Tereza Širůčková ticks Rustam Direct (8B)

Tereza Širůčková, who finished 2024 by doing an 8c+ and then entered the bouldering scene, has completed Rustam Direct (8B) in Holstejn. The 21-year-old has been an active IFSC climber since 2017 and her best result is #14 last year in the Boulder and Lead Euro Championship.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and your fast progress in grades?
I had to take a little break from the rocks lately—my first national team nominations for the season were coming up, which meant shifting focus to indoor training. But once I checked that goal off the list, the weekend brought perfect weather, and the outdoors were calling again.

Home crag. Mission: Rustam Direct 8B. A mostly crimpy line with bad feet and two brutal intro moves. I had this wild little idea: what if I could flash it? And honestly… I nearly did. I stuck the crux on my flash go, but then doubted myself and hesitated in the next part. That moment of overthinking cost me the send. I climbed through the rest easily, slipped once on the start in the next go—and then it went down.

Weirdly, I didn’t feel that hyped. It all felt like: Pam pam pam, moves are easy (yes, imagine it with a jingle). But I know that shape is coming—comps are near and my coach Petr Klofáč is working his magic.

Here’s a little truth: I’ve been climbing for 14 years, but only started outdoor bouldering this season. Kind of wild to admit—but I’ve always been a rope climber, and this whole world still feels fresh and unfamiliar. These are actually my first boulders in this grade range, so when it comes to assessing difficulty, I honestly feel like a total rookie. I used to believe my outdoor limit was around 7C, and I still have the tendency to doubt myself. Rustam Direct felt like it fit me perfectly—tiny holds, small fingers, just my style—and it went down so fast. So maybe it’s 8A+/B? Could be. But I’m not the one to judge… not yet.

Topped it off with two more 7Cs that day. Stoked, sun-kissed, and maybe a little puzzled about how to feel about the grade—but mostly just in love with being back on rock. Days like these fill my soul.