Oliana is one of the most famous hard-end crags in the world. Last June, a wildfire partly destroyed the wall and most of the fixed gear. Svana Bjarnason has led the restoration work including getting sponsors and also running a crowfunding campaign.

"As the village, the local organizations and brands hadn't really planned to do anything with the crag, my friends and I (more or less a group of 12 people) decided to try and take care of it. I put up crowdfunding to get a bit of money for all the work and contacted some brands to try to get some gear. We properly started working at the crag at the end of November. Since then we’ve all been working hard to try and “rebuild” the crag, try to make it a safer place and try to get the routes back to their initial state. Our to-do list was/is quite large:
- Take off burnt quickdraws and place new steel ones
- Check bolts (rebolt if needed)
- Check routes safety (flakes breaking and falling spontaneously)
- Clean routes (reinforce holds with sika if needed)
- Place new anchors
- Rebuild the trail
- Build pit toilet

We’ve been making a lot of progress but there is a lot of work and we are not that many helping so it’s a long journey. I’m very happy with all the work we’ve accomplished so far tho. The few people who are here are super motivated and efficient and I can’t thank them enough. They’re all taking on their own time and energy and it’s amazing to see how dedicated to the crag we all are. These days we’re in the rebolting phase, we’ve got 200 bolts for free from a Greek organization called Lappas climbing and from the French organization Greenspits, we also got a fantastic amount of gear from Edelrid and we’ll get some from Petzl. Apart from that, we’ve been using the money from crowdfunding (big thanks to those who gave money) and the rebolting of one route was financed by the organization Fanatic Climbing (France). I am very grateful to all of them, it has helped us a lot.

I would like to raise awareness about the ongoing work, we are still in the process and there’s still a lot to do. New quickdraws on a route don’t necessarily mean that the route is completely safe. Better ask us before coming and climbing there, so we can advise you on what is ok to climb on. The wall is also full of static ropes because we need them to work, we’re still cleaning some of the routes, and we still need to rebolt most of them. DO NOT take it down. And it’s also very important for people who want to climb here that Oliana is not what it used to be, it is not a safe place because of the risk of rock falls. We’re doing our best to try and clean and make it safer but it will never be safe because of the fire it suffered. It altered a lot the rock formations and nature around so the risk of holds breaking and trees falling from the top is high, especially after the rain. Please make sure to be aware of this if you go to the crag. And if anyone wants to come and help we’d be happy to have you 😊"


How is the status with the classic routes?
Most of the routes on the main wall are unchanged, in some a few holds broke. The most affected part is the left side of the wall. All the easier routes (in the 6th grade) were destroyed. The 7a and 7b on the left side were also affected but after cleaning it is still possible to climb. Might be a bit harder but not too much. The 8b+ Crimptonite is completely destroyed as well and we're not even sure we will be able to make a new route out of it. Then T1 Full Equip (8b+) was also altered, we still need to check it properly. And the classic 8a Mishi was also damaged, so we'll see how it is now.

Staša Gejo sent Mécanique élémentaire (8B+) in Fontainebleau last November and now the mini-doc video is out. "After 3 sessions last week, and falling at the swing around 5 or 6 times, I did it with frozen fingers, pumped and exhausted. It was a battle to remember. I was incredibly happy though. I had so many people support me and push me till the end."

Melissa Le Nevé did the first female ascent of it in 2017 but otherwise, besides Oriane Bertone, no other females have sent 8B+ in Font. In 2021, Gejo got the bronze in the World Championship.

Andrine Skilbrei started climbing at age 19 and now seven years later she has done La Rubia (8c+) in Villanueva del Rosario after only some ten odd sessions. (c) Henning Wang

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I am very happy about the ascent. I was both prepared for, and expecting a longer process than it turned out to be in the end. This is my first time trying a route of this magnitude, both grade-wise and length-wise, and I must admit I was a little hesitant to even start at first. After just one session, however, I was already hooked and committed to giving it a real try. It was a bit challenging at first with very cold weather and very cold rock, as well as the crux holds being constantly wet, but luckily the weather got a bit warmer and the holds dried up just as I had all the sequences worked out and was ready for proper red-point attempts. Finishing the route and clipping the anchor felt great but in the end almost a little bittersweet as I really enjoyed climbing on it. This route is definitely a beauty, with everything from crimps to endless tufa climbing, it really feels like an adventure to climb.

What's your climbing background?
I was first introduced to climbing seven years ago, but it was not until five years ago, after moving to Sogndal to study that I really started to climb a lot. At that point, I was climbing around 6b+, but I've had fairly steady progression since. I've always focused mainly on climbing outside as that is what I enjoy the most. So far I've mostly been sport climbing, but I also enjoy trad climbing a lot.

