Charlotte Durif 8c+ climbing fest in France

Remember just a few days ago we mentioned that the Verdon still holds plenty of projects in store? Well, recently Charlotte Durif from France completed one of them, Pull Over at the immensely overhanging Grotte de Galetas on Verdon's shady Rive Gauche.

Durif first set sight on the route in 2008, worked the line this summer and finally got to grips with the immense 50m outing this autumn, believing it may be a staggering 8c+. If confirmed, this route ranks as one of the hardest ever established by a woman and would be on a par with her technical The Wall at Combe La Vielle near Bourgogne, first ascended a few weeks ago and repeated by young Geoffray De Flaugergues, who confirmed the grade. Other contenders for hard female first ascents include the route Claudio Caffè at Arco, which shot up to 8c+ after Angela Eiter managed to do without the infamous bolt on hold.

Charlotte Durif is certainly one of the best sport climbers France has ever produced and follows is the footsteps of the highly regarded Liv Sansoz, who in 2000 became the second woman ever to redpoint 8c/8c+ by repeating Hasta la Vista 8c/c+ in America. The first is, it goes without saying, Josune Bereziartu from Spain who climbed Honky Mix at Onate in Spain.