Category Archives: news

photo @ Ernest Piesta in La Supercanna (8b+) in Baratro

Last days in Istria were nothing else than just amazing. The weather was great, climbing conditions were prime and climbers were all around.

In between all the routes that were climbed, let us highlight a few of the hardest redpoints.

In secret climbing area Baratro Ernest Piesta climbed La Supercanna (8b+) while his partner Lenka Micicova did Masochismo (8b), its easier variant Siddharta (8a+), Placcoman direct (8a+) and Dubbio finale (8a+) as well.

In the big cave of Osp Maša Arnšek crushed the first part of super steep Active discharge (8a) and Matteo Menardi did its monster 55 meters long extension graded 8b+ on his second go.

Teenager Andrea Chelleris visited Mišja peč once more where he quickly sent Marjetica (8b).

Jakob Šparovec went to to...

photo @ Indian summer in Istria

Indian summer this Sendtember in Istria was great, with perfect and sunny weather and some fresh winds now and then. Starting with the fresh climbing news from the north of Istria towards south.

ITALY:

In Baratro, Andrea Padoan ticked La peste nera (8b+), totally artificial, but super fun competitive style route. Sebastian Castanetto smashed his first 8c ever over there, the direct crimpy start of Il musico (8b), named Le terme del musico. Congrats!

SLOVENIA:

Super young gun Andrea Chelleris showed his powers once more, this time he put easily down Stelovod (8c), the crimpy traverse in the right sector of Mišja peč. Besides that, he did as well ultra-classic powerfest Missing link (8b+). Well done, bro! 😊

In the same sector Mia Krampl walked through Sonce v očeh (8a+).

photo @ Andrea Chelleris while doing his best in between climbing

Andrea is a 12 years old boy from Tarvisio in Italy. He was born in March 2009 to the family of climbers, mother Simonetta and a legend Michele Chelleris from an old classic climbing area Erto in the northern Italy. Of course, he started to climb at a young age, but as well he trained skiing quite a lot. He is nowadays a youth Italian champion in giant slalom. Congrats, piccolo!

Anyways, last year he did his first 8c, Super nera in Baratro near Trieste, this year he crushed Pure dreaming (9a) in Arco, in sector Massone, Pueblo. And now….he was in Osp!

In the big cave of Osp he onsighted Active discharge (8a) and Troja (8a+) and he did Helikopter v omaki (8b) in just three tries.

The left part of the big cave of Osp @ photo by Mitja Živkovič

After August heat, the temps finally dropped and the conditions for climbing are getting much better every day. Of course, Sendtember is almost here. Have you already booked accommodation for your next climbing holidays in Istria? Check: https://www.climbistria.com/accommodation/

Let us start with the ascents from the big cave of Osp, where Robert Pečenko succeeded in his first 8b+ ever by clipping the chains of a 55 meters long monster pitch Active discharge. The first part which is graded 8a was done by Tina Berčič. In the same crag Mexican climber Miguel Angel Aceves onsighted the short and dynamic Baram Baram (8a).

In Mišja peč, only 19 years old Polish climber Blažej Winiarski redpointed short, steep and powerful classic Missing link (8b+) and totally artificial Marioneta (8b).

Photo @ secret crag named Baratro above Trieste

It's been really long since our last post. Of course, summer arrived and high temps in Istria and usually one wouldn't expect any super hard crushes in a not really ideal conditions. But some refuse to be beaten. So, what has happened in Istria in the last month?

Baratro is a secret crag above Trieste which is usually “quite” fresh to climb in the summer. Over there, Andrea Padoan added another 8c on his list. This time he clipped the chains of a rarely repeated crimpy testpiece called Le terme del musico. It has an extremely hard direct start of Il musico (8b) that was also done another day by Sebastian Castanetto. Another Italian, Andrea Pustetto redpointed totally natural La Supercanna (8b+), which is quite rare for the steep routes of Baratro. Strong Slovakian lady Lenka Micicova crushed almost all the routes...

