When the levee breaks 8A+ FA by Mie Kastet (37)

Mie Kastet has done the FA of When the levee breaks (8A+) in Perleveggen. The 37-year-old did her first 8A+ two years ago and checking her trend diagram, it is clear that the Norwegian is having her best year ever.

"The process... Well, I thought it looked cool and had an idea that it was climbable. So I cleaned it with a bit of help from my partner, Knut. Then started trying it in the spring of last year. Had to put it on hold due to warm temps in summer and a lot of wet weather in the autumn. Was bummed then, because progress was really good and I felt close to sending. Put the winter months to good use with some specific training (body tension, fingers and biceps😅) with help from Oli at Lattice training. Came back this spring and made a new high point on the first session, and became really psyched! It still took me a few more sessions, limited to a hand full of tries per session as the moves are super demanding and very specific. Also realised I needed more time to recover between each session. Not complete rest, just climbing on something else. I guess that actually helped get the ball rolling. 😂

As for the grade... We all know it matters 😅. I have suggested 8A+, based on the effort it took me, the beta I found, and other boulders of similar difficulty I have tried. Other people may have a different opinion, and that's fair! I am buzzing with excitement and pride because I found the line, cleaned it, tried it and eventually climbed it after a few ups and downs. So the the grade becomes less important to me.

How can you explain that you are peaking at age 37?
I hope I have not peaked yet! Still got things to do. 😉Jokes aside, I think there are many components here. One, I'm still psyched! Second, I have the freedom to make training a priority. Third, I am fighting less with myself now than what I used to do. Working on my own mind, and learning to enjoy the ride more than the send has been liberating, and it is much easier to access full power.