So having witnessed this bewildering rise in standards over the last twenty years or so (much of it actually occurring in the last five-to-ten years) it’s therefore reassuring to find that some things are still the same; The Ace is still quite hard. The holds might have improved, the top jug might have snapped off and been glued back on, the landing might have been extended and improved, the rock in front of it might have been toppled and then put back, pads might be twice as thick now and sequences might have changed, everyone might have been training specifically for it on replica holds now, and it might even have been flashed a few times, but despite all that it’s still quite hard. The baggy S7 strides might be gone (sadly), and Anasazis no longer rule the roost (again, sadly), but one remaining sliver of former certainties still remains; The Ace is still quite hard. It still gives the best a rough ride. No wonder Jim was so pleased.