Jen Wright Does First Female Ascent of Kleos V10/11

The Nova Scotian climbing community celebrated with Jen Wright this past Sunday, Mar. 31, when she did the first female ascent of Kleos V10/11 at the local crag, Land of Confusion (LOC).

Having done a number of V9s, this was a first of the grade for Wright. Impressive on its own, this send is also remarkable in light of her relatively recent surgery. As a child, Wright had spinal fusion surgery to correct her scoliosis. Only a year and a half ago, she had the metal rods from that procedure surgically removed. She told us that she was “almost completely recovered” when she sent her hardest problem to date.

Though stronger than she was before the surgery, she had to tweak her beta to make sure she didn’t hurt her left arm on the last powerful move to the sloper, which she figures is the red-point crux of the problem.

Wright worked Kleos (Greek for ‘glory’) for roughly ten sessions throughout the winter, sometimes in quite cold and snowy conditions. She cleaned snow off the entire top twice so that it would be dry enough to work the next day.

For the 5’2″ climber, the opening move – a huge but precise right arm throw – was by far the hardest. She figured out the subtleties of that first move only a few weeks before the day she topped the boulder. And if unlocking that beta didn’t convince her it would go, then falling off the final jug last Wednesday certainly did.

Wright said she had a little more confidence on Sunday morning. She had had a few rest days and was glad to have really good skin. She sent the problem in cool, clear conditions. If this is what Wright can do “almost recovered,” there are sure to be more double digits in her future. For now, she can bask in the “glory” of her historical send.