Great Italian climbing action in Spain

Great news comes from Spain where the winter crags are humming with activity. And the visiting Italian climbers are certainly playing their shots. Young Silvio Reffo and Gabriele Moroni are currently at Oliana where, after calibrating their sights (read Picos Pardos 8b for Reffo and Paper Mullat 8b+ for both), Reffo managed to send Joe Blau, "a beautiful and extremely long 8c+, characterised by 45 intense moves which give it 8c, followed by another 50 great stamina moves on holds which are never too small." It's worth noting that Joe Blau was freed by crag local Chris Sharma but Reffo's is the first ascent after an important hold broke low down on the route.

The other winter crag par excellence is Siurana and last Sunday Jacopo Larcher managed to redpoint Daniel Jung's short and intense Jungle Speed. This is Larcher's second 9a and the style differs completely from his first, Southern Smoke Direct at Red River Gorge. Larcher needed just 10 attempts spread out over 3 days and our readers may remember this route as it was cited by Adam Ondra as one of those he couldn't send. Talking of Ondra: the Czech climber is currently at Oliana to attempt that super project together with Sharma which could be 9b, or perhaps even more. Word has it that yesterday, as soon as he arrived, he got close to the send, and Sharma is close, too...