Martina Demmel's unbelievable annual result: 201 times 8a (and more) climbed

19-year-old Martina Demmel has had her most successful climbing year. In total, she climbed 201 routes in the eighth French degree and spent 222 days on the rock. We briefly introduce the young German talent.

Martina Demmel makes the climbing world sit up and take notice. She presents a ticklist for the past year that sounds too good to be true. Has a total of 842 climbing routes, spread over 222 climbing days Martina Demmel entered in their route book. Of the 842 routes, 202 are more difficult than 8a, 30 of which are onsight. Here are the numbers:

• 222 days on the rock
• 842 climbing routes scored
• 201 in difficulty level 8a (and higher)
• 11x 8c, 21x 8b +, 43x 8b, 55x 8a +, 71x 8a

Who is Martina Demmel?

Laura Rogora, Julia Chanourdie, Margo Hayes, we all know them. But who is Martina Demmel? The 19-year-old lives in a small village called Böbing, an hour south of Munich. However, it is often not found there. Mostly she is on climbing trips.

In 2020 she was away from home for 218 days. For Martina, the smaller and larger climbing trips are one of the reasons why she loves climbing.

Martina Demmel's second passion is skiing. Up until the age of 15 she was a competitive athlete on skis and has always been out and about in the mountains. However, she only started climbing in the winter of 2017 through a friend.

Exactly, you read that right. 2017. That means Martina has only been climbing for three years and is delivering a remarkable performance curve. And so she quickly attracted the attention of a national coach who invited her to a competition in which Martina took fifth place and thus qualified for the World Cup in Briançon.

At her first IFSC competition, Martina also made it to the semi-finals and finished 24th behind her team colleague Hannah Meul.

Martina Demmel in the semi-finals of the IFSC World Cup in Briançon

19 years young, highly motivated, talented and with the necessary balance. This is how Martina Demmel can be described. We will certainly hear more from the young German talent in the future.

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Credits: Cover picture Eduardo Ruano Lin, Portrait shot in the article Malik Shirawski