French climber Mélissa le Nevé has ticked the classic Action Directe 9a in Frankenjura, Germany. This is her first route of the grade and the first female ascent of Wolfgang Güllich's famous line, which he climbed in 1991.
The line involves dynamic climbing between mono pockets and two-finger pockets on steep ground, with 5 bolts of intense climbing. It is generally regarded as the world's first 9a and was a six-year long-term goal for Mélissa.
Earlier this month, Mélissa redpointed Christian Bindhammer's Bionic Commando 8c+ at Jesuswand in Bavaria.
Mélissa is a former competitor on the IFSC Boulder World Cup circuit. She retired in 2016 after placing 3rd in the 2016 overall Boulder World Cup rankings. That same year, she ticked La Cicatrice d L'Ohm 8B in Fontainebleau.
Stay tuned for more information...
Comments
She's not wasted any time! Must have been doing a lot of training during lockdown. I bet it would feel great to come out of lockdown and do a 9a.
That is brilliant, what a route. She’s been training very hard from following her instagram posts over the past year. Thoroughly deserved.
Awesome news!
I'm curious though - the picture seems to show Melissa using a pinch for the first dyno instead of the mono used by other ascentionists?
She was in lockdown with her partner in Bavaria, and climbing was never banned here as long as you didn't travel unnecessarily - i.e. very local crags only - and climbed with somebody from your own household. Travel restrictions have been lifted in the last two weeks, making it ok for them to drive from the Allgäu to the Frankenjura