American climber Ashima Shiraishi has successfully redpointed 'Open Your Mind Direct' at Santa Linya in Spain. The line is given 9a but since a hold broke it is thought that it could well be 9a+. If this is confirmed, she would not only be the first woman to climb the grade, but also the youngest person in history. Perhaps the most incredible part of this story is that Ashima is still just 13 years old, the exact same age as Adam Ondra was when he sent his first 9a. Having done an 8B boulder problem when she was 10 and having now joined a very elite group of women we suspect we’ll be seeing much more of Ashima in the near future.
Next, we’re off to the Himalayas to check in on the various expeditions there. The biggest news right now is that Nanga Parbat remains unclimbed in Winter, after the final team gave up their attempts this year. Simone Moro was also unsuccessful in linking Manaslu with its Eastern summit, although he plans to stick around and attempt to summit it in Spring. Finally, 76 year old Carlos Soria is aiming to summit both Annapurna and Dhaulagiri this Spring, and is already underway with his attempt on the first mountain.
Ashima Shiraishi Joins the 9a (+?) Club | EpicTV Climbing Daily Ep.467