Finja Perschmann, 11, does Scary Christmas (8A)

Finja Perschmann has, during her first session, sent Scary Christmas (8A) at Gotthardpass. The 11-year-old got inspired from Greta di Biase who, last year, sent it at age 10.

What was most challenging with the ascent?
The hardest part was to trust my feet and place them so they wouldn’t slip. The second challenge was to keep my nerves together, as I absolutely wanted to send it in this (first) session.

What is her climbing background and how much does she climb during the winter and summer seasons?
[Axel and Katinka] We both climb for a long time and have always had our focus on rock climbing over competitions. Since we moved to Freiburg in 2014 and started working life time on rock has sadly reduced significantly, but we still find some time for regular climbing trips. While home, we are both active coaches for the local youth climbing teams in Freiburg. Finja (and Merle) consequently joined us on many climbing trips since their birth, grew into the climbing teams early and successively started to enjoy the sport more and more.

For about two years Finja has been pretty hooked on improving her skills. She really enjoys the time with her friends in the climbing team and has fun competing. Currently, she trains regularly twice a week in our training team, plus some extra sessions every few weeks with the Stützpunkt Süd-West. Additionally, when she gets the chance she joins us parents or friends during climbing sessions.