After 32 Days, Jorge Diaz-Rullo Sent This Chris Sharma 5.15b

A new film documenting the 2020 send of El Bon Combat by Jorge Diaz-Rullo

Gripped May 25, 2022

Spanish Jorge Diaz-Rullo sent El Bon Combat 5.15b, located at Cova del Ocell, back in 2020. The film La Perfección del Movimiento, which documents his send, was just released.

Chris Sharma made the first ascent of El Bon Combat in 2015 and suggested a grade of 5.15b/c, but it was repeated by Jakob Schubert in 2018 who suggested it’s likely a 5.15a. In 2019, Felipe Camargo made the third ascent giving it a personal grade of 5.15b.

Prior to El Bon Combat, Sharma had established a number of 5.15b sport routes, including Jumbo Love, Neanderthal, First Round First Minute and Fight or Flight, but had never made the first ascent of a 5.15b/c. Sharma did make the second ascent of La Dura Dura 5.15c, which he bolted and Adam Ondra made the first ascent of.

Schubert said, “I know it’s easy to not think about it and just take the grade of the first ascensionist which is 9b/9b+ (5.15b/c) in this case but I feel the responsibility to have more thoughts about it. For me it felt easier from the first day I tried it and i would guess it’s a hard 9a+ (5.15a).” Schubert had previously sent three other 5.15b climbs: Fight or Flight and Stoking the Fire, Planta de Shiva.

Sharma congratulated Schubert and said, “It very well could be ‘only’ 5.15a, however it very well could also be that Jakob is in insanely good shape right now and doesn’t know his own strength considering he absolutely smashed the world circuit and pretty much everything is his path.”

It took Diaz-Rullo 32 days over two months, during which time he lived in his van not far from the crag. Diaz-Rullo has sent several hard sport routes, including Planta de Shiva 5.15b, Ali Hulk Extensión Total Sit Start 5.15b, First Round First Minute 5.15b and the first ascent of Café Solo 5.15b.