Gaz Parry has made a repeat of Blomu 8c+ in the Santa Linya cave in the sport climbing paradise of Catalunya. This is a new personal best for the competition veteran who is now based in Spain.

Gaz Parry nailing the last hard slap on Fabelita 8c ©Gaz Parry

On the back of a productive couple of months at the giant cave, which included six grade eight routes, Parry felt it was time to try something ‘a little more respectable’. His route of choice was a thirty-five metre long Dani Andrada creation featuring three sets of chains, with difficult condition dependent moves on slopers at the top.

Blomu spends almost the entire day in the sun, meaning redpoint attempts have to be squeezed in at the start and end of the day. At this time of year there is only realistically one attempt per day possible in the evening. Steve McClure slipped off the final moves during a daytime redpoint attempt earlier this year. Parry had also imposed a goal of completing the route before the end of the year.

Familiar with some of the route, having onsighted the first pitch 7b+ earlier in the year, and on good form with ascents of Fabelita 8c and Rollito Sharma Extension 8c within a month, the route made an ideal if frustrating target.

Making constant progress over a number of days, but with the self-imposed deadline looming, Parry warmed up a final time on December 29th with a quick bouldering session at the back of the enormous cave. With an ideal temperature, and on the third consecutive day of climbing, the route was completed. It is not only the hardest route Parry has climbed, but also the first route of the grade that the three times British champion has ever attempted.

Sources
Gaz Parry - Blomu 8c+
Steve McClure - Summer has arrived