Open your mind direct, ~9a+, by Ashima Shiraishi

18th March, 2015

This has been read 15,799 times

Ashima Shiraishi on Open your mind direct, 9a+, Santa Linya, Spain © Parker Alec Cross/Cross road studios — Ashima Shiraishi on Open your mind direct, 9a+, Santa Linya, Spain
© Parker Alec Cross/Cross road studios

Ashima Shiraishi, still only 13, has managed to repeat Open your mind direct at Santa Linya, Spain. If confirmed at 9a+ post break, this means Ashima joins the likes of... no other women* who have climbed this grade!

From IG:

OMG!!! I sent my 4 day project Open Your Mind Direct 9a+, in Santa Linya!!!!!! The beginning is a hard boulder problem which leads into a pumpy route. After a hold broke off up high, local climbers said that the route became harder which changed it from 9a to 9a+. I was able to be the first person to send the route after the hold broke off! 😜 Thanks for the encouragements☺️

*Josune Bereziartu climbed Bimbaluna, 9a/+, in 2005. Until now that's the hardest grade climbed by a woman.

Photo by Parker Alec Cross

Ashima Shiraishi is sponsored by: Clif Bar, Evolv, Petzl and The North Face

This post has been read 15,799 times

Return to Latest News

UKC Advertising

Comments

Morgan Woods

18 Mar, 2015

wow! (picks jaw back off floor)

Robert Durran

18 Mar, 2015

This is truly amazing! Is their any evidence or reason to believe that, like gymnasts, girls might ideally actually reach their peak in climbing pre puberty?

ericinbristol

18 Mar, 2015

Good point. Before this, what age was the youngest male to climb 9a+? I am guessing it was Ondra - what age was he? 15 when he did La Rambla?

planetmarshall

18 Mar, 2015

I suppose it depends on the route. The gymnastic disciplines are quite different for men and women, with the men's requiring feats of enormous upper body strength ( iron cross etc ), not something you can just overcome with good technique.