8c by David Bermudez (13)

David Bermudez Carbonell, who started climbing two and a half years ago at age eleven, has done El calvario del sicario (8c) in Cuenca, in just ten tries. We spoke to David's mom, Isabel recently. (c) Javi Pec

It sounds like you guys are a climbing family?
We have been fanatic climbers for over 25 years and we still go climbing every weekend and our holidays are always climbing holidays. Within 15 days of the birth of our children, they were already out on the rock and although they didn’t start climbing until about 2.5 years ago, they have always been on the mountain with us.

Did your kids take to climbing naturally?
David and Adriana (16) started to climb at the end of September 2020. Within 2 or 3 weekends they made their first 7b, after we had taught them how to clip quickdraws. Later the pandemic arrived, which forced us to stop for about 6 months. After that, they went back to climbing and got really hooked on it and haven’t stopped climbing until now.

Their progression has been very fast and if they continue climbing in this way, few barriers will be put in front of them. The incredible thing about David is that for his young age, he is a very complete climber, with only 1.45 metres he has climbed very hard and demanding routes. He has climbed 8a/+ on sight climbs and does not disappoint (shy away from). I think David has a natural gift for climbing, as he climbs well on all types of routes regardless of the type of rock (limestone, granite...) He is a self-taught climber, as he has no coach, nor does he do any guided training, his talent is natural and his motivation for climbing is at its maximum at the moment.

As a mother, I want my children to live and enjoy climbing as something authentic, where the grade is nothing more than a consequence. Being humble, respectful and having good attitude are key to life.