Matilda Söderlund: Two 5.13d Onsights in a Day

Published June 15, 2012 09:00AM

4/11/12 – Yesterday, Matilda Söderlund ended her trip to Spain with an onsight of Pati pa mi (5.13d). Climbing caught up with the Swedish climber about her recent onsight spree.

Do you have a strategy for all these onsights? Actually, I don’t spend that much time reading and sequencing the routes before I climb them. The routes here in Spain are often so long that it is impossible to see all the holds. I like to have some sort of strategy for the first part of the route, but then just climb and don’t think too much—sort of just go with the flow! When I climb outdoors and try to onsight/flash a route, I try to just enjoy climbing and having fun with my friends. No pressure at all.

What’s been the hardest route you’ve done so far? Definitely my onsight of Négociée (5.13d). I found the route very cruxy and bouldery and I think I’ve never fought so hard while climbing a route before. So getting to the top on that one was just amazing!

Was your goal to go to Spain and onsight so many of Siurana’s routes? I didn’t really have a plan or any expectations for this trip. I would have liked to find a project to work on, but due to bad weather and a sore throat and a cold I couldn’t. [Yesterday] on my last day in Spain, I tried Patinosa (5.14b). A very beautiful route that I’m definitely motivated to come back to.

Despite no expectations, you’ve had a heck of a trip. I have actually been injured for one or two months before this trip. I ruptured a muscle in my back and haven’t been able to train properly at all since February… So I’m very surprised about my sends on this trip.

Söderlund is headed back to Sweden this week, but hopes to make it back to Spain at the end of the month.

4/10/12 – Matilda Söderlund has upped her own ante: she onsighted two 5.13d’s yesterday with Zona 0 and Negoclee at Siurana, Spain. She also managed an onsight of Memorias de una sepla (5.13b).

The 19-year-old climbed her first 5.13d in December 2010; a year later, she bagged her first 5.14a with Rollito Sharma. Since 2010, she’s racked up six 5.13d’s and two 5.14a’s, with all but one climb in Spain.

It’s not unusual to see Spanish testpieces getting ticked like a grocery list this time of year—nor is it unheard of to onsight 5.13. But this torrent of onsights hasn’t really been seen since Adam Ondra blazed through Spain in March 2011.

4/9/12 – Sweden’s Mathilda Söderlund has had an impressive bout of ascents in Spain recently. Since late March, Söderlund’s climbing days have been packed with hard ascents, with the majority going down first try. She has made eight onsights and flashes up to 5.13d, including two 5.13c onsights in a day.

We can think of only a few harder onsights by women: Charlotte Durif on Ultime Démence (5.14a) in 2009, and Sasha DiGiulian on Omaha Beach andMaskoking (both 5.14a) in 2011.

Söderlund started her trip to Spain in Siurana, then moved on to Margalef before heading back to Siurana. Below, a breakdown of her ascents, to put it in perspective: