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Famous Eight-Pitch 5.13 in France Repeated

The 240-metre 5.13c is a decades-old limestone line at the amazing Aiglun

Top climbers Solène Amoros from France and Katherine Choong from Switzerland have climbed the famous Ali Baba, an eight-pitch 240-metre 5.13c on Paroi Dérobée at Aiglun, France. It was first climbed in 2002 by Philippe Mussatto.

Several climbers have sent the route over the past 20 years, but as far as anyone knows this is the first time it’s been climbed by an all-female team. Other women have climibed it in the past, including Nina Caprez, Anna Stöhr, and others.

“These very steep pitches, hauling the bags, the fatigue of the short nights and the successive climbing days pushed us to go beyond our physical and mental limits and to look for the necessary resources to succeed together by supporting each other at every moment,” said Choong. “An adventure full of emotions, moments of joy, complicity, and surpassing oneself that will remain engraved as one of the strongest experiences of our climbing career.”

Choong and Amoros spent two days bringing gear to the base of the remote climb before sending it ground-up over three-and-a-half days; spending nights on a portaledge. They both redpointed each pitch.

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