# 20-Year-Old Skips V16 to Climb First V17

> Matthew Mendes, 20, completes Will Bosi’s Realm of Tor’ment, skipping V16 to climb his first V17 boulder.
- Title: 20-Year-Old Skips V16 to Climb First V17 · Gripped Magazine
- Summary: Matthew Mendes, 20, completes Will Bosi’s Realm of Tor’ment, skipping V16 to climb his first V17 boulder. Matthew Mendes, a 20-year-old U.K.
- Keywords: matthew mendes, will bosy, realm of torment, peak district, v17, boulder climbing, climbing grade, Gripped Magazine
- Source: Gripped Magazine — https://gripped.com/news/20-year-old-skips-v16-to-climb-his-first-v17
- Author: Brandon Pullan
- Published: 2026-11-03T17:39:27+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: matthew mendes, will bosy, realm of torment, peak district, v17, boulder climbing, climbing grade
## Matthew Mendes
Matthew Mendes, a 20-year-old U.K. climber, made the second ascent of Will Bosi’s Realm of Tor’ment, an eight-move power line in the Peak District.

> So psyched to get the send right before the season comes to a close
## First V17 Ascent
This is Mendes’s first V17 climb and the second ascent of the problem, which he completed after weather delays.

> This boulder was my main project for this year and with some of the terrible weather over the last few weeks, i was ready to leave it for next year. luckily the holds managed to dry in time for me to have a few more sessions and get the send.
## Will Bosi’s Assessment
Bosi, a world-leading boulderer, said Realm of Tor’ment sits at 9A [V17] but is similar to Spots of Time.

> I’m not sure if it’s maybe quite as hard as Burden of Dreams, at least using the sequence I climbed it with, but, thinking a lot about it, I don’t see it being really any different from Spots of Time.
## Key takeaway

Matthew Mendes, a 20-year-old U.K. climber, made the second ascent of Will Bosi’s Realm of Tor’ment, a V17 boulder in the Peak District.