Matilda Söderlund Climbs 5.14d in Sweden
Her first repeat of Niemisis took around 50 days, which is the longest the top Swedish climber has spent projecting a sport climb
Matilda Söderlund has climbed another 5.14d with the second ascent of Niemisis in Niemisel, Sweden. In 2019, she climbed her first 5.14d with The Elder Statesman in Frankenjura (watch below).
Söderlund worked on piecing Niemisis together for around 50 days, training specifically for the crux sections on and off the rock. The 25-metre route has several difficult sections that she built a replica to train for at the gym. She said that it’s her “longest project ever.”
Söderlund, who co-owns a gym in Stockholm called Moumo, onsighted her first 5.13+ routes back in 2012. She went on to flash 5.14a shortly after. In 2018, Soderlund climbed Pure Imagination 5.14c at Red River Gorge. “I started out as a competition climber,” she said. “I want to feel 100 per cent motivated and passionate about what I am doing, that’s why I decided to focus on climbing outside when I graduated from university in 2017.”
In 2022, Söderlund, along with Sasha DiGiulian and Brette Harrington, made the first repeat of Rayu, a 15-pitch 610-metre 5.14- on Peña Santa in Picos de Europa, Spain. The route was established by Iker Pou, Eneko Pou and Kico Cerdá over five weeks in 2020. “Second ascent and first female ascent,” said Söderlund. “This also marks the hardest graded big wall achieved by a female team. The route is mainly trad climbing, making it very adventurous and exposed at some places.”
The Elder Statesman
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