Here’s Who’s Competing at the First-Ever Multi-Pitch Comp
Eight teams of 16 top climbers will compete head-to-head on a 180-metre artificial wall in Switzerland at the end of October
The Red Bull Dual Ascent is the first-ever head-to-head climbing competition on artificial multi-pitch routes featuring teams of world-class athletes across various climbing disciplines. The event takes place between Oct. 26 to 29, 2022 on the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland’s Ascona-Locarno region, presenting a whole new challenge in the world of climbing
Sixteen of the world’s top climbers will come together in teams of two this October to compete in the first-ever head-to-head multi-pitch climbing competition on artificial routes, as Red Bull Dual Ascent sees climbers scale 180 metres of the sheer face of the Verzasca Dam located in Switzerland’s Ascona-Locarno region. The dam has long had artificial climbing routes.
How It Will Work: Climbers paired up into eight rope teams to battle it out to the top of the Verzasca Dam, leaving one winning team. There will be two identical parallel routes made up of six pitches each. The pitches will be a minimum of 5.11 and go up to 5.13+. This unique concept provides innovation at the highest level of climbing and brings together climbers across various disciplines – presenting new challenges and ways of competing for elite athletes. Routes will be climbed ‘redpoint’ (flash mode) meaning it is the first time the climbers try the route; however, they will have received prior information from a route demonstration shortly before the competition. Teams will need a clean redpoint send of every pitch on lead and following. The climbers are allowed an unlimited number of falls, where, if they do fall, they start at that same pitch again.
The Climbers
Sasha DiGiulian (US) and Angie Scarth-Johnson (AUS)
Mélissa Le Nevé (FRA) and Katherine Choong (SUI)
Petra Klingler (SUI) and Louna Ladevant (FRA)
Barbara Zangerl (SUI) and Jacopo Larcher (ITA)
Alberto Ginés López (ESP) and Luka Potocar (SLO)
Domen Škofic (SLO) and Jernej Kruder (SLO)
Stefano Ghisolfi (ITA) and Marcello Bombardi (ITA)
Shawn Raboutou (US) and Matty Hong (US)
Shauna Coxey (UK) and Pesche Wüthrich (SUI): They tested the route and made the first ascent. Coxsey said after, “I had so much fun with all the different moves – and the teamwork with Pesche was also great. He really made it cool – I’ve never climbed multi-pitch before, that was a first.”
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