Cintia Percivati, 40, does her first 8c+

Cintia Percivati has sent Cosi Fan Tutte (8c+) in Rodellar after only projecting if for three days plus a few attempts in 2019. (c) Esteba Degregori @verticalexplora

Congrats on your first 8c+! When and where did you start climbing?
I entered the world of mountaineering and traditional climbing at the age of 18. Later I learnt about sport climbing and I felt that both styles completed me. For 10 years I dedicated the summer seasons to climbing in the mountains of Chalten, Patagonia, where I made important ascents, the first Argentinian female team to Fitz Roy (2012) among others. The rest of the year I traveled in search of sport climbing. Many trips were through Spain, in which I always grew in grade, but I also always had to return to my country.

In 2019 I visited Mallorca, Oliana, Basque Country, where I did my first 8c (White Zombie), and then Rodellar. We climbed the last 5 days of my trip in Cosi fan Tutte, before going to the Barcelona airport. An experience that left me surprised and excited since on the 4th and 5th day I fell very high, in the last crux of the 2nd pitch. That same year my club (CABA) supported me with another ticket to Spain. I went to Villa Nueva de Rosario, to try “la Rubia” a route with the same qualities as Cosi.


But I had similar luck... I was able to try it for about 4 or 5 days, managing to get quite high before falling. And then the rain came and I could no longer try it, I had to go to another place. That year I had reached my best performance in sports, and the following year the pandemic, work at home, injuries and the guide course Trekking took me away from my best performance. Last year I decided to dedicate myself firmly to trying to reach my limit in sports. With 40 looming over me and a different body but with the conviction that I could achieve it, I reached 8c again with a route in Bariloche (Alita de Mosca).

This year, I finally got Spanish citizenship, I achieved some economic stability that allows me to live in Spain and bet on my project, one more degree. I started the trip in Rodellar, a place where I have always been very well received. That’s when I got in tune, several 8b came out on the day, and another 8c.

And when I was about to leave, Sergio Casteran told me to go to Cosi fa Tutte. The project that I was thinking of trying later, but luckily it flowed, since in two days I was remembering it and on the 3rd day it came out.

Now I’m here to try the next project, but only to see what it’s all about, since it’s too hot to climb in this area. We will go with my friends to climb in Asturias and in the spring hopefully I can try the next step :).