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Olympic Gold Medalist Janja Garnbret Sends V14

The problem was once one of the most difficult ever climbed, when first sent over 20 years ago

Janja Garnbret, who took home gold medal in sport climbing at the Tokyo Olympics, has repeated Bügeleisen V14 in Malatal, Austria, which was first climbed by Klem Loskot in 2001.

“Climbing is the new ironing, ladies,” Garnbret said in her post where she noted that she made the first female ascent of the longtime test-piece. Loskot said it’s “the six-metre monster,” and when it was climbed was only one of two V14s with the other being Fred Nicole’s Radja. The only problem harder at the time was Dreamtime v15, also climbed by Nicole.

The climb overhangs 50 degrees and got its first repeat by Markus Bock in March 2002. Nalle Hukkataival arrived in April 2013, over a decade later, and made the third ascent. He then added a sit start, a 12 to 15 move problem and gave it V15. Other climbers to have ticked it include Kilian Fischhuber, Christof Rauch and Martin Stráník.

In November 2021, Garnbret onsighted Fish Eye 5.14b, which was the first-ever female onsight of the grade, and American Hustle 5.14b.

Janja Garnbret

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