Lapsus 9a+ (b) by Marcello Bombardi

Marcello Bombardi, who won one World Cup in 2017, has done the third ascent of Lapsus in Andonno giving it a 9a+ personal grade. Stefano Ghisolfi put it up in 2015 and it is an extension to Noia. The first repeat was done by Adam Ondra. Marcello has previously done five 9a's out of which four the last year. (c) Enrico Veronese

"So happy and relieved that my longest battle with a route so far is over! This route challenged and taught me a lot and I'm grateful for that! About the grade... I was able to use a kneebar that allows to recover before the last final boulder. It is not an easy kneebar, especially coming from below with a tired leg, but I think it could take away the full grade. I'm not good with grades and I've never even done more than 9a so this comes just from my consideration. Future repeaters will tell!"

How many sessions did it take in total and did you have to do any special training?
It took me 20 days spread over 4 months. I already climbed years ago Anaconda which is the 8c route in which Lapsus ends. Then last October I started to try Lapsus. The only special training I've done was about the kneebar. I've spent some session wandering around the gym and trying the most difficult kneebars. Everything else was just normal training for the competitions and trying Lapsus.

On Insta, he gives more details, "It has been a long adventure, the longest I have spent so far on a single route and it has put me to the test. From believing to be able to do it quickly, to changing the method too many times to find the most efficient one, to walking to the crag with snowshoes and half a meter of snow to take advantage of the last days of the winter season, to returning to spring and fall on the top several times on the same move, to losing enthusiasm due to skin pain caused by the very abrasive rock of the first part of the route, to getting with the final jug in front of the eyes but not being able to pull and grab it and, yesterday, to finally be able to commit the final jump and clip the chain."