The Onsight Chronicles

Normally when traveling overseas Monique doesn’t get too involved in attempting really hard sport climb projects — ones that might take her many days of attempts. Because time is so limited when traveling it doesn’t make much sense to spend most of your climbing time attempting only one ultra-hard route. So when traveling Monique usually attempts to “onsight” numerous hard routes (ones she might be able to get first shot) and saves the hardest (multi-day) “projects” for when she’s at home. So far that approach has been working well for her this trip and she’s onsighted several 7C (grade 27) routes over the last few weeks.

But now Monique has broken her golden rule and found herself a project – having become very inspired by Zona 0 graded 8b (Australian 31). It a great looking line tackling a 35m wall at the right end of sector El Pati, Siurana.

Today was a magic day. Today is our last day in Spain and well, Monique climbed Zona 0, pulling it off on the very last possible attempt of our trip here. It was an inspired lead, one of the best I’ve seen from her.

Actually Monique had already made her last attempt on the route for the trip – and failed. She fell off right at the top. She tried so hard she pulled a finger tendon fighting a finger pocket at the end as she fell off. She came down upset to have stuffed up her last shot when she was so close… There would be no more attempts this trip… the sun was now coming over the top of the cliff… it was so close, it was a bummer of a way to finish the trip…

Or was it?

After about 10 minutes Monique started to feel a bit better. She still had to go up the route again to get her quick-draws off anyway, so she decided to give it one “last” shot as now she had nothing to lose. She taped up her finger, tied in, and started up again… Every move was perfect. She floated to the top — and did it! She wasn’t the only one happy with that. I bet they could hear my whoop of joy back at Siurana campground!

Zona 0 is the hardest route Monique has climbed overseas. What I think is really impressive though is that Monique is actually now 14 weeks pregnant! That’s right: 8b – when 14 weeks pregnant!

And that has been the main game for Monique here: as she was getting the route better rehearsed, more “wired”, she was fighting a battle against time — and an increasing “weight-belt” of sorts — as she became “more” pregnant and tired!

These photos are on Zona 0 taken over the last few weeks.

What a great way to end to our trip to Spain! And what a great achievement for Monique now — just before she has a break from hard climbing for a few months.

Tomorrow we fly outta here and head to the Dolomites…