Action Directe 9a by Marco Zanone

Marco Zanone, who in 2022 previously has done three 9a's and his first 9a+, has sent Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura, in just six sessions. (c) Andrea Zanone

Solid work! Can you tell us more about your ascent?
The first time I tried AD was at the beginning of this trip. I left Italy on the 4th of October, and after a few days to get used to the style I went to check the route. It was a grey and humid day, but still, I was very psyched to try and see how the holds on this legendary route are. Honestly, I was feeling under pressure because of the holy atmosphere you breathe, when you are staring at the line from the bottom. It’s very hard to describe the feeling. After that session, I was hooked, but conditions in Frankenjura this fall were very bad. It was raining almost every 2 days and inside the forest, it was crazy humid and damp. Sometimes the temperatures were quite high, which was almost even worse than humid and cold, because the surface of the rock was wet due to condensation. I could try the route, but not as much as I wanted and day after day I was more conscious that the chance of failure was higher than succeeding.

I ended up sending AD after six days of effort, It was also the last chance for this trip. That day the conditions were quite good, the wind was finally blowing inside the forest and the rock was stickier than ever before!! I was feeling very fit but also very very stressed out. After 3 tries falling in the middle section, I could enter the traverse part for the first time and climb all the way to the top. It’s a priceless experience being able to stand on the top of this legendary route. Thanks, Wolfgang for your vision.