One of the world’s hardest women climbers has struck again. If you’ve been living under a rock for a year, Laura Rogora (then 20 years old) made a splash in Arco, Italy, when she redpointed “Erebor” (9b/+).
The ascent earned her the official title of the world’s hardest climbing woman. Adam Ondra would eventually downgrade the route, but the discrepancy did little to dim Rogora’s rapidly rising star.
On Sunday, Rogora placed her name in a new location in the Arco ledger: the first ascensionist column. “80 Ghisa” (9a) links two existing routes to create one marathon sport epic.
Why 80? That’s how many moves it takes to finish it, according to Rogora. “Ghisa” translates to “cast iron,” based on my research, which is what her chiseled frame looks like it’s made of.
Rogora said the idea for the mega link-up came as a matter of course.
“After sending ‘Unchio L2’, I thought about the possibility to climb the same line starting from a short 8b on the left, ‘Aji Musa.’ I put a bolt on the traverse, and the result was an 80-moves line,” she explained on Instagram.
She also noted that she downgraded “Unchio L2” because she found “easier beta” and noted that the linkage she bolted between the two pre-existing routes is not for the faint of heart.
“I definitely placed the bolt really bad, so if you want to try it, make sure to check the safety,” Rogora advised.
Of course, safety only matters if you fall, which is no concern to Rogora. We don’t have footage of her new route yet, but watching her is worth it. Want a clinic in body tension, mobility, and pacing on nails-hard climbs? I recommend Rogora.
