Vertical-Life
Biologico 9a by Alex Ventajas
"This route caught my attention since the first time I went to Narango. I saw a friend trying it and it seemed a really powerful and esthetic route. When I came back to this amazing sector a couple of months ago I decided to put my hands on it. I started by sending the 8c that shares the upper part with “Biologico” and then I started to try the 9a.
The route is quite short, with an easy start, followed by the boulder sequence that gives the grade of the route: some very small crimps in an overhanging wall and then a dynamic move, where great coordination is essential. After a rest there is a second boulder problem and finally some endurance climbing to reach the top.
I think it’s a very futuristic route, because the hardest part is very short, but very demanding and the first boulder sequence reminds me a boulder of the present-day competitions! Furthermore, it’s the first time I actually noticed, in a sport climbing route, that size can make a little difference: the method used by other climbers weren’t good for me, because I was too short to reach some crimps with the good foothold in the first boulder and I needed to use some very bad intermediate holds in the second one too.
Finally, I managed to find my own way to the top and I really enjoyed the process. After three days trying it I felt close, but for a few more days I kept missing the hold after the dynamic move. Last Saturday, the day when I was supposed to rest because my hands where skinned, I actually felt like it was going to be the right day to send it. At 4 p.m., after a day spent belaying, I had the strange feeling that I was warmed up. So I decided to give the route a try, and it was the perfect attempt! I send the route after 7 days of attempts (and few days more for freeing the 8c “Bibita Biologica”) "
The 22-year-old did his first 9a some nine months ago and in total, he has now done five and one 9a+. As a matter of a fact, during 2018 and 2019 his max grade was 8c. His climbing has taken a leap since he moved to Italy where his girlfriend lives.
"Unfortunately I didn’t have the possibility to try new hard routes (in Spain). That’s because I had already done almost every route in the climbing sectors I could reach from my home, I didn’t have a car and I didn’t have the possibility to travel. That wasn’t a good period for me, I couldn’t improve and I couldn’t try something motivating. Since I moved to Italy things have changed, I have thousands of new routes around and I have progressively regained shape and motivation."
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