9a+ FA by Anak Verhoeven

Anak Verhoeven, #2 in the World Cup last year and winner of the European Champion in 2017, reports that she has done the FA of Sweet Neuf 9a+ in Pierrot Beach, which is a link up of an 9a and a 8c/+. She did the FA of the 9a, Sang Neuf, last week. The route then goes and links the second pitch of Home Sweet Home. This is the first time ever a female does a 9a as well as a 9a+ FA. Margo Hayes was the first female who did 9a+ with L Rambla last year. Anak has previously done 22 routes 8c and harder including Era Vella which most think is 9a. (c) Sébastien Richard - Last year in April, after I had done the FA of Ma Belle Ma Muse, I tried Sang Neuf (9a) for about 3 climbing days, but had to leave the project due to bad weather. Although very overhanging, the moves are very technical with bad footholds. The move between the second and the third quickdraw is very far and you need a good belayer because if you fall you end up quite close to the ground. At that time I was able to do all the moves but not every time I tried them. Especially the last boulder move before the chain, with an extreme shoulder move, was so hard that I wondered if I would ever be able to do it after I had already climbed the rest of the route. Before leaving the place, my mother had filmed all the sequences so that, in case I would come back, I would remember the moves and not have to spend too much time working out the route again.