16 January 2024
Lucy Mitchell redpoints Darwin Dans La Cave (8c)
Lucy Mitchell has been on a trip to Aix-en-Provence where she managed to send Darwin dans la cave (8c).
โThis year was a bit of a comeback trip for me. Last December I had a nasty fall and broke my kneecap quite badly so it was my first time back outside. It was just the best being back on rock and getting moving again!
I wanted to try some routes that I had been on last year before the accident. La rose et le vampire (8b), in the picture, and Sur les รฉpaules de Darwin (8b+) were my two main projects. After a โsmallโ battle just after the last draw of La rose (7 drops!) it finally gave in ๐
Sur les รฉpaules de Darwin (8b+) was much more my style (long and pumpy) but with a really hard boulder at the start that I struggled with. After a few days of trying the boulder and getting very pumped on the upper section, I finally got through it and luckily had built up enough fitness and did not fall off the top!
Darwin dans la cave (8c) is a cave extension to the above. 6 bolts in a horizontal roof and then into the pumpy shared top. Luck was on my side again and the first time I made it through the roof I did not drop the top! This was my favourite ascent, fighting all the way! The perfect way to finish the trip!โ
โThis year was a bit of a comeback trip for me. Last December I had a nasty fall and broke my kneecap quite badly so it was my first time back outside. It was just the best being back on rock and getting moving again!
I wanted to try some routes that I had been on last year before the accident. La rose et le vampire (8b), in the picture, and Sur les รฉpaules de Darwin (8b+) were my two main projects. After a โsmallโ battle just after the last draw of La rose (7 drops!) it finally gave in ๐
Sur les รฉpaules de Darwin (8b+) was much more my style (long and pumpy) but with a really hard boulder at the start that I struggled with. After a few days of trying the boulder and getting very pumped on the upper section, I finally got through it and luckily had built up enough fitness and did not fall off the top!
Darwin dans la cave (8c) is a cave extension to the above. 6 bolts in a horizontal roof and then into the pumpy shared top. Luck was on my side again and the first time I made it through the roof I did not drop the top! This was my favourite ascent, fighting all the way! The perfect way to finish the trip!โ
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