Alex Huber’s New Trad 5.14a in Italy

Alex Huber has established a new 5.14a gear line on a seaside cliff in Italy.

Huber reported on 8a.nu that his new route is on Capo Monte Santo, an esthetic wall above the water in Sardinia. The 40-metre cliff is slightly overhanging and was described by Huber as so compact, it almost looked unclimbable.

On closer inspection, he discovered a line of tufas and after a few feet of blank rock, a big hole. To connect the two would require a dyno.

Huber decided against using bolts and to be sure his project would go, established Solemar, which climbed the path of least resistance up the wall around the dyno. After his inspection of the wall, he said that the dyno line wouldn’t be about physical strength, rather being prepared psychologically.

Stepping from a boat rocking back and forth in the waves, Huber started up his project. He placed a cam behind a tufa. A little higher, he placed two skyhooks. When he reached the dyno, he looked down and realized the cam was nearly 10 metres below, but went for the big all-points-off throw anyway.

On 8a.nu, Huber wrote, “I crimp the holds tightly and pull myself in close to the wall, sag down completely to give my body the maximum distance to accelerate.

“And then up I go, like a wave my body swells upwards, first my left hand unlatches, then my right, my left foot detaches as does my right before the fingers on my left hand curl onto the big hold.

“The jug is a dream, the entire project is a dream and my friends down below, Il Capitano and Michei, rejoice as much as I do.” He named the route Il Capitano 5.14a.

– For more stories, visit 8a.nu and be sure to visit Huber’s site here.