Climbing
How Angela Eiter ended up on cloud 9 after the climb of her life
When Angela Eiter free climbed La Planta de Shiva in Spain she was the first woman to complete a route with the almost unimaginably tough 9b classification. Here’s how she founded a league of her own.
The snapshot:
This is the moment Angela ‘Angy’ Eiter climbed up and raised the bar. Again. The Austrian entered the record books in October 2017 by becoming the first woman to successfully free climb a route classified as 9b.
It’s hard to describe just how difficult a challenge that is – but to put it into perspective, only two people in history, both men, had ever sent a harder-rated route.
Free climbing – not to mistake with free soloing – is a form of the sport in which you can use ropes and equipment for safety, but not to aid progress.
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The two-year obsession:
Eiter first attempted 'La Planta de Shiva' in Villanueva del Rosario, near Malaga in Spain, in 2015 and returned twice a year in her bid to conquer this awe-inspiring sweep of overhanging rock. She left nothing to chance, her commitment seeing her make an exact replica of all the holds and movements of the route at her local climbing wall in Imst, Austria.
The doubts:
Not just up against the mission impossible in front of her eyes, Eiter had to contend with the nagging thoughts inside her own head. “Truth be told, I didn’t think I had a chance at all. If I’m really honest with myself, I had to admit I stopped believing it was possible,” she said.
Angela Eiter tackles La Planta de Shiva
© Javipec/ASP/Red Bull Content Pool
The legends:
In completing the ascent, the multiple World Champion in the Lead discipline joined an elite group with only male climbing legends Adam Ondra and Chris Sharma having ever climbed harder routes.
The very limit:
With her heart pounding and muscles screaming, the moment almost disappeared just centimetres from the top. Eiter was on the edge. She explained: “Up there on the last moves, I was right at the very limit. I almost fell off with the last move. So it was incredible.”