Anak Verhoeven 8b+ onsight e 9a+ rotpunkt ad Oliana in Spagna

Avendone la possibilità, sceglieresti di fare un 9a+ lavorato oppure un 8b+ a-vista? La climber belga non si è proprio posta questa domanda ed è riuscita in questa strabiliante performance. Verhoeven viene a capo di Joe Mama dopo soli 10 tentativi sparsi su 11 giorni, mentre sale al primo colpo la via Gorilas en la Niebla nella stessa falesia. Dopo l’infortunio Verhoeven si conferma quindi ancora una volta una delle migliori in assoluto, specialmente sulle vie dove la resistenza diventa un fattore determinante.

Joe Mama è il secondo 9a+ per la Verhoeven dopo la libera di Sweet Neuf a Pierrot Beach in Francia (ripetuta e confermata da Cédric Lachat nel giungo di quest’anno) ed è una delle pochissime realizzazioni femminili di questo grado dopo Margo Hayes e Angela Eiter. Per quanto riguarda l’8b+ a vista femminile si tratta di una performance ancora più rara; a riuscirci per prima è stata la ben nota Josune Bereziartu nel 2005 su Hidrofobia a Montsant in Spagna, ed emulata da sole poche altre come: Maja Vidmar (2010), Sasha DiGiulian (2011) e Kajsa Rosén (2016).

Link: anakverhoeven.be, Petzl, La Sportiva

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Joe Mama, 9a+! I came to Oliana without having a particular route in mind that I wanted to try. Arriving at the crag, I made a quick decision: Joe Mama. In the time that followed, I went through the whole process of taming a route:Finding the exact beta that suited me. Accepting hot temperatures and wet rock. Treating painful skin and taking extra rest days. I quickly felt at home in the route, but it wasn’t conquered yet! There are almost no places to shake out or take a breath. The crux is intense on tiny holds, followed by move after move of body tension and endurance. Quite a project... but abandoning didn’t feel like the right option. My first redpoint attempt came and I fell high up, in the crux. Two attempts later I chose a beta change which worked: I passed the crux move shortly after. But then I started falling at the crux move again. And again. And again. I just felt blocked every time I reached that spot and couldn’t move my body up. So, it was time for another change of beta. Just one extra foot movement made the difference and I was ready to keep going! But... the end of the trip was drawing near. Only 2 more climbing days were left. And I felt so close to sending... . . Another attempt. I passed the crux this time, with my new foot beta, but I fell some moves further, on a tricky deadpoint. Nooo... Again, I had to search for one more detail that needed to be changed. And I found it. My 10th redpoint attempt and the last one of that day.I taped a finger with a bloody cut. I felt more tired than before. But I was determined to fight. I passed the crux and the deadpoint move too. Only one more risky move awaited me, right below the chain, but I didn’t want to let go. And I stuck it! What a feeling to clip those chains!!! . . . Most of the trip was spent on Joe Mama, but during a day off my project, I also on-sighted Gorilas en la Niebla - 8b+, a nice and long Oliana classic. Photo by @ezra_byrne @lasportivagram @petzl_official @lecomte.alpirando @xcultclimbing @climbforhim @frigyesvandenauweele #rockclimbing #oliana #lleida #catalunya #equipetapassion #lasportiva #weareclimbers #xcultclimbing

A post shared by Anak Verhoeven (@anak.verhoeven) on Nov 7, 2019 at 5:54am PST