Josune Bereziartu has become the first woman to onsight 8b+ with an ascent of Hidrofobia at Montsant, Spain. This beautiful steep pocket climb was also the scene of the first woman's 8b+ flash (with knowledge of the route) when the American Katie Brown made an ascent in 1999. As reported on UKClimbing.com last year the Basque Josune's hardest redpoint is Imbaluna 9a/a+ in Saint Loup, Switzerland and she has onsighted two 8b's, Fuente de energĂa at Vadiello, Spain and La Reserve in France.
Holy. Shit. Is it just my ignorance of women's standards around the world or is it the case that other "world class" women are redpointing 8c after many days work and onsighting 8a/8a+, whilst Josune is operating on a totally different level? Absolutely staggering.
Amazing ascent, amazing climber (of any sex) - apparently climbed wearing espadrilles, and after drinking several glasses of Rioja. I'm definitely going to speed up my efforts on my Summit Quarry 'project x', just in case she catches wind of it (the sheep up there the other day were wearing basques and bleating in suspiciously spanish accents) and decides to make a flying visit (on her current form, she could come close).
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