Luca Bana sends Super Crackinette (9a+) at Saint Léger du Ventoux in France

Luca Bana belongs to that category of extremely strong and talented climbers who, for one reason or another, tend to remain under the radar. Wrongly so, because the Italian has a superbly impressive climbing curriculum that ranges from hard boulders to long multi-pitch routes in the mountains, as well as his preferred terrain, the crag.

In the past he has sent 8B boulders, even flashing the 8A+ Darkness at Brione, while last year he completed a free ascent of Scacciadiavoli (560m, 8a+/8b max, 7c oblig) on Marmolada in the Dolomites in a single day with another climber who knows who to crimp hard, Bernardo Rivadossi.

On New Year's Day Bana, who recently turned 26, repeated the 9a+ Super Crackinette at Saint Léger du Ventoux in France. Freed in 2016 by Germany’s Alexander Megos, in 2018 this route shot to fame when Adam Ondra flashed it, claiming the world's first-ever 9a+ flash.

Bana obviously wasn't as fast - Ondra's feat has not been equalled as yet - but the speed is nevertheless surprising: just 9 attempts spread out over 4.5 sessions! This is Bana's second 9a+ after Goldrake at Cornalba in 2019; it's clear that if this run of form continues, we'll be hearing much more of him in 2024.