Laura Rogora crushes Passo della Presolana

Another weekend, another trip into the mountains to escape the sweltering heat, more hard routes ticked in the blink of an eye. After her recent fabulous stop-off at Passo Fedaia, Italy's Laura Rogora headed to Passo della Presolana this past weekend where she sent Black Shadow (8c), Dancing in the Moon (8c+) and Moon Landing, the 9a freed in 2020 by Stefano Carnati.

The 25‑year‑old Roman climber kicked things off on the first day with 4 laps on Moon Landing, and eventually sent the 8c+ variant Dancing in the Moon, which skips the last hard crux. The following morning she sent Moon Landing on her second try of the day, then dispatched Black Shadow; on her first go she slipped off at the third bolt, and the redpoint on her second attempt was little more than a formality. It's worth noting that just a few days earlier she had sent the famous 9a Hades at Götterwandl in Nassereith, Austria, on her third try of the day.

What continues to amaze is not so much the fact that Rogora manages to climb these grades – despite the mind‑boggling difficulties, we've almost gotten used to it – but the incredible speed with which she makes the send. In the past she has ticked 9a+ in a single day and made two 9b redpoints (Ali Hulk at Rodellar in 2020 and Erebor at Arco in 2021), while a year ago she made the first female onsight of an 8c+. With this groundwork, it would be interesting to see how far she could really push herself if ever she decides to invest more than a weekend on a project!