News and events

Another week report from Istria

photo @ Klemen Bečan in a project in the big cave of Osp This beautiful weather and prime conditions for climbing bring us many hard redpoints from everywhere in Istria. The secret spot above Trieste, Baratro, got dry in the last days and Davide Gaeta used fresh conditions and ticked La Supercanna (8b). Then in Slovenian part of Istria, in the big cave of Osp, restless Igor Čorko made one of the rare ascents of super steep 55 meters long Bala Bala (8b+), the Klemen Bečans multipitch (check video here). Also, Klemen Bečan was there and on second go easily smashed Leon (8b). In the same cave Italian old-gun Fabio Serino redpointed his first 8b ever, Helikopter v omaki. Congrats to all! A couple hundred meters away, in famous Mišja peč, young Czech girl named Gabriela Vrablikova fired the classic powerfest Mrtvaški ples (8b). In Croatia, more precisely in Buzetski kanjon, in the summer...
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Creme de la creme of Istria climbing

Klemen Bečan in Revolucija (8c+) in the big cave of Osp @ photo by Gianni Pecchiar Here is the list of Istrias hardest routes! The list consists of 56 routes from 9a+/b to 8c, a really big amount of extremely hard routes in such a small area, kind of unique in the world, perfect for hard-core climbers. For now, the hardest one is still Mr. Adam Ondras Vicious circle in Mišja peč with the proposed grade of 9a+/b that still waits for its first repeat. Vicious circle 9a+/b Mišja peč FA Adam Ondra (no repeat) Xaxid hostel 9a Mišja peč FA Tomasz Mrazek Sanjski par extension 9a Mišja peč FA Uroš Perko Martin Krpan 9a Mišja peč FA Jure Golob Waterworld 9a Osp the big cave FA Klemen Bečan Halupca 1979 9a Osp the big cave...
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Working Leon 8c FA by Klemen Bečan

Osp big cave
Photo @ the big cave of Osp Klemen Bečan strikes again by doing first ascent of Working Leon (8c) in the big cave of Osp. The route starts in Working class hero (8b+) where you have to climb its’ entire hardest part to get to the endurance climbing on tufas in full roof to an OK rest. Afterwards you have a crux of the route with a long move from the sidehold to a solid edge and a spicy finish to the top of Leon (8b). It was bolted by Gabriele Gorobey – Sbisi. In picturesque Brseč, Franci Jensterle repeated amazing 45 meters long classic Schussler extension (8b) while Igor Čorko made a first ascent of Happy end (8a), another 45 meters long 5-stars route. Some rainy days ahead, but the weather forecast for the weekend looks promising....
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Climbing news from Istria

Nicola Vonarburg
Nicola Vonarburg in Rocket Max (8a+) in Kompanj @ photo by Tanja Bele Eastern holidays are on its way so many climbers are already coming to all the different crags around Istria. It is getting really busy, so try to avoid the crowds by visiting some more unknown climbing areas. Check them here! On Saturday, Tomaž Bevk climbed his first 8c ever, Vizija in Mišja peč. After many years of climbing, Tomaž is still progressing and now he redpointed his new level by ticking crimpy Vizija. Vizija has a hard crimpy boulder problem in first 10 meters slab with one super long morphological move, followed by sustained climbing on tufas in grade around 8a to the top of 35 meters high wall in the centre of Mišja peč. Well done Tomaž, keep on crushing! In the big cave of Osp Polish Andrzej Fusik executed and took down 55 meters long classic...
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Easter & 1st of May holidays in Istria

Napoleonica
Napoleonica in the sunset @ photo by Matej Colja Easter & 1st of May holidays passed sooo fast. All the popular climbing areas in Istria got crowded, the weather was so-so, some days perfect, some days a bit less, but climbing was possible everyday which is important. I hope everybody had fun. There were many routes climbed all over the peninsula, here are some of the highlights. 18 years old Czech girl, Ella Adamovska succeeded in her third 8c with climbing famous Strelovod in the right part of Mišja peč. Her younger colleagues, only 16 years old, Tereza Širučkova and Michaela Smetanova both did Corto (8a), while Michaela redpointed as well Sonce v očeh (8a+), in Mišja peč respectively. Also in Mišja peč, Italian Andrea Vitagliano flashed Samsara (8a), Polish Stefan Madej ticked the crimpy Vizija (8c) and totally artificial Marioneta (8b+). The later power endurance test was done as well by his friend, Wojtek Pelka, who went...
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Summer in Istria

Maša Arnšek Placcoman (8a) in Baratro

Maša Arnšek in Placcoman (8a) in Baratro @ photo from her FB

In the last days, first heat waves of the year arrived. It was hot, humid and perfect for the first swim in the sea of the year. Deep water soloing season started, check where to go here.

