Katherine Schirrmacher of Sheffield is one of the UK's top women climbers. She recently had a great trip to Hueco Tanks State Park in Texas. Katherine did some proud hard Hueco classics including ManGum V9, Mr. Serious V8, Better Eat Your Wheaties V8, Something Different V8 and Mushroom Roof V8. She also ran it out with a flash ascent of Sea Spot Run, an off-the-deck and highball V6.

But now she has upped it a notch on Gritstone.

On Wednesday, 22 March, she achieved a personal best, reports Moonclimbing.com, with an ascent of Jess's Roof at Almscliff a confirmed Font 7c (which translates to V9 on the Hueco V-scale). Dodging inclement weather and a fiddly last pocket that caused a few problems, she achieved success over several sessions and enthusiastically says, "Let the grit season continue..." There will be a video of her ascent up at Moon Climbing soon. Her previous best on Grit was West Side Story, Font 7b+, at Burbage West in the Peaks District.

Katherine has redpointed 8a, climbed trad E6 and has done the American Direct on the Dru, Chamonix. She is sponsored by Moon Climbing and Wild Country. See Katherine's profile here

See a bouldering grade coversion table here.

Photo of Katherine on Better Eat Your Wheaties, V8, courtesy of Alex Messenger