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Will Ghisolfi be the Best Sport Climber of 2018?

Stefano Ghisolfi left 2017 with a string of big sends of hard sport climbs around Spain and Italy.

The 24-year-old Italian climber has kicked off 2018 with an ascent of La Capella 5.15b in Catalonia, Spain. The steep route was first climbed by Adam Ondra in 2011.

This is Ghisolfi’s fourth 5.15b and he shows no signs of slowing down. In 2017, he sent One Slap at Laghel in Arco and First Round, First Minute at Margalef in Spain.

His first 5.15b was back in November of 2015 with the first ascent of Lapsus, Italy’s hardest route. Ondra repeated it in 2017 and confirmed the grade.

Ghisolfi needed less than a week to climb La Capella and broke a hold along the way, which might make it more difficult.

In 2007, Ghisolfi competed in his first international competition at IFSC European Youth Cup. He won bronze at the IFSC World Youth Championships in 2010 and 2011. He went on to get golds in Xining, Wuhiang twice and Xiamen.

What would make someone the best sport climber of the year? If we look back over the past decade, it’s whomever climbs at or near the limit of the sport consistently while adding new and difficult routes of their own.

Ghisolfi is one of countless top climbers who could all finish the year with more and harder sends than the rest.

And really, who cares who the best climber is? Nevertheless, it sure is motivating witnessing climbers continue to push themselves and the sport.

Scroll down to watch Ghisolfi’s 2017 send of One Punch 5.15a.

5.15 Sends by Stefano Ghisolfi
Le moustache qui fâche 5.15a
Biographie 5.15a
Demencia Senil 5.15a
Lapsus 5.15b
Goldrake 5.15a
Jungle Boogie 5.15a
Ultimatum 5.15a
First Round, First Minute 5.15b
La Rambla 5.15a
First Ley 5.15a
One Punch 5.15a
One Slap 5.15b
La Capella 5.15b

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