Anna Liina Laitinen has made the fifth female ascent of Esclatamasters (9a), at Perles, Lleida, Catalonia. The 9a route is her first of the grade, having previously climbed up to 8c+.

Having initially excelled in competitive gymnastics, Laitinen took up climbing in her late teens. According to a 2021 interview with EpicTV,  climbing immediately became an obsession for Laitinen, and she began regularly making the three hour round trip to her 'local' climbing gym, often only arriving thirty minutes before the gym closed.

Writing about her process on Esclatamasters earlier in the week, Laitinen said:

'I've been one-hanging this 9a for a while now and it's painfully close. What I'm happy about is that I've managed to keep my head together... last week I was a bit scared before a try because I had pain on my right hand, [and] I felt like my body was about to shut down'.

'But... there's been a lot of improvement after that. One thing that helps to release some pressure has been thinking about the bigger picture and the next trip to Swiss soon'.

The very next day, Laitinen was able to clip the chains on Esclatamasters. Taking to instagram to share the news, she said:

'Umm what just happened?!⁣ ... It's going to take a while to process all this. So much to share and say but also feeling speechless'.

'It has been an amazing experience to discover something so inspiring that has pushed me to become a better climber. It is important to find a line that you don't mind falling off over and over again. I loved climbing on it and part of me is sad that it's over! Luckily, I still have my draws left to collect, so I will have a chance to say goodbye'.

In addition to becoming the first Finnish woman to climb 9a, Laitinen has a number of other Finnish 'firsts', including being the first Finnish woman to boulder 8A, to flash and onsight 8b, as well as to redpoint 8b+ and 8c+.