Isabelle Faus does Mirta (8B+)

Isabelle Faus, with a dozen 8B+' under her belt, has sent Mirta (8B+) at Topside. (c) Yaqub Dollie

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
First tried it in 2016, got close, but didn’t really get a good chance to try again till this trip. Took three sessions this time. Really psyched to have done this iconic line!

”Not my hardest…” you said on Instagram. What were the other harder boulders you did during your six weeks trip?
I did this boulder Violater sit that Nalle [Hukkataival] said was 8A.. but the crux is harder than Mirta crux, haha. Doesn’t have the same endurance factor tho. I said it was v12 [8A+], but idk grades get confusing the more things I do. It was hard for me and took as many sessions as Mirta did.

I put up a couple v10 first ascents, possibly harder but I go low end for grades, cause it doesn’t really matter. One is called Daisy Domergue and the other is Twins of Ares. The latter is very cool, both have videos on my Insta. I also did a bunch of classics in the v10/v11 range. Barracuda, Mask Off, Eye of Sauron, War and Peace, Extraterrestrial, and Cytokine. I think that’s it!

Strangely, Violater is not in the database or on internet?
Possibly I did the first repetition.

So silly, some climbers seem to opt for grades rather than quality?
Climbers just don’t know who to use their eyes, over the guide book. It’s learned skill maybe tho. I just walked up to it and was psyched… I had no idea what it was or what the grade was.

I went home and then looked the area up to see what it was, turned out it was Nalle’s. I’m not sure when he did. I think like 2017 ish, I could be wrong tho.