Category Archives: news

In Istria spring is in the air! The temperatures are nice, flowers are blooming and wild asparagus are everywhere, not to mention that already »summer« crags like Baratro, Grotta Caterina and Skedenj are already totally dry. And the ticklist of the last week… In sunny Napoleonica, both young Jaka Šprah and restless Luka Biščak redpointed the crimpy classic Orcobaleno (8b). Looks like Klemen Bečan is back in shape as well as he did on his first try the connection of Helikopter v omaki (8b) and Osapska pošast (8c), named Helikopter v pošasti with the grade of 8c. He knew both routes from before, but fighted his way out on his first try to the anchor of this 55 meters long super steep route in the big cave of Osp. For the end of the day he repeated as well another marathon route, Active discharge (8b+). In the first part (8a) of it, on the second...

In March 2019, a new edition of guidebook for Karst edge was published. This time it's even larger and richer, with additional areas of Vipava and Gorizia with crags Vipava, Vipavska Bela, Dolge Njive, Lijak and bouldering spot Vitovlje. As always, we try to make each edition better and more useful. The new guidebook now has 20 crags and over 2600 routes in Slovenia and Italy. All other crags have been updated, freshly photographed and checked: Osp and Mišja peč, Črni Kal, Črnotiče and Risnik in Slovenia and Napoleonica, Santa Croce, Costiera, Aurisina, Grotta Katerina, Sistiana, Doberdo and Val Rosandra in Italy. The guidebook now has a more durable cover with useful ribbon, which will come useful, as the book has grown to 432 pages. Anyone who feels the book...

Gabriele Gorobey in Halupca 1979 (9a) in the big cave of Osp @ photo from his FB Just a couple of days ago we have reported about first 9a for Gabriele Gorobey – Sbisi. Now he has crushed his second one, Halupca 1979 in the big cave of Osp. 32-years old Trieste based local guy is a multi-discipline climber, from boulders to hard-core sport routes even to big walls. In Istria he is known as an explorer of new climbing areas, developing, bolting and first ascending numerous new routes. A couple of days ago he succeeded in his first 9a, Sanjski par extension in Mišja peč, now he just crushed his second one, Halupca 1979 in just a couple of tries, so he believes it is a bit easier than the previous. Halupca 1979 is in the centre of the big cave of Osp and was bolted by Klemen Bečan in 2007...

Photo @ Stefano Folgarait during succesful ascent of Rainini (8b) in Kompanj With great weather conditions and best crew also the great climbing achievements happen on a daily basis. Here is a big last week’s list of hardest ascents in Istria and for sure we have missed some. 😊 In Mišja peč we had a visit from South Tyrolean climbing team among strong boulderer Stefan Scarperi fast ascent in Talk is cheap (8c) and Missing link (8b+) we already reported in the latest news. After he climbed as well the bouldery extension of Tortuga (7b), named Ninja želva (8c) and made a big list of flashes including Popaj (8a+), Highlander (8a+), Samsara (8a), Corto (8a) and so on. His teammate Michael Piccolruaz ticked crimpy Človek ne jezi se (8c) and flashed Corto (8a). Patrick Tirler smashed the artificial Marioneta (8b) and Moritz Sigmund flashed Samsara (8a), while on the girl’s side Alexandra Ladurner after redpointing Oktoberfest...

Klemen Bečan in FA of Leonidio news (8a+) in Raspadalica @ photo by Anja Bečan Restless Klemen Bečan freed a project he bolted like two years ago in a cave on the far left side of Raspadalica. The new king line has now a name Leonidio news and a proposed grade of 8a+ and is waiting for new repeats. In Mišja peč strong Italians showed their strengths! Stefano Scarperi fired on his second go power fest Talk is cheap (8c) and Missing link (8b+) as well, then Alexandra Ladurner climbed the techy Oktoberfest (8a). Strong Klemen Novak smashed one of the best Mišja's routes, Kaj ti je deklica? (8b+) respectively on his fourth try. Enej Novak, after clipping the chains of his first 8b ever just a week ago (check the news from the last week here), this week ticked his second one, the classic Mrtvaški ples (8b). Just a couple kilometres away,...

