Katherine Choong climbs hard in Verdon and Engelberg

Capitalising on her form which in the past has netted her two 9a's, in the last few weeks Katherine Choong from Switzerland has redpointed two difficult, rarely repeated multi-pitch routes in her home country and in France.

As a result of 2020 World Cups being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, the 29-year-old started to look for projects closer to home and 6.4 Sekunden sprang to mind. This technical 170m 8b/+ on the Fürenwand was first ascended by Matthias Trottmann in 2006 and had been repeated previously only by David Firnenburg in 2019. Choong worked the route for a total of 16 days, before doding raindrops and surprising herself with the redpoint on 9 September belayed by Andy Winterleitner in anything but ideal conditions.

Conditions weren't perfect for Choong's second send, either, Une Jolie Fleur dans une Peau de Vache (6b, 8b, 7b, 8a, 5c, 8a, 6b) on the impressive Paroi du Duc in the Verdon Gorge. Choong worked the line with her climbing and life partner Jim Zimmermann for five days, and they both then freed the line during "a perfect no fall ascent."

Info: katherinechoong.ch , IG Katherine Choong, FB Katherine Choong, Mammut, SCARPA