This spring, Magnus Midtbø spent a few weeks trying to make the 2nd ascent of Chris Sharma's Neanderthal, 9b, in the huge Santa Linya cave in Catalunya, Spain.
In the video, he says that the route could be described as a ~9a/+ up to a dyno, and then ~8b/+ to the top. This dyno proved very much to be the redpoint crux for Magnus. He fell a total of 26 times there, 6-7 of which he was very close to nailing it.
According to photographer Henning Wang, who followed the whole process, he got the hold and body position more or less as good as when he could do the dyno while making links, but for some reason, he never managed to hold on when he came from the ground. According to Wang, the difficulties where mental rather than physical. Magnus is most definitely strong and fit enough.
In the end, he had to return home to Norway when the conditions took a turn for the worse, but not before he went to Rodellar, where he onsighted Cosi fan tutte, 8c+.
Magnus will return to Santa Linya in November to finish the job.
His clothes look super high tech by the way, must be some fabric from outer space...
Magnus Midtbø is sponsored by: Norrøna, Petzl, Beal, Five Ten, Friction Walls, Tyrili Klatring, Varri and Jungle Sports
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