Filip Schenk sends his first 9b, Erebor at Arco

Good news travels fast. But not always, given that the latest send dates back not to today but to Saturday 8 November: Filip Schenk has climbed Erebor at Eremo di San Paolo in Arco. This is the first 9b for the 25-year-old South Tyrolean climber who, in doing so, has completely skipped the 9a+ grade after repeating several 9a's. The route was first ascended by Stefano Ghisolfi in 2021, and Schenk told planetmountain the following.

"Erebor is a route that struck me deeply: from the beauty of the movements to the variety of climbing styles it requires. This king line, established by Stefano in 2021, has really small holds, which require great physical strength, but at the same time includes moves that require great body position, where it's essential to know how to move properly.

The route starts with a section of 25 extremely intense moves, which never give you time to breathe. This leads to the final crux, preceded by a good rest: you need mental fortitude there, because while you relax you also have time to think about the risk of failure. That's what always motivated me to try it: in order to make the send, you have to be a truly complete climber.

I made my first attempts in autumn 2024 and immediately realised that it was within my reach. The only part that caused me problems was the first crux: I couldn't do it using the original method, so I had to come up with my own beta. Throughout the last competition season I kept thinking about when I'd be back to try it again, and as soon as November arrived, I decided to devote myself exclusively to Erebor.

Already knowing the moves from last year's two sessions and having trained specifically on the first section before November, I found myself redpointing the climb much sooner than expected, closing the deal on Erebor this year after just four days on the route. It was an unforgettable feeling!"