Anak Verhoeven ticks Cosi se Arete (9a)

Anak Verhoeven reports on Instagram that she has completed Cosi se Arete (9a) in . She wound up doing the route two times in one day, finishing off her second redpoint of it by headlamp. In total, the former very successful competition climber has done a dozen routes 9a and harder. More info to come!

"So, I waited until it was completely dark and, in the meantime, I attached my headlamp to my tanktop with a string I had found in my backpack (see last photo). This way it couldn’t drop down in the water and I could also place it back on my head with one hand (I made sure I practiced that first 😄) in case I knocked it off my head. Then I started climbing with a big black void underneath and a circle of light around my head. When looking down I saw the small speck of light from my headlamp reflected in the river. It felt great! I was a little more tired than during the daylight send and I could feel the humidity of the evening. The wall was full of little spiders that had come out at night. I had to move slightly more slowly to see all the holds and be precise, but I just kept going and going and going… 
I passed the first crux, and the second one. I was sure now that I could do it, but the endurance moves at the end are relentless. A few more movements to go… and I clipped the anchor a second time in the same day! Well, that hadn’t quite been the initial plan when I arrived at the crag that day. But what an amazing, impromptu experience... And that crazy idea I had to climb a 50-meter 9a in the dark actually turned out to be possible. 😆"

How did you prepare for the trip?
I prepared for this trip by training in the gym (climbing lead routes) and at home (power/strength training). I was home for about 3,5 months with an ankle injury. So, I first climbed on one leg for a bit, then I could carefully use both feet again without placing left heel hooks and finally, I was able to climb in a normal way again.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I worked the moves of the route for 4 or 5 sessions, before doing a first unplanned attempt on a day I had initially wanted to just make some bigger links. I climbed well and fell high up in the last crux due to an issue with a tickmark (and also a horizontally hanging quickdraw karabiner that stuck right into my eye at the hardest move of the route 😅). 2 days later I sent the route in my second redpoint attempt. And a few hours later I sent it again, but in the dark with a headlamp.