UKC

Melissa LeNevé has made the first female ascent of La cicatrice de l'ohm, ~8B, at Mare aux Corneilles, Fontainebleau.

This was the first of the grade for Melissa in Fontainebleau, and only the second female ascent of an ~8B in the area after Catherine Miquel's ascent...

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In reply to UKC News:

bloody hell, if this were anywhere else I wouldn't be too fussed, but an actual Fontainebleau 8B is pretty scary.

Also, "first female ascent": I hate to say it, but is this officially a thing now?

In reply to AMorris:


Has been for a while. Also remember "first male ascent" when Tommy Caldwell free climbed The Nose.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

FFA, meh. I'm waiting on the FNBGNA. First none binary, gender neutral ascent.

In fact, I could maybe do a few V4s at stanage and claim this. Guidebook fame awaits...

In reply to snoop6060:


I think it'll die out when Ashima starts putting up V18s.

Was going to say V17, but I presume that new f9A (by some bloke) is V17!!!

In reply to AMorris:

Well it depends if you think the fact a woman has climbed something no other women ever has before is worthy of note or not. Doesn't offend me, and actually I think its a good thing as women put up very, very few new routes regardless of grade so this way, particularly when it is a hard route / problem is a way of recognising that a woman has broken into a realm previously only occupied by men.

Of course a true first accent of the first human being to climb xyz trumps simply being the first of your sex, but as I said women make very very few first accents.

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:


Has she actually put up any new routes/problems?

In reply to Pete Dangerous:


Haven't got a clue.

In reply to Pete Dangerous:

A fair few in Central Park for starters.

In reply to AMorris:


I think so long as it's also a significant ascent as well. If it was 7a I don't think anyone would be making such a claim. Font 8b is still fairly rare amongst women climbers though the numbers have shot up in the past couple of years.

Not quite up to date but this gives some perspective.

http://onbouldering.com/8b-senders-ladies-club/