Anak Verhoeven climbs 9a in the day and at night at Rodellar in Spain

Anak Verhoeven is, almost timidly, going from strength to strength. The 27-year-old Belgian is currently at Rodellar in Spain where on Saturday she repeated the 50m stamina fest Cosi se Arete at the beautiful Piscineta sector. What makes Verhoeven's repeat noteworthy is that a few hours after her 30-minute battle, when darkness fell, she climbed the route a second time, in the light of her headtorch.

In October 2022 at Rodellar Verhoeven repeated No pain no gain (9a+) and Las Meninas (9a/+), while in 2017 she famously made the first ascent of Sweet Neuf at Pierrot Beach in France. In doing so became the second woman in the world to climb 9a+ after Margo Hayes, and the first to have freed a route of this difficulty. The grade was confirmed by Cedric Lachat two years later. In 2017 she repeated Ciudad de Dios 9a/+ at Santa Linya, in 2019 she redpointed Joe Mama 9a+ at Oliana, while in 2021 at the same crag she redpointed Patxitxulo 9a/+.

Verhoeven's current run of form indicates that she has fully recovered from an ankle injury in June, and also that potentially there is much, much more in store.

Links anakverhoeven.be, Petzl, La Sportiva