We took a rest day from Verdon Gorge and headed over to Gorges du Loup to catch up with Muriel Sarkany and see how she was going on her latest project — Last Soul Sacrifice (8c, or Oz grade 33). I first met Muriel some years back at Siurana and have to say she must be one of the most modest and best sport climbers I’ve had the pleasure to meet. I heard she is the all-time second most successful competition climber in the world (the overall winner of the World Cup for five years) but talking with her you’d never know it. Now retired from the competition scene, she has done a great job translating her skills and fitness into results on the rock. On her trip to France Muriel had been tearing it up at Gorges du Loup, having sent two other 8c’s (Hot Chili-X and Qoussai les maux de la fin) already. Last Soul Sacrafice would make her third 8c in a month, but she only had a few days left. Could she do it? Turns out we had timed out visit well…
And of course I took some shots. For Muriel’s first shot of the day I just photographed from the ground. She fell on the crux, dogged the moves a bit and climbed to the top, then kindly hauled up and fixed my static rope so that I could get some shots from above… And so then on her second shot for the day — she sent! And as she climbed higher had to quickly abseil back down to the ground to get out of her way. This time she ditched the “boys beta†that’d thrown her off before, stuck to her sequence, powered through the crux and cruised to the top of her third 8c that month. It was an impressive send. Fantastic job Muriel! And suitably inspired, Monique sent her 8b+ project the next day. Good times!