Gabriele Gorobey - Sbisi in Sanjski par extension (9a) in Mišja peč @ photo by Štefan Wraber Gabriele Gorobey, for friends Sbisi, a well-known local climber from Trieste, has stunningly finished Sanjski par extension (9a) in Mišja peč. It was his long-term project causing him some injuries as well as mental issues. Anyways, when he less expected and went for a try without any pressure only short after he recovered his knee injury, he finally succeeded in it and it became his first 9a! Big congrats! The route was bolted in 1992 by Slovenian climbing legend Tadej Slabe, then in 1994 he freed the first totally horizontal part and graded it 8c. Years later one hold broke and it got upgraded to 8c+. The extension was freed by Uroš Perko in 2003. After that it got at least 12 repeats from many famous climbers. From the first anchor (8c+) you continue with no rest directly into...

17 years old Austrian Nico Ferlitsch climbed his second 9a - Sanjski par extension (9a) in Tedi's cave in the left part of Mišja peč. He needed around 35 tries to redpoint this one, after climbing Martin Krpan (9a) in the same crag year ago. Here is the video of his successful attempt! Another youngster, 14 years old Slovenian girl Ema Seliškar fired Sonce v očeh (8a+) and Samsara (8a) in Mišja peč both on the same day. Janez Miklavčič was climbing in Osp in sector Banje (above the village of Osp) where he ticked his first 8c, Osapski pajek. Seems like also the big cave of Osp is dry again as Matteo Menardi already did ultra marathon route, 55 meters long Bitka s stalaktiti (8b). Some news come from Val Rosandra, sector Strapiombi delle Vergini where Mitja Peternelj and Ciano bolted some new routes/variations and here is information about it. The...

We are coming back to you with the latest climbing news updates. The weather this winter in Istria is quite funny, from extreme rain last weekend to spring temps these days. Anyways, the tufas mainly dried, climbing is possible in the sun as well in the shade, so climbers just deliver nice and hard ascents day by day. Here are some of the highlights: On the girl’s side, Petra Zupan redpointed the beautiful 30 meters long endurance classic in the central part of Mišja peč named Urbanova (8a). Saša Vidmar did its neighbouring route, Uživancija also with the grade of 8a. Austrian Jakob Greistorfer used warm climbing conditions and smashed the fast ascent of Strelovod (8c) in the coldest part of Mišja peč, called »the freezer«. He also did the classic powerfest Mrtvaški ples (8b). Also Mitja Jereb finished his long term project, Pikova dama (8b), the route in the central part of Mišja peč that starts with...

Photo @ Miha Hribar in Talk is cheap (8c) in Mišja peč The last days in Istria were just bombastic, cold with fresh and dry wind from NE, but still fulfilled with sun and perfect climbing conditions. Many personal records were broken. Strong boulderer and owner of Balvanija climbing gym in Ljubljana, Miha Hribar climbed his first 8c ever, the classic powerfest Talk is cheap in the left part of Mišja peč. The route was first ascended by Uroš Perko back in 1997 and was super controversial at that time. It was bolted by famous Tadej Slabe and after many tries done by Uroš Perko. It was first 8c for Perko as well. At that time, in Slovenia existed only Tadej Slabe's masterpieces Sanjski par (8c) and Za staro kolo in majhnega psa (8c+), so there were many doubts about that controversial grade, but that was long time ago and that times in sports climbing were a...

photo @ our queen, Mišja peč First of all, Happy New Year to all our followers! We wish you all even more hardcore redpoints, flashes or onsights, first ascents or even spending many unforgettable moments with your loves, best friends, relatives outdoors and of course injuries free 2019! Love you all! Christmas and New Year's day passed with bombastic climbing conditions! Everything was dry, NE fresh wind called »burja« was blowing almost on a daily basis, but still in the shelter from the wind and with the sun above your head, it was just perfect for climbing! So many hard redpoints and onsights happened in these days, that it was hard to follow. Here are some, all the others will be updated in the next days, so stay in touch! The strongest WC couple, Domen Škofic and Janja Garnbret, were climbing for their 1st day after some weeks of rest in Mišja peč. Domen checked some new projects...