What about climbing news from Istria?

Andraž Gregorčič used some last good climbing conditions before summer in Mišja peč with redpointing his first 8b+ ever, one of the best routes in Mišja peč named Kaj ti je deklica or translated What's up girl.

Also Saša Sedlar ended the season in Mišja peč with crushing crimpy and polished Oktoberfest (8a).

In the big wall of Osp, legendary Slovenian alpinist Silvo Karo bolted and cleaned from the top a new route left of Medo. Then he came back with...

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Summer heat

Sector Freezer aka Hladilnik on Mišja peč

Photo @ Sector “Freezer aka Hladilnik” on the far right side of Mišja peč

Summer heat just doesn't let go, the temperatures are far above 30 degrees Celsius during the day and also much more than 20°C already in the morning. Climbing is possible only in fresh caves such as Baratro, Skedenj, Grotta Caterina, maybe even in the summer sector of Buzetski kanjon. For sure, deep water soloing is the best option for these warm summer days.

Anyways, in Baratro Jaka Šprah redpointed the physical Hercules (8b+) in just couple of tries.

On Sunday, 16 years old Paolo Sterni, son of famous Italian aplinist Marco Sterni, onsighted the crimpy classic Sonce v očeh (8a+) in sector called »Freezer aka Hladilnik« on the far right side of Mišja peč.

Looks like, the summer heat won’t go away pretty soon, so...

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Youngsters in action

Osp the big cave

photo @ the big cave of Osp

As the temperatures dropped a bit, also climbers hit the road towards Istrian »summer« climbing areas.

Klemen Novak visited Baratro where he flashed Placcoman (8a) and redpointed Dino Šturmans artificial Attila (8c), which was first ascended by Swiss climber Simon Wandeler. The extension named Attila lunga (8c+) was later freed by Matej Sova. The first part consists of a hard bouldery start on small crimps in a 45-degree overhang, an OK rest and another awkward boulder on a sloppy tufa to resistant finish on about 15 meters of height. The extension adds another 15 meters of endurance climbing in Il sicario sanguinario (8c) with another spicy and crimpy boulder near the top.

Also, Austrian Mani Hubar was in Baratro where he flashed classic routes Placcoman (8a) and Violenza carnale (8a).

Then young Slovenian girls Ema...

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Another heat wave in Istria

Vera Gussetti in Violento dubbio (8b) in Baratro

photo @ Vera Gussetti in Violento dubbio (8b) in Baratro

Another heat wave hit Istria and also all the Europe in the last week but still some climbers refused to be beaten.

In Baratro, the secret summer crag above the gulf of Trieste, Vera Gussetti took down the connection between the classic routes Violenza carnale (8a) and Dubbio finale (8a+) named Violento dubbio (8b). This connection route consists of the first hard boulder of Violenza carnale on sloppy holds and a committing dyno to a good crimp, followed by an OK rest. Afterwards it joins Dubbio finale (8a+) with its hardest part in a big overhang and continues for about twenty moves without any rests on bad holds to reach the top of the wall. Bravo Vera, keep on crushing!

In Buzetski kanjon, in sector Slap, local Marko Kalčić made a first ascent, this time he managed to...

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Jaka Šprah climbed his first 9a, Water world

Jaka Šprah in Water world (9a) in the big cave of Osp
photo @ Jaka Šprah in Water world (9a) in the big cave of Osp This week, 20 years old Jaka Šprah from Ljubljana (Slovenia) climbed his first 9a, Water world in the big cave of Osp. Already before he redpointed couple of routes in the 8c+ and 8c range, onsighted till 8b and did boulders up to FB8a and now he was ready to join the fancy 9a club. Congrats Jaka! 😊 Water world is a 55 meters long and really steep route in the left part of the big cave of Osp which was first ascended by Klemen Bečan and later repeated by big names in climbing world such as Domen Škofic, Sachi Amma and Jernej Kruder. This is now the 5th ascent of this monster roof pitch. It consists of two parts: in the first 20 meter part, which is totally horizontal and is done in 30 moves you can find two boulder problems around FB7c...
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