27 Sep Successful summer for Nina Caprez

 
 
 
In 2009 July 17, the talented swiss climber Nina Caprez  performed the first female ascent of Ultime démence (Verdon Gorge, France)  after 4 days of work in the route. The 150m multi-pitch climb (8a+, 8a, 8a+, 7c+ and 7c) was bolted by Laurent Triay in 2000 and offers perfect overhanging face climbing, enhanced by some tufas.
 
In August Nina was part of the Mammut team, consisting furthermore of the swiss Stephan Siegrist and Giovanni Quirici, and the Austrian David Lama, and that went to Kyrgyzstan.
 
The team trip was inspired by the traces of Lorenz Saladin, a swiss mountaineer that was travelling in the same area of central asia around the 30’s of last century. They were accompanied by photographer Rainer Eder and filmer Christoph Frutiger.
 
The first part of the trip led to the Kara Su Valley, where they accomplished the first free ascent of the russian route Timefeev on Asan Peak, 4200 m. The 800 meter climb (17 pitches) has difficulties up to 7b+.
 
After four pitches along technical 7b+ slabs, the style changes to perfect crack climbing in solid granite (7a-7b level). In the first days on the route Nina was climbing with David in alternating lead. The team for the integral free ascent comprised Nina together with Stephan, as David had to leave for a worldcup event. An initial attempt to open up a new route ended after 2 pitches due to bad rock quality.
 
 
Furthermore, a part of the team was successful in the nearby Ak Su Valley. The target was Perestroika Crack on Russian Peak (Pik Slesov, 4250m), an impressive line that is also know as the “Astroman of Kyrgyzstan”. It offers 24 pitches of crack climbing up to 7b, but the major part of the climb is in the 6c range.
 
It was climbed in two teams. Nina Caprez / Giovanni Quirici (alternating lead) and Stephan Siegrist / Sébastien Pochon whereby Stephan managed to do the probably first one-day on sight.
 
The quite “popular” route was initially freed by a French team in 1993 and repeated (among others) by Greg Child and Lynn Hill in 1995. First on sight by the Pustelnik brothers and Slawek Cyndecki in 2006.
 
source: UpClimbing
 
all the pictures from Nina’s Blog (ph.Rainer Eder)
 
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