Latest summer sends

As summer draws to a close, we’ve gathered the latest impressive sends from the season while we await cooler autumn conditions and the anticipated “Sendtember.” Here’s what’s been happening on the rock:

Mina Markovič’s triumph in Baratro

Mina Markovič returned to the “secret” crag above Trieste, Baratro, where, despite the scorching 35°C heat, she managed to send her summer project, La Supercanna (8b+). It seems that her high-altitude training trips with friends paid off in a big way.

Lenka Micicova’s summer on fire

Slovakian climber Lenka Micicova proved that heat is no obstacle for her. This summer, she spent her time in Mišja peč, working on creative link-ups. She sent White power (8a/a+), which combines Corto (8a) and the finish of Hobit (7c), as well as Black power (8a+), merging Corto (8a) with the ending of Talk is cheap (8c). Over in Baratro, Lenka’s send list was just as impressive, including Apache kid lunga (8b), Formica atomica lunga (8a/a+), and Violenza finale (8a+/b)—a connection of the hardest parts of Violenza carnale (8a) and Dubbio finale (8a+). She also sent Zooropa (8a) and Baratroneta (8a+) with just a few attempts each.

Gianfranco Dušić’s incredible comeback

Close to Roč, in a popular summer crag of Krkuž, local climber Gianfranco Dušić made a remarkable recovery by redpointing Busin (8b) just two months after breaking his leg while canyoning in the Trenta Valley. What a comeback! We suspect he spent more time on a pull-up bar and Beastmaker than on the ground during his recovery.

Luka Meštrović’s success in Krkuž

Another local, Luka Meštrović, tackled one of Krkuž’s steepest challenges by sending Vurenka (8b), adding another impressive ascent to his climbing résumé.

Martin Wagner’s battle in Osp

German climber Martin Wagner redpointed Working class hero (8b+) in the Osp cave in August. His journey was a true battle against adversity. “I fought one of my biggest battles and finally won: today I successfully clipped the anchor of Working class hero (8b+),” Wagner shared on Instagram. The route had seen significant changes with broken holds and deteriorating conditions, making his ascent even more challenging. Despite setbacks, including a bird nesting in the route, wet conditions, and disappearing holds, Martin’s perseverance paid off. He believes the route deserves a solid 8b+ rating, even at the upper end, while acknowledging suggestions for both downgrades and upgrades due to the evolving difficulty of the route.

Istria hosted the biggest climbing event of the year

Meanwhile, the biggest climbing event in Istria, the World Cup in Lead Climbing, took place in Koper this Friday and Saturday. Olympic champions Janja Garnbret of Slovenia and Britain’s Toby Roberts took home the titles, thrilling an enthusiastic crowd. If you missed it, the atmosphere was nothing short of surreal!

Stay tuned for more climbing news as the autumn is here!