9a+ and two 8c+ by Alex Megos

Alex Megos has climbed the second ascent of the Jakob Schubert route, 'Companion of Change', f9a+ at Bergstation near Mayrhofen in Zillertal. (c) Liam Lonsdale The route took Alex 3 days in total to repeat, requiring some savvy tactics to avoid humidity and the summer sunshine, all under the watchful eye of local pioneer and climbing legend, Gerhard Hörhager. The repeat came after a string of fast ascents of classic routes in the area, including 'Love 2.1' f8C+ & 'Dolby Surround' f8C+, both at Ewige Jagdgründe, which is also situated near the town of Mayrhofen. Alex said: "Jakob graded the route 9a/+, for me I would say it is definitely f9a+ and a great one at that. This is the first time I visited Zillertal, the whole area is absolutely beautiful and the climbing is even better." Alex is currently travelling through the Tirol & Süd Tirol regions with photographer Liam Lonsdale, in cooperation with Vertical Life Climbing. They are aiming to explore the region as much as possible during their trip, whilst taking in classic areas and routes. Vertical Life is unlocking topos for each area that they visit to climb.