Brid Klina - Anica Kuk

What is the most beautiful rock climbing route in the world ?

Of course the topic is very subjective. Depending on your favourite style of climbing, the rock you prefer holding and your level.

In my oppinion, the most beautiful route in the world must meet the following points :

-       A strong history linked to the route.

-       Beautiful, high quality and solid rock, combined with airy climbing.

-       Most of all, who do you share the climbing with.

Let’s start with the historical aspect of Brid Klina :

Located on the really edge of Anica Kuk wall, this breathtaking route was first climb in 1973 by Marijan Cepelak and Boris Aleraj.

It took them 8 days, from 26/04 until 3/05, sleeping in the wall. The result was the hardest aid climb route of this time in Croatia, with many sections of A3 and A4. When you see the gear they were using, their performance is even more impressive ! Congratulation guys !

The route was later bolted for free climbing by an other legend : Tomo Cesen. You can be for or against bolting old aid route, but without this, Brid Klima wouldn’t became so famous and attractive for strong free climbers.

Martina Cufar, an other slovenian legend (even if we stole her a bit for Chamonix !!), compared « Brid Klina » on Anica kuk with « the nose » on El Cap. After free climbed the route she said : « Even bolted the route is still very adventurous ».

To finish the story, the first (and only ?) on sight ascent was made by a slovenian climber (one more time) : Andrej Grmovsek.

Let’s start now with our story :

The idea of climbing Brid klina with Ena started when I first visit Paklenica in march 2012. The line is so impressive and attractive in the same time. When visiting the national park, you can find postcards even tee shirts with guidebook of the route … An invitation to climb it !

Even worst, when looking at grades of every pitches, we thought it could be a possible project for the two of us…. Hahaha !!

So on 17th of September, we are together on « Anica Luka », the meadow located at bottom of the wall. We are spoting the route with binoculars to check where the line is going and if every pitch is dry…

At Dinko Restaurant, we meet Marko Marasovic, a strong local climber who is working on the route. He even lets his quickdraws in crux pitches. Nicelly, he ofers me to give info and details for the route. But I want to try it onsight… I feel strong and for sure, too self confident !!

18th September, after two slabby pitches to warm up, we are at bottom of first 7b. While climbing the first half of the route, I remember the guide book « The climb is fine and airy »… No shit !!!

My big ambitions of onsight rapidly end with a fall and with big big troubles to « just » do the mooves… Ohoh… this day will be a long one J

I ‘ll spare you the details of everypitch and all the bad words we said this day :

« What the hell… it’s never 6b !!! ». « Pffff… the hardest 5c on planet earth ». To be honest I think we completly underestimate the route with Ena. Even if grades look attractive and possible, one should be carefull. It is really severly graded and the climb on mostly cracks and vertical holds is really demanding.

But « jebi ga » … What a route !!! There is not even one pitch, not even one meter of climbing which is not completly beautiful. Perfect limestone with a breathtaking air between the legs…

It tooks us 8 hours to reach the summit of Anica kuk. Completly destroyed and exhausted but with a hudge smile. We both feel pleased and even a bit proud on our day… we achieve one of our littlle dreams.

To me, the partner you climb a route with is even more important than the route itself. What to say about Ena… One more time it won’t be a subjective topic. Because few days after climbing Brid Klina, as my favourite climbing partner, she became my partner for life … a life full of mountains, bigwalls, projects and smiles… world wide J

To finish the story of Brid Klina, the next day we celebrated our union, two of our friends, Vincent François and Arnaud Bayol, based jump from summit of the route (excatly from summit of spider).

So is it the story of a big wall ? 8 days to open the route, 8 hours to climb it free, 8 seconds to base jump it ?? J