# Italian Climber Forecasts Trad Climbing Future After Historic Second Ascent

> Pietro Vidi completes second ascent of world’s hardest trad climb, calling trad far from limit.
- Title: Italian Climber Forecasts Trad Climbing Future After Historic…
- Summary: Pietro Vidi completes second ascent of world’s hardest trad climb, calling trad far from limit. Italian climber Pietro Vidi made second ascent of Drifter’s…
- Keywords: pietro vidi, drifter's escape, trad climbing, squamish, british columbia, el capitan, 5.15a, connor herson, sports, travel, Italian, Climber
- Source: Climbing — https://climbing.com/news/pietro-vidi-drifters-escape-second-ascent
- Author: Maya Silver
- Published: 2026-10-26T18:37:57+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: pietro vidi, drifter's escape, trad climbing, squamish, british columbia, el capitan, 5.15a, connor herson, sports, travel
## Historic Second Ascent
Italian climber Pietro Vidi completed the second ascent of Drifter’s Escape, the world’s hardest trad climb (5.15a) in Squamish, British Columbia.

> the impossible is becoming possible
## First Ascent Details
Connor Herson first climbed Drifter’s Escape on July 24, 2025, after keeping the send secret for seven months until releasing a documentary.
## Drifter’s Escape Difficulty
Drifter’s Escape features two V11 cruxes and is technically a mixed climb with two bolts at the beginning, but traditional gear protects the rest of the route.
## Climber Ethan Salvo’s View
Ethan Salvo, who projected the route with both Herson and Vidi, said the difficulty comes from 'how punchy the whole upper half is.'

> how punchy the whole upper half is
## Connor Herson’s Pogo Move
Herson famously tackled the first V11 boulder problem using a 'pogo', swinging out with his right leg to generate momentum.

> pogo
## Pietro Vidi’s Approach
Vidi had completely different beta than Herson, focusing on a more powerful and quicker style with fewer moves.
## Vidi’s Rack for Send
Vidi used a rack of brass nut 4, a #.3, three #.2s, two .2/.3s, and two .1/.2s for his send on October 12, 2.026.
## Shoe Choice for Drifter’s
Vidi wore Scarpa Blackbirds for their narrow fit and stiffness, ideal for edging in thin pods.
## Vidi’s Time Investment
Vidi spent about 15 sessions trying Drifter’s Escape, with 10 lead tries, before sending it on October 12, 2026.
## Vidi’s View on Trad Limits
Vidi believes trad climbing is 'very, very, very far' from the limit, with huge potential for progression but few hard trad lines available.

> very very very far
## Vidi’s Future Outlook
Vidi thinks newer generations will find more hard trad lines, pushing the sport’s limits despite the rarity of such routes.
## Key takeaway

Italian climber Pietro Vidi made second ascent of Drifter’s Escape (5.15a) in Squamish, British Columbia, saying trad climbing has huge potential for progression.