Hard Summer Sends

This summer has brought about a whirlwind of weather patterns. From scorching heatwaves to daily downpours, the situation has escalated to floods in the northern part of Slovenia. Nevertheless, amidst these challenges, the climbers in Istria continue to tackle hard summer sends on a daily basis.

This time, let’s journey from the south to the north. In the Croatian section of Istria, precisely within the Buzetski Kanjon, the summer sector known as Befana witnessed an impressive accomplishment. Roni Nikolić successfully joined the 8b club by conquering the splendid route, Lap Dance (8b).

Meanwhile, across the coast of Slovenia and Croatia, experienced Spanish climber Gonzalo Larrocha, along with his wife, embarked on a holiday adventure. During a brief visit to the Big Osp Cave, Larrocha achieved a remarkable second go ascent of the 55-meter-long Helikopter v Pošasti. He even suggests a downgrade from 8c to 8b+. His achievement is all the more remarkable considering the extremely humid conditions of the day.

As is customary during the summer season, the most challenging routes are being climbed in the Italian Baratro, and this year is no exception. Milan Preskar and Martin Bergant showcased an exceptional performance in Baratro. Milan skillfully redpointed Masochismo (8b) on his second attempt, followed by a second go at Holokaust (8b+) and La Peste Nera (8b+). Martin flashed the powerful Holokaust (8b+) and succeeded in ticking off Masochismo (8b) on his second try.
Jernej Kruder did the long extension of Holokaust (8b+), artifial yet amazing Il Sultano Nero (8c). Another Slovene climber, Jakob Bizjak, redpointed the connection Trilogy (8b) in just two attempts.
Davide Collini, an Italian climber, clipped the chains of La Supercanna (8b+).

Amidst the intermittent rain in northern Slovenia, some tufas are undergoing a temporary submersion, resulting in the appearance of a lake within the Osp cave. However, the expectation is that it will soon dry up. Looking ahead, the forecast promises a return to sunnier and warmer conditions in the upcoming days.