UKH

Given the amount of concern about climbing grit in the wet and a well established climbing trend for stunts such as wearing roller skates or not using your hands ------

what is the hardest route ever climbed barefoot? 

If you're including bouldering then this. 

https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2019/01/worlds_second_font_9a_by_charles_al...

There was a thread here about barefoot climbing a few years back - take a look at https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/rock_talk/notable_climbs_done_barefoot-61...

Thanks for all the input - loads to look at.

Looks like there's a substantial legacy for this type of ascent. 

Does it still count as barefoot if wearing crampons? 

No, purposely cultivated toenails should do the job, though you couldn't get as far as twelvepointing unless your family had a history of incest.

The St Kildan natives would have climbed some pretty hard stuff barefoot while catching things to eat.

I thought they were mostly top ropers though.......

St Kildan foot to be seen here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ntscotland/6798335544/in/photostream/

Most Czech sandstone routes. Nuff said.

Good point.

Are we getting near a grade yet?

Not terribly hard but I soloed Embankment 1 (Pitch 1) barefoot in my younger days. I was gobbing off, saying it wasn't hard and someone jeered so I bet my 3 or 4 mates a pint each. I think they'd rather I'd fallen off...

Twins or monos? 

I'm impressed, anyway. Was it painful?

Had the pleasure of climbing with this guy in Vietnam https://www.outsideonline.com/2043921/meet-vu-nguyen-worlds-best-barefoot-c...

Though to be fair he didn't climb anything barefoot when we were there - he keeps his flip flops om for anything up to 7a.  I think he might also be the worlds best climber in flip flops.

A Scottish climber whose nickname was "Gallows" -Jimmy Houston I think received this name for a reputed solo ascent of Gallows Route E2 on the Buachaille in wellies  Shame Norrie Muir is no longer with us as I think he had more details

Thanks. The article says Vu Nguyen climbed a 5.13 route barefoot, so there's a grade

Sorry, don't recall. It was around 40 years ago. I suspect it may not have been too bad compared to the size 42 EB's I used to get into (46, these days)

He’s probably one of only a few climbers in the world who is more prefers not wearing shoes to wearing them. I heard he once entered a competition in Hanoi but they made him wear shoes so he didn’t do so great.  

E3 6a on a top rope at Roslyn Glen.

I'd forgotten my rock shoes and alternated between a pair of Cat boots and bare feet. Both were unsatisfactory but in different ways.