So I havent updated in a while since its so hard to find internet on the road, but I'm back in Belgium now, done with the trip. So I left off at Rodellar.. after I climbed Welcome and the Hulk, it rained like hell for the next two days, not just there but in all of Spain. All that was potentially dry was the Ali Baba cave, so I hiked down alone two days and climbed in there while everyone else rested. The only thing that was fully dry was Pichacho, an 8A boulder established dy Dani Andrada. I climbed this in one day and also started trying The Hulk sit, 8c+. I did all the moves on the sit but The Hulk was wet so I couldnt link it. I was hoping that it would dry up but since the rain persisted, we had to leave. Terradets was also wet so my other project, Essencia de Resistencia, was also soaked. The only dry place to climb was Santa Linya, so we made a three day stop there before heading over to France for the rest of the time.
In Santa Linya, since I didnt have a lot of time, I set my sights on La Novena Puerta 8c+. (The route is the one in the photo of Magnus above) This 30 meter route is the first part of the famous Novena Enmienda 9a+, one of the hardest routes in the world established by Dani Andrada. It is basically an 8b+ to a good rest, to another 8b+. An amazing resistance route, and definately something that felt possible in the 3 day time limit.
Day one I worked out all the moves but had problems with the second crux, where you have to do a big move off a pinch to a three finger dish. In order to do the move I had to heelhook a really slopey tufa and my foot would slip everytime. Day two I had the same problem, but one go I did the move and made it to the third crux, the mono move, but missed it and fell. Day three I was pretty tired and fell all over but I had one go, at the very end of the day, where I made it all the way to the finish move of the route which is a big throw off of a slopey crimp to a jug, but was so tired that I missed it and fell. PUTA MADRE! At that point I knew the route was possible but only had one or two more opportunities to send it, because Chris and Future wanted to leave for Spain the next morning. So next morning I woke up, warmed up, and felt so tired I nearly fell off the 7b. I tied in and gave my project a try, but fell really low. Again it was a footslip. I figured I was too tired to send that day, but decided to give it one last go just to see what happens. I put on Chris's right shoe for the heelhook, which is a Womens Muira. I started up the route and somehow battled my way through the first part to the big rest in the middle. I took a long rest, beared down, and made it to the anchors! I ave no idea how I was able to do it so tired, but it was definately suprising and a random send. Very syked, my first 8c+! Future also ad a good 4 day trip by climbing Ingravid Serps and Digital System, both 8c, and falling off the finish move of Rollito Sharma Extension, another 8c!
So right after I sent we packed up and drove all the way to Nice. The next two days we climbed in La Turbie and Les Gorges du Loup, but I didnt do anything really hard since most of the climbs were wet. I climbed an amazing 8a at La Turbie, 40 meters of technical tufas and crimps, all above the famous Monaco.
So that pretty much concluded the rock climbing part of the trip. After these two days in Nice we drove over to Aix-En-Province to compete in The Youth Mediterranian Open. All in all I am satisfied with my trip, but I think we could have gotten a lot more done if it didnt rain so much. I definately have things to go back to now though, so A Muerte until I return!
