Italys Excalibur route begins by stepping off a boulder onto the wall. Italian climber Stefano Ghisolfi started investigating the potential moves below the top of the boulder, which would produce a direct start.

　　Ghisolfi believes this low start is harder than any move on Excalibur, and he grades this section V14. This V14 would link to a V13, then into a bad rest. Another V14 completes the route.

　　Feeding this information into Darth Grader delivers a projected grade of 5.16a. If completed and the consensus agrees with the grade, it would be the hardest rock climb in the world.

　　Watch as Ghilsolfi and Brooke Raboutou work on the new project.

　　Rock Climbing Grades, Safety Ratings ExplainedGet the scoop on rock climbing difficulty grades and safety ratings here: what they are, what they mean, and why they're important. Read more