Apologies are in order. As it now turns out, Magnus has yet to repeat Neanderthal. Apparently it was just a rumour that went viral on facebook... probably the source was an interview on Desnivel, where he, ironically, is talking about his struggle to repeat the route.

Even people who are in Santa Linya now congratulated Magnus on the ascent. I guess this says something about the world we're living in today, doesn't it?

So, after a long fight over several rounds, Magnus Midtbø has still to make the second ascent of Chris Sharma's, 9b, in the Santa Linya cave.

This would be Magnus' second of the grade, the first being the radically different Ali-Hulk sit start extension in the Ali-Baba cave at Rodellar.

Last spring he fell 26 times at the crux dyno separating the hard climbing below and the easier above. Obviously it became a head game, and now the count is up to 40 or so.

Chris Sharma made the first ascent of the route in 2009.

Here is a video of Magnus working the route last season.

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Magnus Midtbø is sponsored by: Norrøna, Beal, Five Ten, Friction walls, Petzl, Tyrili Klatring and Varri