9a FA by David Lama in Lebanon

Lebanon has always been a blank area on the map of sport climbing. But with the help of local climber Jad Khoury, Austrian superstar David Lama has recently changed this and did the first ascent of Baatara Gorge Sinkhole near Tannourine, 75 kilometers north of Beirut. Due to its surreal landscape with waterfalls, natural arches and a combination of blue and orange rock mixed with green plants, which reminds of the movie ‘Avatar’, David Lama and his supporter, Jad Khoury, agreed on the name Avaatara’ (9a) for the cascade route descending into Mount Lebanon. © Red Bull Media House David did his first 8a when he was 10 years old and being 16 he won the European Lead Championship and the year later the European Boulder Championship. He is also famous for the FA of the Compressor route on Cerro Torre.