Iker Pou, one of the world's premiere all rounders, has recently made the first ascents of two high end routes near his home in the Basque country.
Two real gems. The first is Akelarre which is a 65-metre 9a, and the second Celedon Txiki, a 30-metre 8c+/9a route.
Akelarre is a route of two very distinct parts: the first is 40 meters long, and consists of an overhang with great holds, followed by a 25-metre vertical and slightly overhanging bouldery section.
The hardest part of the route is the last ten meters, at which point the overhang begins. Grading this route was not easy as it may vary slightly depending on the height and arm-span of the individual climber. I ascended and bolted the first forty meters fifteen years ago, adding a further twenty five to it this year.
You could say that it is the sum of two beautiful 8b+'s.
Celedon Txiki is different; an overhanging line with a wide variety of different moves, it is rooted in strength and stamina. It proved quite difficult for me, and I had to make a great many attempts in order to complete the sequence correctly and not tire.
Calling Iker a world class all rounder is no exaggeration. So far he has bouldered 8B+, sport climbed 9a+ and done multipitches up to ~9a.
Iker Pou is sponsored by: The North Face, La Sportiva, Petzl, Beal and Euskaltel.
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