news round-up You can read all the latest news on the <strong>Climber</strong> website at www.climber.co.uk/news Barbara Zangerl on The Big Issue (E9 6c). Photo: Jacopo Larcher Barbara Zangerl in Pembroke trad-fest Austrian all-rounder, Barbara Zangerl, was in Britain recently mopping-up an impressive number of E8 and E9s in Pembroke including The Big Issue and Muy Caliente. Barbara was originally known as a boulderer; in 2008 she climbed Font 8a+/b when she did Pura Vida. However, a back problem pushed her into climbing routes and by 2011 she added the Vorarlberg (Austria) test-pieces, Reifeprüfung (F8b+) and Erntezeit (F8c), to her CV. Since then she’s done numerous hard routes with sport routes to F8c/+, Alpine multi-pitch routes – including Silbergeier (F8b+) – and desperate trad climbs such as Prinzip Hoffnung (E9/10). Last year Barbara repeated both Dalriada (E7 6b) and Requiem (E8 6c) and what is thought to be the second ascent of Achemine (E9 6c) in Scotland. In April this year Barbara climbed Gondo Crack in Switzerland, a trad F8c. Barbara arrived in Pembroke in late June and within days had climbed Chupacabra (E8/9 6c) and Do you know where your Children are? (E8 6c). Then, using beta from her partner Jacopo Larcher, she flashed Point Blank (E8 6c). The team then spent a few frustrating bad weather in North Wales before returning to Pembroke. Barbara’s second stint here was also productive climbing Muy Caliente (E9 6c) and then The Big Issue (E9 6c). Barbara seemed especially pleased with her ascents in Pembroke and of The Big Issue judging by her comments on social media: “I am totally impressed of this place. That was one of our best trad climbing trips so far. Every route was simply outstanding! Yesterday I had such a big fight through Big Issue (E9 6c), with bad conditions.... I really don’t know how I made it to the top! More luck than anything else.” Feehally flashes Font 8b+ News from the bouldering world is that Ned Feehally has flashed Trust Issues (Font 8b+) at The Realm, in Rocklands, South Africa. It ranks as one of the hardest flashes, alongside that of Adam Ondra’s with Jade and Gecko Assis, Jimmy Webb with The Globalist and Daniel Woods flashing Entling. Trust issues was first climbed by Nalle Hukkataival just a couple of weeks before in this new area at Rocklands and climbs a beautiful leaning sandstone wall. Alex Megos who watched the ascent said: “That was very impressive to watch! That fella knows how to use his heels and lock down to his hips.” An impressive feat by Feehally who also snagged an ascent of Amandla (Font 8b+), said to be one of the finest hard problems in the world. Elsewhere in Rocklands, Eliot Stephens broke into the Font 8b+ grade with an ascent of Golden Shadow that climbs out of a 45 degree wall on good crimps with awkward positions and movements between them. Eliot remarked: “I spent a few short sessions just trying to reach holds off the heel toe cam, but eventually just realised that I’d have to do my own thing. It then took another two sessions to link.” Ned Feehally flashing Trust Issues (Font 8b+). Photo: Alex Megos Limestone news Pete Dawson recently ticked two noteworthy repeats with True North (F8c) at Kilnsey, Yorkshire and the third ascent of Brian (F8c+) at Anstey’s Cove, Devon. Brian links two existing routes, Poppy (F8b+) and Tuppence Ha’penny (also F8b+) and was first done by Ken Palmer at F8c but upgraded when it was repeated by Ellis Butler Barker. Before that the 19 year old made a super-fast ascent with a first go red-point of True North. He commented: “I was blown away by the climbing. Inspired I gave it my all and somehow finished at the chains!” At Raven Tor in the Peak District, Will Bosi made a fast repeat of Jerry Moffatt’s Evolution (F8c+) climbing it on only his third attempt. Jordan Buys repeated Steve McClure’s Bat Shadow (F8c+) at Malham. By all accounts, it’s the second ascent as well. Back in 2013 he repeated Rainshadow (F9a) making him one of the then few climbers to have made it into the super grades. Jordan nearly did Bat Shadow just after Rainshadow but it’s taken a bit longer as Jordan explains: “Well I got close in 2013, a few months after doing Rainshadow. In fact it nearly was a mega-day – early afternoon I did Dalliance (F8b+) at Kilnsey. Then drove round to Malham in the evening and fell off with my hand on the hold that marks the end of the difficulties.” Fast forward to <strong>2017</strong> and: “I went on it early in the year as a reason to get fit. Having had a bit of disaster following a training plan that just did not work, I felt like I was starting from scratch. I was barely able to do any links, I was heavy and getting burnt off by everyone. It was nice to be able to train myself up again and work out what is best for me to peak.” McHaffie – The Cumbrian Face James McHaffie plugged a major gap on Clogwyn Du’r Arddu (Cloggy) with The Cumbrian Face (E8 7a). The route didn’t go down without something of a struggle however and he referred to it has an ‘emotional affair’ on social media. He’d previously tried the line in late May but wasn’t successful and had to lower off a sky-hook. Not easily deterred he returned at a time when conditions had been hot and sweaty in North Wales; hardly conducive to hard climbing and perhaps not surprisingly things still don’t go swimmingly well. However, McHaffie got the lead on his third attempt. n 10 Sep–Oct <strong>2017</strong> www.climber.co.uk
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