Janja Garnbret projects La Dura Dura - one of the toughest routes in the world

Janja Garnbret is currently the dominator in competition climbing. Between her World Cup, World Championships and Olympic victories, she always makes a name for herself with strong performances on the rock. She is currently planning the Sharma test piece La Dura Dura in Oliana. If she succeeds, she would be the first woman to climb grade 9b+.

It is news that makes you sit up and take notice: Janja Garnbret projektiert La Dura Dura (9b+) in Oliana. The of Chris Sharma furnished and by Adam Ondra first climbed line is one of the most difficult sport climbing routes in the world. With a successful repetition of the route, the Slovenian top climber would go down in the history books. She would be the first woman to conquer grade 9b+.

janja-garnbret-la-dura-dura
Janja Garnbret has taken on the test piece La Dura Dura in Oliana. Image: Roman Krajnik

Reasons that speak for Janja Garnbret

"How stupid of me to think that La Dura Dura is only hard when she is obviously hard hard," reported Janja Garnbret from Spain. The reactions to this humorous comment are not long in coming. That's how you answer Allison Vest immediately: "Well, luckily you're not just great at climbing, you're great at climbing." With this, the professional climber addresses an important point.

"How stupid of me to think that La Dura Dura is only hard when she's obviously hard hard."

Janja Garnbret

Janja Garnbret is an exception in climbing. With 31 World Cup victories, six World Championship gold medals and one Olympic gold medal, she is indisputably in a class of her own on the competitive circuit. In addition, she repeatedly surprises the climbing community with outstanding performances on the rock.

janja-garnbrett-iron
Janja Garnbret in irons (8b +). image fresh air movie

Would you like an example? At the beginning of November 2021 she will be climbing with us Fish Eye as the first woman 8c onsight. And as if that wasn't enough, two days later she doubles and scores with American Hustle (8c) another difficult route onsight. A good four months later she managed the famous and extremely difficult boulder in the Maltatal Iron (8b +).

La Dura Dura lives up to its name

The line that Janja Garnbret has chosen is indisputably one of the toughest sport climbing routes in the world. Not only Adam Ondra's struggle on the route during the first ascent in 2013 bears witness to this Nico Pelorson in Oliana and tried to wring an inspection of the Sharma classic.

Video: Nico Pelorson in La Dura Dura

Although the strong Frenchman aka "Mr. Downgrade" several passages are related. But it wasn't enough for a fall-free climb. "I wasn't strong enough to climb the route during this trip," he writes. In order to be able to climb through them, he will probably be able to train harder. Or maybe even harder, like Janja Garnbret?

That might interest you

+ + +

Credits: Cover picture Roman Krajnik

News

The Pou brothers complete their difficult trilogy on Peña Santa with "Relampagu" (8c/600 m)

Eneko and Iker Pou have completed the first ascent of their third difficult route on Peña Santa de Castilla (2.596 m). The project of the two brothers from the Basque Country dates back to 2020, when they established "Rayu" (8c/600 m), one of the steepest multi-pitch routes in the Picos de Europa.

Vertical Pro Trade Fair 2026: Meeting place for climbing and height professionals | November 13 & 14

From November 13th to 14th, the international vertical technology community will meet in Friedrichshafen. This year's Vertical Pro will once again offer a wide range of activities – with numerous opportunities for knowledge exchange and around 200 exhibitors from the fields of rope access technology, working at heights and rescue, climbing and bouldering gyms, as well as high ropes courses and forest ropes courses.

Alexander Huber in conversation | Life, the mountains & the love of music

If you look up the word "all-rounder" in the dictionary, you'll find Alexander Huber. Mountaineering, alpine climbing, sport climbing, ice climbing, free soloing, and even playing the piano – all no problem for the 58-year-old extreme athlete and physicist, who had to undergo brain tumor surgery in 2024. We talk to him about his fight to regain his former strength, his beginnings in climbing, and whether you can give piano concerts with climbing hands.

Saxony's bivouac dispute: Where self-regulation ends 

Since 2026, bivouacking (or "boofen") in the Saxon Switzerland National Park has been prohibited from February 1st to June 15th. Mountaineering associations are challenging this legally – which also puts the decades-long model of self-regulation to the test.

The Pou brothers complete their difficult trilogy on Peña Santa with "Relampagu" (8c/600 m)

Eneko and Iker Pou have completed the first ascent of their third difficult route on Peña Santa de Castilla (2.596 m). The project of the two brothers from the Basque Country dates back to 2020, when they established "Rayu" (8c/600 m), one of the steepest multi-pitch routes in the Picos de Europa.

Vertical Pro Trade Fair 2026: Meeting place for climbing and height professionals | November 13 & 14

From November 13th to 14th, the international vertical technology community will meet in Friedrichshafen. This year's Vertical Pro will once again offer a wide range of activities – with numerous opportunities for knowledge exchange and around 200 exhibitors from the fields of rope access technology, working at heights and rescue, climbing and bouldering gyms, as well as high ropes courses and forest ropes courses.

Alexander Huber in conversation | Life, the mountains & the love of music

If you look up the word "all-rounder" in the dictionary, you'll find Alexander Huber. Mountaineering, alpine climbing, sport climbing, ice climbing, free soloing, and even playing the piano – all no problem for the 58-year-old extreme athlete and physicist, who had to undergo brain tumor surgery in 2024. We talk to him about his fight to regain his former strength, his beginnings in climbing, and whether you can give piano concerts with climbing hands.