Matilda Söderlund sends her first 9a, The Elder Statesman in Frankenjura

Thanks to the crisp autumn temperatures and obviously dazzling form, yesterday Sweden’s Matilda Söderlund redpointed her first 9a, The Elder Statesman in Frankenjura, Germany. Success came about astoundingly quickly: she first started trying this 2011 Markus Bock route only a week ago, and after sending the 8c+ The Last Rites, which has in common the second half of the route, she needed just two more days to send The Elder Statesman.

The style of climbing in the Frankenjura evidently suits the 27-year-old perfectly, and it was here in 2012 that she made the flash ascent of the 8b+ Friends like you. It’s worth remembering that female 9a’s in the Frankenjura are few and far between and the first to achieve this feat was Chiara Hanke on Sever the wicked hand a mere four months ago.

Links: FB Matilda Söderlund, La Sportiva

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Climbed my first 9a today The Elder Statesman. Can’t believe it!!!

A post shared by MATILDA SÖDERLUND (@matilda_soderlund) on Oct 17, 2019 at 9:30am PDT