Brit trad climber sends US 5.13

Sensational British trad-climber Hazel Findlay has climbed the 5.13R arete of Air Sweden, in the Utah Desert of the USA.

PlanetFear reports that Findlay completed the legendary Pat Savage route in the Indian Creek area after a few days climbing some of the Creek's classic 5.11's and 5.12's.

Air Sweden has become perhaps the most sought-after hard line on desert sandstone in North America, with Indian Creek offering some of the most awesome sandstone crack climbing in the planet.

The route is of one of the most coveted testpieces of modern American trad climbing. According to Climb.co.za the route follows a steep and difficult crack before launching leftwards on to a thin and precarious arete.

Unperturbed by the out-of-the-ordinary hot conditions, she successfully completed the route placing all the gear on lead, after taking a couple of huge falls from high on her first attempts.

The climb is a first female ascent of the route. After the ascent she went on to onsight Ruby's Cafe (5.13-), a classic thin-fingers route first climbed by Indian Creek pioneer Lisa Gnade, and featuring technical changing corners as well as a tough roof section at the top.

Hazel is sponsored by Wild Country and La Sportiva.

Source article and images: planetFear and climb.co.za (Image by D Pickford)