Laura Rogora has made the first repeat of “Erebor“, the 9b/+ route first climbed by Stefano Ghisolfi ealier this year. This marks the hardest sport climb ever done by a Woman.
Laura Rogora has been making huge leaps in her climbing in the last couple of years, rocketing up the grades outdoors as well as competing in the first ever Sport Climbing at the Olympics. The route is in Eremo di San Paolo, Trento in her home country of Italy.
In an instagram post she said: “It was an honour making the first repetition of Italy’s hardest route bolted and climbed by @steghiso“. She’d been in the area for the past couple of months working the route and others. In total Laura took six sessions on the route. She’d first tried in back in March, managing to get all the moves (without linking them) fairly quickly.
You can see the uncut footage of Laura on the route below or take a look in more detail and a higher resolution in Stefano’s video. The hardest move is low down, following by a dynamic move from very small holds that Laura actually skipped. She managed to find minuscule crimps to use instead of the jump. From there are more hard moves into a decent rest, then a final boulder problem to finish.
“Erebor” is an intense overhang in a picturesque setting, Eremo meaning hermitage. The building built into the rock itself is a small church for hermits, luckily the area is very pro-active in promoting a healthy mix of outdoor sports while preserving it’s culture.
Rogora is by far the best female sport climber outdoors right now, with a couple of 9a+ routes last year as well as a 9b. Only Angela Eiter and Julia Chanourdie have also climbed 9b. At the Olympics she unfortunately didn’t do well in qualification, taking 15th place and not making the final eight.
“Erebor” is a recent route that fellow Italian Stefano Ghisolfi bolted in 2020 and sent in January of this year. As one of the very few people to have climbed multiple 9b+ routes, he gave “Erebor” the slash grading of 9b/+ aka in between 9b and 9b+.
In regard to the grading, he said: “In my opinion I never climbed in Italy something as hard as this route, but I still think it doesn’t reach the full 9b+ comparing it to Change or Perfecto Mundo. Therefore my grade suggestion is 9b/+ that makes it the hardest route in Italy and my proudest first ascent, and I’m looking forward someone will come and repeat it soon!“
He also said this is the easier version of the route – so there could be a 9b+ or 9c variation waiting in Arco. Stefano also popped up on Laura’s instagram post of the send to say: “I just warn you that Bibliographie is not so much tougher, if you haven’t booked your 2022 holidays yet take it as a suggestion“. Interesting stuff…
Laura now has the following list of impressive climbing records: –
- Jan 2020 – “La Bongada” 9a, Margalef
- May 2020 – “Pure Dreaming Plus” 9a+, Arco
- July 2020 – “Ali Hulk Extension Sit Extension Total” 9b, Rodellar
- Nov 2020 – “The Bow” 9a+, Arco
Photo header image by @overchalked on instagram.
