversi told Climbing after his ascent. “Having solid feet is definitely the redpoint crux.” This is perhaps why Magic Line is so unique for the grade: there is no pumping out placing gear, no longing for greater finger strength. “You’re always falling because of blown feet,” he said.
Carlo Traversi Repeats Magic Line (5.14c), One of World’s Hardest Trad Routes
Now, Black Diamond has released a 10-minute video highlighting Traversi’s ascent, and it’s the type of film that the staff here at Climbing love. It’s pure climbing footage. No story, no interview, and no posing. You can feel Traversi’s tension, willing his feet to stay stuck to Yosemite’s slick granite, as an iced-up Vernal Falls roars in the background. Indeed, Magic Line with Carlo Traversi is not to be missed.
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