How do you train?
I don't really follow any plan or schedule. I train mainly by climbing on the rock, at least for the last few years, but I do train indoors sometimes when I'm at home.

What are your 2023 plans?
I am staying in Spain for another month or so before driving back to Norway. I then plan to spend a bit of time in Sogndal before moving up to Flatanger for a month or so in May/June. During summer I won't climb as much as I will be in the mountains working as a mountain guide/climbing instructor. After that, I've not made plans yet beyond finishing my master's.

Svana Bjarnson, who has led the restoration program of Oliana after the wildfire in June has sent Mind Control (8c). This was her second 8c after she did Fish eye (8c) last year, also in Oliana.

Can you tell us more about Mind Control?
I was projecting that route last year and was super close to doing it in June. I actually fell a few moves below the anchor two days before the fire. So, obviously, that route had a special place in my heart and, when we started rebuilding the crag. It was the first one I cleaned, changed quickdraws and broke unstable flakes on. The good news is the route was not altered. I broke some foot holds and a massive flake just above the anchor had to brush the ashes layer quite a few times but the climb didn’t change. So, after about two months of working at the crag, I could start having goes on the route again, in between two jumaring sessions. I quickly understood that jumaring, breaking holds, swapping quickdraws and rebolting were not the best restful rest day. So, in January and February, I tried to do less tiring work at the crag and more administrative stuff to try and send my project. Lots of ups and downs because I felt really strong and ready to send. But the route got soaked because of rainy days and key holds at the very top of the route stayed wet for 4 weeks. At the same moment, I injured a pulley so I lost a lot of finger strength. Lucky for me, I was not really crimping on Mind Control so I could still climb on it.

After a 10 days break where I had to be in France, I hopped back on the route feeling super motivated but I ended up mentally failing. I had the sensation of “overdosing” (because it was the only thing I could climb on with my finger), I felt too much pressure (from myself) and I simply wasn’t enjoying climbing on it anymore. After 2 weeks I had my worst goes ever on the route. I climbed with the worst sensations. So, that day, I decided to take a break from it, start a new training cycle and focus on healing my finger. Two days later they had forecast a massive storm so I decided to get back on the route one last time, in order to “say goodbye”, in a way. In my mind, I had already made the decision to not try to send anymore so I started climbing feeling free and happy to do the moves one last time.

With that mindset everything suddenly felt easy and so enjoyable. And it worked. I cruised the route, I felt like I could have climbed it twice in a row. I was definitely not stronger that day than two days before but the different mindset changed everything! That’s how you realize the mental game is so important in climbing. Now that I sent it, I’m super excited to find myself a new project but first I want to try and finish the work we’ve started there. So the next weeks/months will be filled with training sessions and a lot of cleaning/rebolting!

Tom Bolger reports on Insta that he has repeated Maya 9a+ in which Ramon Julian made the FA of in 2016. It is 40 meters long with some tough mono moves. (c) Gabriela Ulisse

The 35-year-old did his first 9a in 2011 and this was his first 9a+ repeat. Last year, he did his first 9a+, with the FA of The Journey. In total, he has now done 20 routes 9a and harder.

Ale Zeni has made the third ascent of the Croatian testpiece, Malvazija. This short and powerful gently overhanging section of compact limestone was put up by Maurizio "Manolo" Zanolla in 1988. In 2010, Cody Roth made the first repeat and suggested an upgrade from 8b+ to 8c+. He said at the time that some holds had broke while working the route. Slovenian climbers, who had worked on Malvazija prior to Roth's ascent, such as Uroš Perko, felt like there was also at least one hold missing in the crux, due to the complexity, and also compared to photos they had seen of Manolo on the route at the time of his ascent. The crux sequence of Malvazija is heavily chipped which is not uncommon for sport routes of that era.

Can you fill us in on your ascent?
I tried the route for the first time last year in April but just for two days. The temperature during those days were too high to try this technical, bouldery and short route, so after three tries I decided to change the crag. This year I came back at the end of January for two days and I tried again and on my second day I was pretty close to do the free ascent.

At the end of February I had two more days to try the route. The weather wasn’t so good and I had just one attempt before the rock got wet, fortunately I felt really confident on all the moves and I did the free ascent of the route.

The history of the route is pretty mysterious, I know that before me just Cody Roth had done the free ascent and he told that some holds broke (on him and perhaps prior to him) so the route was harder compared to the original version. Some holds, for sure, are chipped (and scarred) so it is difficult to know the real history of the route. I did it in the same way as Cody. I saw a video of Cody and I used the same method.

