From a dusty gym in Tyumen to the summit of Annapurna I, this week's round-up is truly multi-disciplinary...
Jim Pope on top form
Sheffield-based Jim Pope is on top form and has recently managed to flash an E8, make the first ascent of a new Font 8B and repeat The Boss at Yarncliffe.
At Nesscliffe, Jim flashed Nick Dixon's Une Jeune Fille Quatre Vingt Dix Ans (E8 6c), a technical E8 face climb that's roughly 8a in difficulty. It's protected by four pegs, an in-situ ice screw and some miscellaneous ironmongery.
On the grit, Jim has put up a new problem at Howshaw Tor called Bloodhound, which takes the direct line up the face from Hare Today Gone Tomorrow (f8A+). He described the problem as 'the best climb I've put up so far,' and graded it Font 8B. Jim also managed a repeat of Ned Feehally's The Boss (f8B+) (Font 8B) at Yarncliffe in an hour. This follows several repeats after a hold changed on the problem. He's certainly not finding climbing very difficult at the moment...
Six first Nepali female ascents of Annapurna I
A team of six Nepali women have summited Annapurna (8,091m), becoming the first women of their country to climb the world's tenth-highest peak. Purnima Shrestha, Maya Sherpa, Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita, Dabuti Sherpa, and Sharmila Syangtan Tamang reached the summit as part of a record-breaking 68-strong summit group. Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Akita and Dawa Yangjum Sherpa summited on 16 April without use of supplementary oxygen. Their ascent was also the first of the 2021 Spring/Summer season on Annapurna I. Two women - Priyanka Mangesh Mohite and Sheetal - also became the first Indian women to summit the mountain.
Iuliia Kaplina unofficially breaks women's Speed World Record
Olympic-qualified Speed specialist Iuliia Kaplina (RUS) ran a time of 6.82 seconds at the Russian National Championships in Tyumen three days ago, beating her previous personal best and World Record of 6.964 seconds, which she set at the IFSC European Championships in Moscow last November. Although the time seems to have been accepted as a Russian national record, the time is not eligible for an official World Record as the wall is not certified as an official Speed structure. Kaplina is a ten-time Speed World Record holder.
Alex Honnold's solo spree in Red Rocks
Oscar-winning climber Alex Honnold has been exploring his home stomping ground of Red Rocks in Nevada. Having ticked three of the area's classic multi-pitches - Cloud Tower (11 pitch 5.12a (in Alex's opinion)), the Original Route on the Rainbow Wall (14 pitch 12a), and Levitation 29 (10 pitch 11c) - in one go over 11 hours, Alex continued to scramble and climb big links in Red Rocks, but ultimately got a became bored as the routes weren't challenging enough for him. Yesterday he posted: 'I'd been hoping to do a big traverse of the range but yesterday I decided I don't quite have the fire for it this season - getting too warm and I'm getting tired of scrambling up and over easy mountains. I found myself fantasizing about limestone sport climbing while I hiked...'
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