Martin Tekles does La Planta de Shiva (9b)

Martin Tekles, with two 9a+’ under his belt, has sent La Planta de Shiva (9b) in Villanueva del Rosario, which Adam Ondra did the FA of in 2011. ”Finally it is done. Such an amazing route, so long, hard and difficult to get every move right. The process was very hard but I don't regret it. It was worth every day and every try.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
It all started in December '23 with my first visit to Villanueva. Many people had recommended going there, saying the routes were amazing. It really is an inspiring place with an incredible community and some of the best routes I’ve ever seen.

I climbed the first pitch of La Planta (8c) and tried the extension two or three times, but it was too cold and I couldn’t hold onto the tiny crimps. Still, I immediately knew it was an awesome route and that I wanted to seriously try it.

So I returned in March '24, but it rained a lot and the route got wet. I came back two months later, in May/June, and it was too hot. Then I decided to train harder than ever—especially focusing on crimpy endurance.

This year, in March, I made good progress but ran out of time, so I had to return again now. The last four weeks here have been a rollercoaster. I kept falling around the same moves, and sometimes couldn’t even match my previous high point. It was a total mental battle—and such an endurance beast. But in the end, it became an obsession. You know you can do it, even when it doesn’t look that way most of the time, and you just can’t stop. I’m glad I didn’t stop and stayed focused. Countless sessions and tries—but it was all worth it in the end.