Burden of Dreams is a red granite grade bouldering problem at Lappnor near Loviisa, in Finland. It was first climbed by Finnish climber Nalle Hukkataival on 23 October 2016, who spent four years projecting the boulder, and features in the 2017 climbing film, The Lappnor Project.
With the hardest bouldering grade previously considered , Burden of Dreams was the world's first to be graded a . Climbing magazine awarded Hukkataival a Golden Piton award for having the courage to propose this grade.
After resisting further attempts by the world's strongest climbers for many years, including Shawn Raboutou and Stefano Ghisolfi, it was repeated by Scottish climber Will Bosi on 12 April 2023. Bosi practiced on a 3D-printed replica of the key holds and movements of the route in the United Kingdom, before attempting the actual boulder in Finland. Bosi also confirmed the grade of . After his May 2026 ascent, Noah Wheeler graded it a "soft" .
After Bosi's repeat, climbing hold manufacturers began to offer highly accurate 3D-scanned replicas of the holds on Burden of Dreams to the public. By altering the gradient to vertical, instead of the 45-degree overhang on the real route, it was estimated that the grade of difficulty is softened to almost .
Ascents Burden of Dreams, has been ascended by:
Nalle Hukkataival – 23 October 2016 William Bosi – 12 April 2023 Simon Lorenzi – 27 December 2023 Elias Iagnemma – 25 March 2024 Sung Su Lee (2x) – 10 May 2025; 12 May 2025 – 4 April 2026 Noah Wheeler (2x) – 14 May 2026
Filmography – Short film on Hukkataival's first ascent Burden of Dreams (Motion picture). Crimp Films, Band of Birds. 2023. – Short film on Bosi's second ascent
See also History of rock climbing List of grade milestones in rock climbing Midnight Lightning, famous boulder in Camp 4 (Yosemite) Dreamtime, famous boulder in Cresciano, Switzerland The Wheel of Life, famous boulder in the Grampians, Australia
References
External links Burden of Dreams 9A / V17 History and Legacy, Hard Climbs (2023) Burden of Dreams 9A | V17, Climbing History (2024) Rock Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Boulder Problems in the World, 99Boulders (2021) VIDEO: Nalle Hukkataival Burden of Dreams, backstage video of world's first 9A boulder, PlanetMountain (2017) VIDEO: Shawn Raboutou and Aidan Roberts projecting Burden of Dreams, Gripped Magazine (2023)