Her first 9a – and what a route it is: With "Dreamcatcher" (9a/5.14d), the Italian climber has fulfilled a long-cherished dream. On September 24th, Moroni became the third woman to complete Chris Sharma's iconic route in Squamish, British Columbia.
In the past year has Camilla Moroni She accumulated many meters of climbing. In July 2025, she achieved the first female ascent of the multi-pitch route. “Histoire sans Fin” (8b+) in Valais. Shortly afterwards, she and Pietro Vidi successfully tackled the 35-pitch route. “Pre-Muir Wall” on El Capitan. It was really only a matter of time before the 25-year-old would also make her mark on a difficult sport climbing route.
From 8b+ to 9a: Moroni skips several grades at once
Repeating “Dreamcatcher” (9a/5.14d) is a challenge for Moroni. a true milestoneIt's not only the Italian climber's first 9a, but also a huge leap compared to her previous hardest climb, 8b+. Moroni needed about ten sessions for her latest and by far hardest project.
What a perfect line to join the 9a club.
Camilla Moroni
Of high goals and big dreams
However, Camilla Moroni wasn't solely focused on the level of difficulty in her attempts. "I've dreamed of this line for a long time, but never thought it was realistic," says the World Cup climber.I didn't believe I could climb a 9a. It just felt so far away.”
The mental tipping point was then brought about by a difficult trad route: “Meltdown” (E11/8c+) in Yosemite. Moroni didn't complete the route, but realized during her attempts that with a bit more fitness, she could be ready for a really tough challenge. After focusing primarily on bouldering during the World Cup season, she returned to endurance training – for the first time since her participation in the 2024 Olympics.
I asked myself: Did I set my goal too high?
Camilla Moroni
Despite her training successes, inner doubts remained. It took Moroni about a week to get used to the rock. “At the beginning, I felt really bad physically, as if all my hard work had simply been for nothing.“Moroni recalls the first days in “Dreamcatcher”.
Progress came gradually. Nevertheless, for four sessions she kept falling at the final crux of the route. In the end, the smallest and most subtle beta adjustments made all the difference, until everything came together on the successful ascent. The feeling at the top? "Pure relief, completely different from the adrenaline rush of competitions," says Camilla Moroni. On September 24th, the dream became a reality.
About “Dreamcatcher”
"Dreamcatcher" is located in the Squamish-Lillooet climbing area and was established and first climbed by Chris Sharma in 2005. The line quickly became one of the most sought-after 9as in the world in the 2010s – primarily due to its spectacular yet minimalist appearance.
Canada's most famous sport climbing route has been repeated by many renowned climbers, including Sean McColl (first repeat 2009), Alex Megos, Jimmy Webb, Paige Claassen (FFA 2021), Mejdi Schalck, Michaela Kiersch, Alessandro Larcher or Pietro Vidi. Camilla Moroni is the third woman and first Italian to climb the line.
It's not just its appearance that makes "Dreamcatcher" so popular: The route leads over ten bolts through perfect crimps and combines the best of all worlds: a technical starting slab, precise fingerlocks and powerful moves on slopers and crimps, as well as a challenging campus crux high up the route. A true test piece for all-rounders – and A dream for anyone who can climb at grade 9a (or believes in it strongly enough).
That might interest you
- Pietro Vidi and Camilla Moroni free climb the "Pre-Muir Wall" on El Capitan
- Six days for the Kingline of Céüse: Laura Rogora climbs “Bibliographie” (9b+)
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Credits cover photo: Ben Stone Fenton