There is always a strong crew of climbers sitting under the impressive 'La Rambla'. Gerard has been amongst climbers like Jon Cardwell, Yuji Hirayama or Alizée Dufraisse, but Friday he was the only one adding the climb to his impressive ticklist.
Gerard is the fourth Spanish climber to send La Rambla, one of the most sought after redpoints in Siurana and in the world. Ramon Julián made the first ascent back in 2003, and three years later it was repeated by Edu Marín and Patxi Usobiaga in 2007.
Gerard is a Barcelona local and frequenter to Siurana, with Broadway 8c+/9a, 8b+ onsights and more than 200 routes of the 8th grade on his ticklist already.
It is clear Gerard has certainly left behind his serious pulley injury which occurred in 2016 which required surgery. His recovery encompassed most of 2017, it is exciting to see him back on top form.
Gerard remarked that he had been trying La Rambla earlier this week and on Monday fell just before the chains.
This interview has been translated with permission from Woguclimbing.
Congratulations Gerard! How do you feel?
'I still can not believe it. On Monday..I was very nervous. I did not expect to get that high this fast. It was my first day of vacation and I didn't know what would happen, and that I would be so nervous. The nerves have come back again, haha!'
How many times did you try it after that attempt on Monday?
I tried it again on Tuesday and also on Thursday, when I fell looking on the last hard move of the crux, but then you have to go all the way to the top.
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"Honestly, I thought maybe it would not go this winter, and I would have to wait for the next one."
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Did you feel like you could do it?
I felt good this week, but I did not think I could do it. I had a lot of reservations. I came to climb several days to El Pati and did not try 'La Rambla'. I decided that I would not try it until I was in really good shape. Before last Christmas holidays, I was trying it a bit and I fell before the crux. I had to work it harder and I've been training hard. Before this week I had also tried it.
How many attempts did you have in total?
I had sent 'Broadway' 8c + / 9a already. The line shares a large part with 'La Rambla' and I gave it many tries until I sent that route, so I knew almost the whole line. Right after 'Broadway' I tried it a little bit but it started to get hot.
'La Rambla' seems an ambitious project having recently come back from an injury.
The truth is yes, but I wanted to get back on track. Before the injury I had been trying it with the injured pulley before I found out it was ruptured. I thought that if I could get so high on the climb when injured, that when I recovered I could send it. Although honestly, I thought maybe it would not go this winter, and I would have to wait for the next one.
What is your next objective?
I do not know yet. There are many options. For now, it's time to enjoy 'La Rambla'!
CONGRATS GERARD!!
Read more about Gerard Rull.
Headline photo by Josep Malo.
Feb 25, 2018
