What a bouldering trip: British professional climber Shauna Coxsey pulls off six boulders of eighth difficulty level in La Pedriza in just four days. She is the first woman to climb the two boulders Fotofobia (8B+) and Wild Wild West (8B).
Shauna Coxsey returns home from a climbing vacation once again with an impressive tick list. In Spanish The Pedriza Within a few days she managed to complete six boulders of the eighth French degree, including Fotofobia (8B+) as well as Wild Wild West (8B) and Pin y Pon (8B).
La Pedriza is totally crazy. With some of the best lines I've ever seen and seemingly endless potential, this place is an absolute must-visit.
Shauna Coxsey
Fast ascent in preferred style
Photophobia, the 8B+ line by Ignacio Sanchez Gonzalez, offers big moves on tiny ledges in an overhanging wall - just like Shauna Coxsey: "It's such an incredible piece of rock and the movements didn't disappoint."
I tried to climb the original line of Nacho, although slightly larger holds were cleaned at the end on the right.
Shauna Coxsey
With Fotofobia, the 31-year-old not only manages the first 8B+ boulder since the birth of her child, but also the first women's ascent of the line. Since it's been a while since she climbed at this grade, Coxsey said she doesn't feel in a position to fully comment on the difficulty level.
I was able to climb Fotofobia fairly quickly, so I'm tempted to say the line is closer to 8B. At the same time, I couldn't imagine a boulder that would suit me better.
Shauna Coxsey
La Pedriza: Area with great potential
During her week-long stay in La Pedriza, the strong Brit also secured the first women's ascent of Wild Wild West (8B) and an ascent of Pin y Pon (8B).
After her trip, Shauna Coxsey was quite impressed by the style and potential of the Spanish area. “It’s comparable to Fontainebleau and the holds are mostly small and tricky.” This means that the potential for hard lines is almost endless.
Shauna Coxsey's impressive ticklist
- Photofobia (8B+)
- Wild Wild West (8B)
- Pin y Pon (8B)
- Katalefas (8A+)
- Penín's Roof (8A)
- Far West (8A)
First British woman in bouldering grade 8B+
In 2014, Shauna Coxsey became the first British woman to conquer grade 8B+ with New Base Line in Magic Wood. She focused on competitive climbing until the Tokyo Olympics. After the big event, she focused again on rock climbing. In 2023, after the birth of her child, she bouldered twice at grade 8B.
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Credits: Cover picture Talo Martin | Pedrizaguidebooks.com