Ashima Shiraishi climbs possible 9a+

[rydra_wong]

No way this could wait until Friday ...

Open your mind direct, ~9a+, by Ashima Shiraishi

The route was previously graded at a "very solid" 9a, but then a hold broke; Shiraishi is the first person to climb it after this.

If the 9a+ grade sticks (which is a big if, since no-one else has climbed the route in this form, and there's also a mysterious tendency for hard routes climbed by women to experience sudden downgrades), then she's:

a) the only female person in the world (with the possible exception of Josune Bereziartu, who climbed a 9a/9a+) to have climbed this grade;

b) the youngest person in the world ever to climb this grade, beating Adam Ondra by two years.

Even if it's "only" a 9a, that adds her to the very select six female people to have climbed 9a.

Comments

[superborb]

In the yosemite system, this means that she holds onto the climbing routes rated higher than her age for another year!

[sixbeforelunch]

Very cool.

[wpadmirer]

SO very cool. If they downgrade it now, someone needs to get smacked upside the head.

[rydra_wong]

To be fair, no-one else has climbed the route in its current form, so it's not something where there is an established consensus grade -- it's more "it was 9a, and many people think the hold breaking would make it harder".

[emperor]

Excellent :)