8b again by Angie Scarth-Johnson (9)

Angie Scarth-Johnson finishing of her three weeks break from school by, on her last day, make an amazing send of Zona X 8b in Margalef. Last year the 9 year old had another long break from school going to Red River Gorge doing her first 8b. The amazing thing is that her parents do not climb and she has no trainer, but her father has become an excellent belayer giving soft falls. " I very rarely let anyone else belay me. I get to nervous, I can't make the move. I feel safe with my dad and I never worry." How did you prepare for the trip and how could you take so many days of from school? I trained myself in Australia by climbing long routes to prepare for the endurance, because everyone told me that the routes were really long in Spain. I also trained indoor bouldering. This was really lucking because my favorite area in Margalef to climb was El Laboratori and many of the climbs here were short and bouldery, so I was kind of prepared, but I have never climbed limestone before, so that took a bit of getting use to. I have been very lucky that my school allows me to take some time off, but we had Easter holidays for two weeks. The school gives my mum books and home work for me to do, while I am away, but she is also a teacher so it helps. How much help from others did you have to find the best sequence? I worked it out on my own, but I did have a lot of people suggest a couple of different sequences, big people beta and heaps of encouragement. I mostly always work routes out on my own.