Category Archives: news

Photo @ Samo Golob in Marjetica (8b+) in Mišja peč

Seems like this summer weather allows climbers to achieve their personal bests without a problem.

This weekend, only 14 years old Samo Golob sends Marjetica (8b+) in Mišja peč, his first 8b ever. Samo is a son of the first Slovenian 9a climber, Jure Golob. His father Jure is known by extreme power, non-stop laughs and of course by the first ascent of Slovenia's first 9a, Martin Krpan, in Mišja peč, back in 2001. He was also the first Slovenian male who won the international competition by winning Top Rock Challenge in Cortina D'Ampezzo, already 22 years ago. Jure is still climbing super hard, but now he has a new motivation, his son, that is climbing harder and harder. Maybe the first 9a father and son are here, behind the corner, who knows?

Photo @ Mina Markovič in Halupca 1979 (9a) in the big cave of Osp

Great news come from the big cave of Osp, where Mina Markovič did a first female ascent of Halupca 1979 (9a). This is her second 9a after La Fabela pa la Enmieda in Spanish Santa Lynia, a couple of years ago. For a successful ascent Mina needed nothing more than just 12 tries.

Halupca 1979 is in the center of the big cave in Osp and was bolted by Klemen Bečan in 2007 and next year first ascended by Matej Sova. It is composed of power endurance start followed directly with hard boulder for about 9 moves on bad pinches, underholds and extreme drop knees in full roof. After the crux you have a good rest still in full roof which is followed by endurance climbing on tufas and blobs till its anchor on around...

Photo @ The big cave of Osp

If you are strong enough, even if it is warm and the conditions for climbing aren't prime, hard routes can go down easily. Check the examples of Timotej Romšak and Mina Markovič climbing hard in Mišja peč and in the cave of Osp in the last days, right at the start of summer when the temperatures reached around 30 ˚C.

Only 15-16 years old Timotej Romšak climbed his first 8c, the mythical Talk is cheap in Mišja peč. Talk is cheap was first ascended by Uroš Perko in 1997, who grew up in the same city as Timotej, Kamnik. Maybe Perko's Sanjski par extension (9a) is the next project for young gun Timotej?

In the big cave of Osp Mina Markovič executed once more. She did first female ascents in just a couple of tries...

Photo @ the big cave of Osp

Mina Markovič climbed two 8c's in a day in the big cave of Osp. First, she did Osapska pošast and later Helikopter v pošasti which is a connection of the whole Helikopter v omaki (8b), followed by a traverse to finish in the top part of Osapska pošast (8c). Both routes are 55 meters long in full roof in a tufa paradise. For the first one she needed only three tries and for the second one two tries were already enough. Some days ago, she redpointed as well her nemesis route, short power endurance testpiece Missing link (8b+), in the right part of Mišja peč.

Also, in Mišja peč, Jaka Šprah crushed the short and powerful Missing drink (8b+) on his second go. On the left part of Mišja peč, Jernej Kruder clipped the chains of a bouldery...

Grotta Caterina @ photo by Gabriele Sbisighin Lately our local climbers were extremely active, so they have bolted, cleaned and first ascended many of new routes all around Istria. In Val Rosandra (Glinščica), in small but very steep sector Caprette, Trieste local climber did a great job. Gabriele Gorobey aka Sbisi first cleaned all the wall after some stupid climber made artificial holds and footholds everywhere in already existing totally natural routes. Now, all the routes are back in their natural shape, which is awesome. After he repeated all the hardest routes over there and suggested significant downgrades. For the hardest route of the sector, Tonto total, he suggests downgrade from 8c to 8b and for Tetris from 8b+ to 8a+. He also bolted and first ascended Covid che non te son altro (7c+), the first route to the left of Icaro (8a) and L'esodato (8a+), which is the first route to the right of Mano di Fata...

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...