There is always vigorous discussion about whether A6 can actually exist. I know some desert tower routes have been graded A6, but most end up being downgraded.

There is always vigorous discussion about whether A6 can actually exist. I know some desert tower routes have been graded A6, but most end up being downgraded. Actually, there is at least one free scare-fest on the Big Stone: Leo Houlding's route The Prophet [0]. For many years, Houlding attempted the route in proper British ground-up style, but eventually had to apply "sport" tactics on the hardest pitch. Note that while The Prophet is not as technically hard as Caldwell's Dawn Wall project, it is significantly more dangerous (run-out climbing...for example, Jason Pickles fractured his pelvis on a long fall). [0] http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/the-prophet http://www.rockandice.com/lates-news/the-prophet