We are receiving many emails lately about where to phisically buy the guidebooks for climbing in Istria. At www.krimp.si you can buy both climbing guidebooks, Karst edge and Istria.

Climbing guidebook Karst edge consists of all the climbing areas in Slovenian and Italian part of Istria while Istria includes Croatian climbing areas of Istrian peninsula and the coastal part of Kvarner.

Here is the list of places where you can buy both guidebooks in Slovenia: camping Vovk in Osp, camping Tura under climbing area Vipava, hostel Ociski raj, Xaxid hostel, apartments Pod kostanji, Hiša Robida and popular Viki burger in Črni kal.

And the list of places in Croatia: tourist infopoint Buzet, apartments Dolores and caffebar Sara in Roč.

Enjoy climbing in Istria!

...

photo @ new routes in Črni kal

Silvo Karo, a world known alpinist who is living in Osp, cleaned and bolted a brand new sector in Črni kal a month ago or so. All the routes are around 30 meters long and they are situated in between sector above the road and Turkish tower. The access to the routes can be measured in seconds. From left to the right you have: Pirh (5b+), Hren (5c), Aleluja (6b+), Vstajenje (6c) and Spoved (7a).

All the routes are beautiful and just for them it’s worth a visit of this old-school crag.

To check more about alpine adventures of Silvo Karo, we suggest you to order his autobiography book Rock'n'roll on the wall on this link.

And the latest hardest ascents in Istria?

In Slovenia, Domen Kolenko climbed his hardest route until...

Samo Golob in Strelovod (8c) in Mišja peč @ photo by Štefan Wraber

Only 15 years old Samo Golob climbed his first 8c, Strelovod in Mišja peč. He needed just 5 or 6 tries after he put the rope in the chain of Marjetica (8b) last autumn. Maybe, because of the beta he shared with his father, Jure Golob, who was the one who established the first 9a in Slovenia, Martin Krpan. WOW!!! Congrats to both!

Also, World Cup bouldering competitor, Zan Lovenjak Sudar visited Mišja peč and he did Missing drink (8b+) and crushed the bouldery Ninja želva (8b+) on his second go.

Maj Tomažin clipped the chains of his hardest route until now, Lahko noč Irena (8b).

Then, a bit more to the north, in scenic Lijak, Robert Pečenko did his second 8b, one of the most...

Photo @ Osp, sector Babna on the far right side

The spring is definitely in the air. With next week the temps will raise even more and soon it will feel like it’s summertime.

Local climbers in their local climbing spots were active as usual. In Mišja peč, Jernej Kruder clipped the first chain of Sanjski par (8c+) after more than 50 tries. Now he is getting close to finish the 9a extension. Venga Krudi! Matjaž Zorko redpointed the steep traverse called Lazuret (8b), Tina Berčič did Mozaik (8a) and Mitja Jereb the long and beautiful Sreča vrtnice (8b).

Jaka Šprah made a short visit to Croatian Istria where in Buzetski kanjon in sector Pengari he onsighted Too late (8a) and La petarda (8a+). In the big overhang of Pandora he climbed the classic power-endurance testpiece Avatar (8b) and on second go ticked...

Photo @ left part of Mišja peč

Until yesterday, nice weather was all around Istria for weeks. Many hard routes were climbed all around. Let us start with the hardest ones.

German Moritz Welt strike once more and showed his powers by putting the rope in the anchor of another 9a, this time Halupca 1979 in the big cave of Osp. Here you can watch a video of his ascent.

He also climbed a lot in Mišja peč. While trying Sanjski par extension (9a), he also redpointed bouldery roof Ninja želva (8b+), slabby Klobasa (8a+) for which he thinks it should be upgraded to 8b and onsighted Caffe expresso (8a+) and the second, but still the hardest part of Popaj (8a+).

In Mišja peč as well, Czech Republic’s Vojta Trojan smashed classics like Talk is cheap (8c), Mrtvaški ples (8b) and Marioneta...