Big sends by women and some bouldering news...
Dreamcatcher 9a by Paige Claassen
US pro climber Paige Claassen has made the first female ascent of the iconic Dreamcatcher 9a on the Cacodemon boulder in Squamish, Canada. The line was first climbed by Chris Sharma and was first repeated by Sean McColl in 2009.
Paige wrote on Instagram:
'I first tried this line 7 years ago. By the end of a month long trip, I could barely do each individual move, and could link only 2-3 moves together at most. I've spent the last 7 years becoming a different climber - trying to climb faster, more explosively, and with more confidence.'
After around six sessions this season, Paige climbed the line on Thursday with some new beta.
Mercia Wall E8 6C by Emma Twyford
Pembroke saw a lot of action last Bank Holiday weekend. After flashing Always the Sun E7 6c, Emma Twyford headpointed Dave Pickford's Mercia Wall E8 6c, the 50m direct start to Deutschland Nicht über Alles at Stennis Ford. She wrote on Instagram:
'Small holds and small gear (but lots of it) felt like just the right amount of spice. I figured out 2 ways of doing the crux but decided to go for the more secure option on small holds in the pictures. This trip has been all about re-finding my mental game and I'm happy with how I've been climbing, it seems to have returned!'
From a Distance E7 onsight by Hazel Findlay
Also in Pembroke and also in Stennis Ford, Hazel Findlay onsighted the technical face climb From a Distance E7 6b. The line formerly included some drilled gear, but is now climbed as a trad route.
Jakob Schubert flashes Font 8B+
Fresh from winning an Olympic bronze medal, Jakob Schubert finally had some time to rock climb and succeeded in flashing his third Font 8B+, with an ascent of Anam Cara in Silvretta, Austria. His first 8B+ flash was back in 2018 with an ascent of Chris Sharma's Catalan Witness the Fitness and then in 2020 he flashed another Sharma problem in Magic Wood: The Never Ending Story.
Schubert also came close to flashing Bernd Zangerl's Memento (8B/+) which he went onto climb in fairly rapid time.
Watch the video below for the uncut footage:
Siebe Vanhee repeats Project Fear 8c in the Dolomites
Earlier this week Siebe Vanhee was able to make a rare repeat of Dave Macleod's 'Project Fear' on Cima Ovest in the Italian Dolomites. Siebe linked all three roof pitches together into one long 50m pitch, going straight through the great roof.
Matilda Söderlund climbs Parzival
Swedish climber Matilda Söderlund has repeated Parzival, an 8b multi-pitch on the Dreifaltigkeit in Switzerland. The route was first freed by Michael Wohlleben in 2017 and features a highly technical 8b crux pitch on tiny crimps. The 150m six-pitch route was Söderlund's first multi-pitch project.
VIDEO: Vadim Timonov on Rocklands 8Cs
Mellow have released a film of Russian strongman Vadim Timonov in Rocklands climbing Font 8Cs such as The Finnish Line and Petrichor, as well as flashing The Guest List:
Comments
I was recently lamenting the absence of 'spice' in climbing. I used to pore over the history section in climbing guides and their riveting personal accounts of an ascent - and I think we've lost a lot in terms of what makes climbing great (it seems to be all about the numbers rather than exploration and adventure). Perhaps its out there on social media but i don't do Facepants etc...
As a sport it needs to get out the air conditioned gym once in a while and go bush whacking.
It great to see Emma and Hazel leading the rewilding of climbing like this!
Dreamcatcher has had plenty free ascents, no?
Looks like Michaela Kiersch just did Dreamcatcher too, a few days later!
That's weird. Complaining about modern climbers who are not adventurous enough on a news item about 4 very adventurous climbs out of 7.
You've misread my post. There was no complaint about climbers (and in fact I've commended two climbers by name).