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Alex Puccio Sends Jade (V14)

Alex Puccio has become the fourth woman to climb V14 by sending Jade in Upper Chaos Canyon.

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Puccio sticking the move on <em>Jade</em> (V14). Photo by Joel Zerr.” />On Saturday, August 2, Alex Puccio became the fourth woman to climb V14 by sending <em>Jade</em> in Colorado’s Upper Chaos Canyon, Rocky Mountain National Park.</p>
<p>“SO EXCITED!!!” posted Puccio on Facebook. “Sent <em>Jade</em> 8B+ / V14 today!  It was my fourth day at the climb today and I did it first go.”</p>
<p>Puccio also reports that she nearly climbed the problem on her first day of attempts, but fell on the “last hold” and tore her fingertip. After waiting a few days for good conditions, Puccio finally caught a dry weather-window.</p>
<p>“It finally stopped raining and I had a good dry day, a little warm, but really dry and was able to do it,” she posted.</p>
<p>Puccio celebrated the hardest send of her career by … climbing another hard problem on same boulder.</p>
<p><span>“And to top it off I was able to climb <em>Wild Cat</em> V12/V11 on the back side of the boulder,” wrote Puccio.</span></p>
<p>Puccio has been on a summer rock-climbing tear. After finishing sixth overall in the Bouldering World Cup (her worst result) Puccio shifted her focus to climbing outside. In early July, s<a href=he claimed two V13 sends in just seven days, sending Nuthin’ But Sunshine and Top Notch, and now she has finished off her first V14.

Jade was established by Daniel Woods in 2007. The problem had been dubbed the Green 45 Project by Dave Graham, who discovered the line, but was unable to complete the problem. Originally graded V15, Jade has now settled at solid V14.