Nolwen Berthier onsights 8b+, Omaha Beach at Red River Gorge
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Peté Whittaker
France's Nolwen Berthier is currently climbing at the Red River Gorge in the USA where she has onsighted her hardest route to date, the 8b+ Omaha Beach in the Madness Cave. The route in question has been onsighted in the past, notably by Sasha DiGiulian in 2011, and Berthier's ascent is notable as she now joins only a handful of women - and men for that matter - who have sent 8b+ on their very first attempt.
The current female best was carried out by Janja Garnbret in November 2021, when she snatched the coveted first female 8c onsight with her ascent of Fish Eye at Oliana in Spain. To prove her ascent wasn't a flash in the pan, the Slovenian doubled her takings a few days later and onsighted the 8c American Hustler.
Berthier completed her onsight on Tuesday and her previous best of the finest of styles was 8a+. Her os caps a stellar season that in April saw the 29-year-old join the ranks of the very few women capable of redpointing 9a+ with her repeat of Super Crackinette at Saint Léger du Ventoux in France.
