Third Ascent of Alasha, Epic Psicobloc 5.14d
Michael Piccolruaz has made the third ascent of a stunning looking line in Mallorca
Michael Piccolruaz, 27, has made the third ascent of Alasha, Chris Sharma’s epic deep water solo 5.14d in Port de Sóller, Mallorca. Piccolruaz finished 15th at the Tokyo Olympics and has climbed boulders up to V15.
After his send, Piccolruaz said, ”Best experience of my life climbing these moves high above the Mediterranean Sea! The definition of KINGLINE!!” The second ascent was by Jakob Schubert two years ago, which Piccolruaz witnessed while projecting it himself. Piccolruaz travelled there this fall to work on the route with Jernej Kruder.
“A key hold entering the crux just wouldn`t dry up so I had to put tinfoil on it to prevent my fingers from getting wet and like this makes it somewhat climbable,” Piccolruaz commented on 8a.nu. “The ascent was quite epic then… The last moves to the lip of the wall were thankfully all in control and I got to fully experience the roller coaster of emotions hanging on the top jugs of Alasha so high above the sea. Definitely a dream come true.”
Sharma made the first ascent in 20016 after five years of projecting. The crux goes at V13, and while Sharma never graded it, Schubert suggested it was around 5.14d. Sharma said the location of Alasha is rugged and that he took repeated falls from the 20-metre mark. “It needs very subtle body positions, really tricky beta,” he said of the crux. “I finally figured it out to the point where I was like ‘OK, the moves go, now I can start trying it from the bottom.”
Alasha FA
Alasha Second Ascent
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