What's coming up next for you?
My next plan is to try to do the first free ascent of a multi-pitch called “Wu wei” bolted from the ground with my friend Riccardo Scarian. This multi-pitch had required something like 5 years to complete (for free climbing attempts) and will be my main project of this year. The hardest pitch could be 9a, really really technical on a friction slab wall. The obligatory level needed is probably 8a (to make links to points of protection). For sure, it will be a great fight.

Marco Zanone has done La Rambla (9a+) in Siurana. It was bolted by Alex Huber, who stopped at the first 9a (8c+) anchor and then in 2003 Ramon Julian made the FA. Later on an easier sequence was discovered and now the stunning 35m classic test-piece is the most repeated 9a+ with roughly 30 ascents. (c) Andrea Zanone

Can you tell us more about how you approached La Rambla? I tried La Rambla for the first time in February 2022. It was my first time spending 2 months climbing in Spain, and after climbing my first 9a+ (First Ley) and a bunch of 8c+’s and 9a’s in Siurana and Margalef both, I decided that It was the right time to push again. The goal for that trip was not to send it of course, but to link as many moves as possible. During the last few days I was able to fall at the top crux a couple of times, but I must say I wasn’t disappointed to leave without sending it. I already knew back then that I would have needed more time to climb it all the way to the top. End of December 2022 I came back with only one goal, to climb La Rambla!! My approach was slow and steady. I know I needed to gain a lot of endurance because it is something I don’t naturally have in my cards, but this time I was mentally ready to handle the pressure and the effort. The process has been longer than expected, I had a lot of ups and downs, a lot of self doubt and I started wondering if I was able to climb such a monster. For the first time in my life I was trying a route at my grade limit on a style that doesn’t really suit me. At some point I understood that I could have sent it only by being at my 100%. When I was feeling rested, but at my 95%, I was reaching the top crux too pumped. During one and half months of the attempts I felt like I could climb the crux from the bottom only 3 or 4 times, but I was not precise enough to keep myself together and bring the rope to the top. I spent probably around 30 sessions on La Rambla (2022 + 2023) and last Friday, 24th of February, I could fight through the top crux and finally reach the anchor. :)

Did you do any specific training?
Short and powerful routes are the ones that suit me the most. It’s an easier style to train as well (IMO) instead for me the endurance is something very hard to build up. The main reason why I tried La Rambla was because I knew I had enough time (1-2 months) to build the endurance while trying the route. Usually when I’m home in Italy it is because I’m working, and my job often takes me away from home, where it’s very hard to train or to have a routine where you can train regularly. My only chance to climb La Rambla was to stay here in Spain for at least 1 month. Before I left Italy I wasn’t trained at all, I started very slow, climbing 8as, then 8bs, 8cs and once I felt I was strong enough (after 10-12 days) I went on project mode.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has done Carlota's journey (9a+) in Margalef. It is a link-up of and the last part of The journey (9a+) which Tom Bolger bolted. (c) Javi Pec

"A brutal very cruxy line which ends with a dynamic crux. FA by Alex Megos who suggested 9a+. I suppose it will be this difficulty, although it is always difficult to grade a route so cruxy."

William Bosi repeated James Webb's Ephyra (8C+) in Chironico last year. "Really happy with this one! great moves and very fun to try. Reckon it is bottom end of the grade if it's 8C+. Felt like it was definitely harder than forgotten gem 8C but not as hard as Alphane so either hard 8C or low 8C+. Time will tell."

Leo Bøe 🍄, who the last three months has done four roiutes 8c+ and his first 9a, has done Ingravid Serps extension (8c+) and Fabela pa la enmienda (9a) in Santa Linya.

Can you tell us more about your Fabela ascent?
Lately, I’ve been trying La Novena Enmienda 9a+, a route which starts in the centre of the cave and ends all the way up on the lip. It’s a big dream of mine to climb this route and it’s a proper endurance test piece. Since I figured out the moves for the upper part it made sense to climb Fabela into the same ending up at the lip which makes it 9a. The route I did is basically Fabela 8c+ into the Enmienda ending which is around 8b+. But the pump builds up and I quickly found myself screaming with the anchor at my face unable to clip the chain. I had to fight my way past it through moves I hadn’t done before as I was unable to clip from a lower hold. Proper heart breaker if you fall clipping the chains!

Super happy with this king line and especially since it came with a good fight! Next, I’ll be trying to send Fuck the System 9a which I almost did a couple of days ago. I fell off the last dynamic move on that one so it should be possible soon! It’s been a project for a while.

How long have you been in the area?
I have been in Spain for 3,5 months climbing in the surrounding crags! It has given me loads of progression and motivation so I decided to stay for another 2 months. March and April are also known to be the best time for sport climbing in Spain so I’m psyched to see what I can pull off with even better conditions! Also, there are a lot of pro climbers around at the moment and there are plenty of things to learn from them.