Matt Birch climbs Mandala Sit Start

On Monday 18th, Matt Birch climbed The Mandala Sit Start. He'd been trying it on and off for a while, having difficulty with the small deadpoint to gain the good right-hand crimp at the start of The Mandala regular, and split skin and blisters from the tiny left-hand crimp that you move off. Having finally linked through this move, he crimped down hard and pulled very nervously to the top, saying he was moving "like a shopping cart with a wonky wheel."

Matt Birch, a Yorkshireman from Otley (England) has climbed several cutting edge lines in the states, including his notable FAs of The Swarm (v14) also in the Buttermilks (Secrets area) in 2004, and Somewhere In Time (at the Tramway, So Cal) in 2007.