Kai Lightner (13) Sending Southern Smoke (14c)- Red River Gorge

[@amanilightner]

I've been climbing almost 7 years (indoors and competitively). And yes, I'm working on the whole "fantasy chalking" thing. Its a nervous habit....

[@sstrong42]

Is that Mom belaying? If so, that makes this video about a thousand times cooler! Also, again, excellent footwork.

[@Brewsto]

She's a statistics professor too

[@Mendokusai99]

I love how idiots will criticise this kid for any little thing. Were you a youth champion, too? Let's see you send this route. Keep killing it, Kai!

[@lawrencetchen]

Mom as always is the MVP here!

[@ericsophiea6481]

Very nice footwork! I wish I saw more climbers using your knee drops and other great foot technique. Inspirational.

[@andyelliott3]

"Clip those anchors baby!"

[@radred512]

Smooth work there Kai. Those complaining about your chalk tech clearly misunderstand the circulatory benefits of alternately dropping your arms below the heart.

[@josemabm5065]

Not even tired..amazing

[@maxkral1265]

So much undeserved hate. This is a very difficult route.

[@jlcfinishcarpentry]

He’s so good he actually made it boring to watch. Next level.

[@dclrdclr]

love this video. you rock kai! hope to see you at The Red again soon!

[@sethgarcia2927]

Crazy how relaxed his fingers look

[@TheJohannesClimacus]

That's why Rick Weber calls chalk "White Courage" ^_^ This is a sick video.

[@Radarzoned]

Kai you are a beast! Keep it up!!!

[@lxlahr3]

Stone Summit lead certified!

[@tlounsbury]

Superb... Could be one of the greats.

[@benoo258]

Well I think, that when you`re still chalking and chalking again it can increase help your psyche. "White powder" is a magic powder :) It reduces nervosity in my case and I think many people use it for decreasing nervosity.

[@benoo258]

You are awesome! I would like to climb like that one day.

[@ansot4]

Well done my friend....well done!

[@nmyers5]

funny, i watched this video and thought "man he probably went to chalk up 100 times and got chalk on his fingers twice," lol then looked down here and saw this convo.. I dunno how you do it Kai my hands woulda been sweatin' a storm.. gnarly send man, made it look easy.. watching people climb like this motivates me.. keep it goin!

[@MikkelLimalimaclimb]

that was impressive as hell :) how long have you been climbing!!

[@phutton88]

I hate when people tell me beta before I ask for it.

[@thomasduncan1855]

Awesome!

[@czseby]

Great show off of ur skills man. Great technique.

[@benbrown2534]

Kenny, stop talking, please! Just let our friend climb!

[@rtwilli4]

It's a figure 8 with loads of tail. Not coming untied.

[@tsdutchboy]

Nice work kai

[@LearningFast]

What a cool(And Hard) route.

[@bikeclochard]

Nice send! He looks really tall btw for a 13 year old. Keep on climbing!

[@trimbleqa8871]

Nice job kid.

[@acpacey]

Amazing, well done! Kai nowhere near his potential yet... at 5.14c, that's impressive.

[@justjohnny05]

Hes a real Spider Man

[@TristanDeCunha]

Ha - looks like he's repping his gym belay card. Lead certified!

[@prozeza]

He's using the same chalkbag I do... so it definitely can't be that holding me back. :/

[@shirtfreeclimber1246]

Gr8 And Qte!

[@nirvana12360]

2:37 ahhhhhhhh :)

[@Tasmodeus]

It is true that dropping your arms causes an increase in blood to flow through your arms. And so increasing the aerobic strength of the muscle. But you don't need to put your hand 'in' the chalk bag in order to do so. It seems a lot more effective if he would just shake it out every once in a while.

[@rushthezeppelin]

Maybe he's got extra sweaty hands....that or it's just muscle memory for him to go for his chalk

[@CarlosFromPhilly]

Someone should take that chalkbag away from him sooner than later... A lot of habitual phantom-chalking going on. Beautiful send, way to work those rests!

[@nathanwilliams1848]

This route is a total sandbag... Its probably 5.13c at most... Its pretty much a really overhung jug ladder with tons of feet

[@RamiNajjar]

You mistake kai''s incredible flow, strength and endurance with the easiness of the route. The "jugs" you speak of once he merges with ultra perm are terrible pockets, slopers and bad crimps. Hes just strong as hell.

[@nathanwilliams1848]

I've climbed this. I'm 15.

[@RamiNajjar]

To say that the holds are jugs means that ur hands are tiny. I can barely fit my fingers into the pockets. Don't downplay people's sends

[@ethann5963]

+nathan williams without footage it's fiction

[@howardmcgreehan3989]

Great job Nate, but this one is not about you, ya know? Keep up the climbing, but let other people have the limelight sometimes :]

[@BlessUpDiHerbs]

no problems with the chalking but get rid of that gym tag and just cut your chalk belt

[@semmtexx]

It’s more like 13b.

[@MrNickjberry]

looks like a jug haul with tons of feet

[@mrrongol]

nice climb. but the fake chalking is really annoying

[@maxthegamer]

He is seriously wasting alot of time and energy "chalking up", hen eeds to learn how to straighten arms when resting and not puting them in the chalkbag every 3 seconds while not even getting chalk on the fingers.