UKC

Brits in Spain - Sport Climbing ReportVideo

© Gaz Parry
Gaz Parry cruising 'La Chaqueta Hidraulica' F8a  © Gaz Parry
Gaz Parry cruising 'La Chaqueta Hidraulica' F8a
© Gaz Parry

Gaz Parry has been spearheading a Spanish sport climbing scene, which has culminated in some impressive British ascents.

Gaz himself has ticked another F8c, with an ascent of Malsonando at Gandia (see video below). He also redpointed two other F8b's, the "easy but massive" 40m Satori at Forada and the "nails" La Criatura at Sella. He also onsighted yet another F8a, the beautifully named Route 9 at L'Ocaive.

Gav Symonds onsighted his first F8a - Columneta at Cabezon de Oro.

Leah Crane redpointed two F8a's, Ergomania and Mediterraneo at Sella. She also flashed a F7c.

Gaz Parry and fellow North Face athlete James Pearson have just set off on a European lecture tour to 14 countries and are hoping to climb a classic F8a in each country they visit, starting with Raindogs at Malham this weekend. Good luck guys.

Watch Gaz on Malsonando F8c:


Gaz is sponsored by 5.10, The North Face and DMM

Leah is sponsored by Evolv, Metolius and Berghaus


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I have been climbing for over twenty years ... I first 'touched rock' aged 3 and started to climb frequently from the age of 5. Dave Dicks was my first ever coach & I trained with him twice a week for around...

Leah's Athlete Page 24 posts 1 video



2 Apr, 2009
good to see them uncovering some hard climbing in CB, and good to see Leah back on a rope.
2 Apr, 2009
and on the subject of harder stuff in the CB can i put in a vote for one of the best 7b's i've tried which is at Aventador: http://www.rockfax.com/databases/r.php?i=12928 would love to back and finish it off (nice to see some old school grades too as this would get 7b+ in Chorro!). Nice crag in a very pleasant situation which can be good for a few routes if you're runing out of stuff at Gandia.
2 Apr, 2009
Nice if a touch over-long video. I was distracted by all the goats in the cave though - really irritating - almost sounded like they were encouraging Gaz which was odd. Chris ;-)
2 Apr, 2009
Impressive yes, but spearheading? If you use spearhead in the sense I do it gotta be a very blunt and broad spearhead. In the spanish sport scene OS fr8a and redpoint 8c doesnt really seem to be that special unless you´re in mid teens. But maybe it´s just a lingual misunderstanding from my side? If not it looks like a post-colonial "Rule Britannia" kind of statement.
2 Apr, 2009
i tend to agree so maybe if it said that Gaz was spearheading some british ascents in spain rather than spearheading the whole spanish sport climbing scene then that might be more correct but then we would be getting a little bit pedantic.
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