Coming to Rocklands this year I had one main climb in mind, Monkey  Wedding, V15.  This line was first climbed by Fred Nicole over 8 years  ago.  I had briefly tried this line the first time that i came to  Rocklands but at the time, the line felt way too hard for me and I knew i would have to come back stronger if Iever wanted to send it. Before my trip, I trained super hard! I knew I would have my work cut  out for me on such an amazing and hard line!  I began working the  climb early in the trip but because of bad weather and sharp holds I  was not able to give it that many days of work.  By the middle of  August, I had tried the line a decent amount and felt like i was
getting very close to sending.  The weather was beginning to get very  warm and my trip was coming to an end very shortly, so I knew I had to  get it done in very soon!  On the last day of my trip in Rocklands, I  managed to nab  the second ascent of Monkey Wedding!  The feeling of  sending such an awesome line made me so realize how much hard work and  effort has to be put in sometimes to get something done.  It is all  worth it when you are standing at the top of your project feeling
nothing but pure euphoria. I am now in Cape Town for the next few days, bouldering and hanging out.  My girlfriend and I head to Europe on August 31st!  We are going
to be heading to Austria first and then off to Switzerland for the  Fall!  Stay tuned for more updates!

~Paul

After two years of effort, Sender Films groundbreaking 6-part  First Ascent: The Series is now being released on DVD box set and digital download at www.senderfilms.com. For those of you who have been following them for a while, this is NOT to be confused with their 2006 film “First Ascent.” It’s a whole new thing. A co-production with National Geographic International, First Ascent: The Series is a culmination of everything they have been striving for in terms of cinematography, story-telling, and cutting-edge vertical feats. They are really proud of it…. enjoy

“First Ascent: The Series” Trailer from Sender Films on Vimeo.

Cross Posted from NinaCaprez.com

Monday, 16th of August. Aiglun, 20 degrees, little wind….perfect, let’s go climbing in Ali Baba!

Three weeks after my first working out togehter with Arnaud Petit, I was finally able to climb all the 8 pitches in one day and at the same time in one go. It was defently the most beautiful and most ambitious climbing I ever did in my little climbing career and it was just a big big pleasure to move in this route. At this place, thanks a lot to the route setter Philippe Mussato and Ben Peyronnard. 10 days ago, I was giving a first try together with Arnaud Petit, Stefanie Bodet and Titi.

But I wasn’s strong enough, I felt two times in the 6th pitch on the top…out of the game. In contrast, Arnaud was the machine pure! More of his ascent on his web page: www.vagabondsdelaverticale.com

After this try, I was just dead for one week…inable to do any afforts, Ali Baba costs you all the energy of your body. First you have to walk more than an hour in the forest and to climb on fix ropes to reach the foot of the wall. After you have to climb ‘cash’ an 8a and if you climb bad, your body is already full of lacatate! The second 8a is full of slopers, the difficulty is more or less regulary, so you have to climb soft to avoid to be pumped. I was surprised, because this time, it was a little freshness in the air and so the first two pitches the fritchness was really good. After a little 7b+ you are reaching a good platform, the sandwich platform!

Well and now Ali Baba begins! Pitch 4, a fantastic 8a with a hard boulder start ( after the sandwich….hard…:-)) and a special tufa nose in the end. Pitch 5 was the most difficult for me. It’s a long 40 meter 8a+ and the conditions are really important because you have to crimp a lot of small holds and I think in case of a fall, it’s really hard to recover and to reclimb this difficult pitch. I knew that, so I was concentraded and I climbed well, with big fights, crys and all this stuff…;-)

On this part, It’s time to talk about Cédric. Jep, the key for an ascent in multipitch climbing, is the climbing partner. Or in my case the jumar-partner. Cédric did everything for me: he was jumaring all the route the most quickly possible, he was hauling the bag, he was stressed more than me because he really wanted that I will have success. This is true love!

After an one hour break, I attacked the most physical 8a+. The last attempt I was falling two times on the top of this steep and 15 meter short 8a+. This time I was fighting like the real Ninamachina and I did it!;-)

Adrenalin, adrenalin….I had to stay concentraded for the last and ultimate fight….one more 8a+….I was’t thinking about a possiblity of the ascent, I was just thinking about this last pitch. I knew that I lost aldeady all the power in the six pitches before and I knew to reach the top, I had to climb perfectly and an ascent was just a game in my head. Well, everybody knows that I have a strong character. ( Sometimes to strong….;-)) When I will do or have something, there is no way, thats Nina. And this is the reason why I was reaching the top of this route. A real bullhead!

Hihi, to be honest I was limite limite to vomiting when I clipped the chaine. The last 7b+ was really painfully for the skin, but more or less easy after the rest of the route.

The feelings are just incredible after a realisation of a dream….and normally, after an ascent, your body needs a long break. This was not the case. The next two days were a big mission to film and to take phots in this wall. I had the pleasure to work together with Röbi Bösch for the photos and with Julien Nadiras and Fred Ripert for the film images. A big respect for theese three guys because working in this wall is defently not easy!

Hmmm….I’m ready for the beach now. Climbing have to wait a little bit…

Climbing star Steph Davis discusses climbing, BASE jumping, and wingsuit skydiving at the Outdoor Retailer trade show on August 5, 2010.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Angie Payne started climbing when she was 11. In the next dozen years she’s pulled off impressive sends of hard boulder problems including European Human Being (V12), No More Greener Grasses (V12) and most recently the classic RMNP line The Automator (V13). Payne’s ascent of The Automator is notable as this is likely the first time an American woman has sent V13. Although Barbara Zangerl climbed Pura Vida (8A+/8B) back in 2008, The Automator could very well be the hardest problem by any woman! Congratulations Angie! Kelly McBride,  Jamie Emerson, Peter Beal and Climbing Narc have all chimed in on her achievement. Angie counts pretzels, caffeine and her dog Jake among her main interests. She hopes to someday get a banjo and volunteer as a veterinarian for the Iditarod dog race in Alaska… but not necessarily at the same time

*We hear there is video footage of the climb and are excited to see it…

Cross Posted From 8a.nu

Sasha Digiulian and her partner Magnus Midtbö have had yet another nice and productive onsight day in Rodellar. Sasha onsighted two 8a’s Gracias fina and Akelarre Extension according to the norwegian’s blog and Magnus had onsight of El chorreras o la belle inconue, 8b (+). They are #2 and #10 in the ranking game.

UPDATE: Magnus sent us the pictures below of Sasha on Welcome to Tijuana 8c (5.14b) and El Delfin 7c+ (5.13a). She may be the youngest female to send 8c at 17 years, 9 months & 9 days!