Anak Verhoeven has made a double repeat of Cosi se Arete, 9a, at La Piscineta, Rodellar, Spain.

The fifty metre route was bolted by Dani Andrada, who then went on to make the first ascent in 2015.

Verhoeven, who became the first woman to establish a 9a+ route with her ascent of Sweet neuf (9a+) in 2017, has now climbed nine routes at 9a or above. Cosi se Arete is her first ascent at 9a since injuring her ankle earlier this year.

After making her daytime ascent of the route, Verhoeven decided that it had been so enjoyable that it deserved a second ascent by headtorch.

'One daylight send, one headlamp send in the dark', she said on instagram, 'a fifty metre long, overhanging route in the beautiful Piscineta sector; a dream route for me'. 

'After working the moves I came to the point where I had every single detail of the route memorized. And that's when I had this crazy idea: to climb it in the dark with a headlamp! Just to give myself a fun, personal challenge. But first, of course, my full focus was on trying the send the route the normal way!

'That send happened on a warm, sunny Saturday with a clear, blue sky. I warmed up and then waited for some wind in the evening after 5pm. When I started my attempt, it was still warm. I was thirsty while climbing and had to think consciously about breathing well not to hyperventilate'.

'The light was dimmer than when I had worked the route, which made it more difficult for me to have a clear head when focusing on beta details. But I sure was very determined and climbed on and on... through the upper crux, past the series of endurance moves at the very top... until I clipped the anchor!'

Verhoeven then set her sights on a night-time ascent, returning later on that same evening...

'It was possible that I wouldn't see the holds well enough – especially in the crux – or that something technical would have to be adjusted with the headlamp. In that case I would have to work the route again first and come back later to try and send. But, somehow, I thought there was a chance of sending it straight away with the headlamp'.

'I waited until it was completely dark and, in the meantime, I attached my headlamp to my tanktop with a string. This way it couldn't drop down in the water and I could also place it back on my head with one hand in case I knocked it off my head'.

'Then I started climbing with a big black void underneath and a circle of light around my head. When looking down I saw the small speck of light from my headlamp reflected in the river'.

'It felt great! I was a little more tired than during the daylight send and I could feel the humidity of the evening. The wall was full of little spiders that had come out at night. I had to move slightly more slowly to see all the holds and be precise, but I just kept going and going and going'.

'
I passed the first crux, and the second one. I was sure now that I could do it, but the endurance moves at the end are relentless. A few more movements to go… and I clipped the anchor a second time in the same day!'

'Well, that hadn't quite been the initial plan when I arrived at the crag that day. But what an amazing, impromptu experience, and that crazy idea I had to climb a 50-meter 9a in the dark actually turned out to be possible'.