Sasha DiGiulian Makes First Female Ascent of La Coccinelle Trump L’oeil (5.14), Verdon Gorge
After only five days in France, Sasha DiGiulian climbed the first female ascent of La Coccinelle Trump L'oeil in Verdon Gorge. She said the limestone route is 5.14, but has yet to suggest a letter grade.
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After only five days in France, Sasha DiGiulian climbed the first female ascent of La Coccinelle Trump L’oeil in Verdon Gorge. She said the limestone route is 5.14, but has yet to suggest a letter grade.
“A large part of completing a climb consists of a convergence of luck, commitment and flow,” DiGiulian wrote on Instagram.
DiGiulian last visited France in 2012, the summer before she began studying at Columbia University. While there, she injured her finger and was forced to take over two months rest from climbing.
“A lot has changed in my life since I have been back here,” she wrote on Instagram. “I feel this appreciation for the climbing and the overall ambience. Whether we have sunshine or storm clouds I am just so thankful to have this tranquility in nature in my life and to have the opportunity to enjoy it with friends.”
DiGiulian climbed her initial first ascent in 2013, opening Rolihlahla, a consensus 5.13d/14a, in South Africa’s Waterfall Boven (see video below). On the same trip, she completed her second first ascent, Mis-Behaving (5.14a) in Montagu, South Africa.
Sasha DiGiulian on Rolihlahla: