Category Archives: news

Photo @ Timotej Romšak onsighting Baram Baram (8a) in the big cave of Osp

Really many hard ascents were done in Istria in the last week. Let's check out the most important ones.

In the big cave of Osp, only 15 years old Timotej Romšak onsighted short and steep Baram Baram (8a). Baram Baram starts with "easy" climbing in a roof to a sketchy boulder and a pumpy finish, funny Klemen Bečan's route. A couple of days later in the same climbing area, female World Cup winners joined up in a team. So, Mina Markovič flashed Helikopter v omaki (8b) and Martina Čufar did the same route on her second go. Helikopter v omaki was bolted by Jurij Ravnik. It involves crazy but not hard climbing on tufas until you reach the crux, where you have to unlock the sequence of some bumpy moves on tufas followed by...

Jakob Bizjak in Water world (9a) in the big cave of Osp @ photo by Klemen Bečan

The centre of hard redpoints last week was for sure the big cave of Osp. First Jernej Kruder climbed another 9a by clipping the anchor of Matej Sova’s Halupca 1979 (9a). Then Jakob Bizjak crushed his first 9a ever with climbing Klemen Bečan’s work of Water world (9a).

Now Slovenia counts already 12 climbers (10 male and 2 female) with the hardest redpoint route in the 9th grade.

1. Jure Golob

2. Uroš Perko

3. Matej Sova

4. Klemen Bečan

5. Domen Škofic

6. Jernej Kruder

7. Mina Markovič

8. Janja Garnbret

9. Gašper...

The peregrine falcon hanging out on a tree on top of the Caffe expresso (8a+) in Mišja peč @ photo by Jure Franko

Climbers be aware before coming to Mišja peč. The peregrine falcon is nesting on a ledge above Teta Liza (7a), Oro puro (7c), 9a (6c, 7c) and Uncle Ben (7b). Those routes are now strictly forbidden to climb. Anyways, those routes are in the burning sun all day long and they are not possible to climb under these climbing conditions in summer. Also, some snakes appear on these sunny ledges at that time. So, wait with those routes until the autumn and also peregrine falcon and his new family will be grateful.

Some good news also came from Projekt OSP. Rajko Zajc rebolted Pikova dama (8b) and Miha Kern Galaktika (8a), both in Mišja peč. Good work, guys! Here is the...

Only 19 years old World Cup competitor Vita Lukan showed up in Mišja peč. In just three days she smashed the crimpy traverse in the right part of Mišja peč named Strelovod (8c) in just three tries. Before her hardest redpoint was »just« 8b. She needed three tries as well for the classic endurance pitch of Kaj ti je deklica (8b+). She climbed also power endurance testpiece Mrtvaški ples (8b), onsighted Albanski konjak (8a) and flashed Uživancija (8a). Impressive! For someone life list of projects, but for Vita obviously just another walk in the park.

Jakob Šparovec ticked another classic of Mišja peč, the long, hard and crimpy Chiquita (8b). In the big cave of Osp, Petra Zupan redpointed the very steep extension of Trojanski konj (7c+) named Laokoon (8a).

Also, Croatians are back in the game. Filip Kurtović climbed his hardest route up to...

photo @ Skedenj

Now that sport climbing outdoors in Slovenia is again allowed and traveling around the country permitted without exceptions, climbers are beginning to return to the crags.

A few days ago our friends were climbing in Skedenj, the secret crag near Sežana which is perfect in warmer part of the year as it doesn’t get any sun at all. Over there they got again in contact with the local psycho who was already punished by the police for throwing rocks on climbers some years ago. Seems like it didn’t help. He is back again. He already even took some bolts out and stated he will continue with his obscure actions. For now, until this crazy situation calms down, we strongly recommend for your safety to choose some other crag. Here is one video of Luka Biščak climbing Underground doens't stop (8c) over there.

For example, this weekend we...

Photo @ the view from Lijak

Dear climbers, it seems that the ray of light towards the freedom of allowed climbing outdoors has shined. As far as we understand the Slovenian government proceedings, Thursday the 16^th of April’s news state that outdoor sports where personal contacts can be avoided and safety precautions followed, are again allowed. But still leaving the municipality where you have your residence is not permitted, so it seems mostly locals can profit from this novelty.

We still have some news from the times before this unusual era when Jernej Kruder showed up in a beautiful winter crag near Nova Gorica, named Lijak.

First day he onsighted Venezia (8a), followed by another on sight of beauty called James Bond (8b). On a third visit of Lijak, he made a first ascent of Uroš Brecelj's project second to the right of James...