Climbing
Slovenian duo grab glory as new champions of Red Bull Dual Ascent
The second Red Bull Dual Ascent finished with two epic finals that resulted in Slovenian siblings Jernej Kruder and Julija Kruder reigning supreme. Catch the highlights here.
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Four climbing teams battled it out in a bid to find out who had the speed, strength and determination to conquer the fearsome wall of Switzerland’s Verzasca Dam in the fastest time for victory at the Red Bull Dual Ascent finals.
The 2023 champion’s title in the Big Final was up for grabs during Saturday’s final, as well as a coveted third-place finish in the Small Final. All that stood between the teams and victory was 180m of artificial routes and jaw-dropping exposure – six tough and challenging pitches ranging from 6c to 8b, and a whole lot of pump and adrenaline.
The challenge – 180m of six artificial pitches and over 400 holds
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
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Kruder siblings crowned 2023 champions in Big Final
In the Big Final, 2022 champion Alberto Ginés López of Spain and team-mate Jenya Kazbekova of Ukraine were pitted against 2022 runner-up Jernej Kruder of Slovenia, who partnered with his sister Julija Kruder for this year’s competition. Against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful climbing spots in the world, a super dramatic dual race unfolded on the sheer dam wall, with the race too close to call until the final phenomenal moments.
With victory just an arm’s reach from the fingertips of Kazbeokva, a last-second slip over the lip of the dam opened the door to the Kruder siblings, switching the race from a test of speed and stamina to one of tactics and mind games.
Alberto and Jenya vs Jernej and Julija
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With plenty of time still left on the clock and a penalty on Julija’s first attempt at the final pitch, it was a flip-the-story moment as tactics turned from pure speed to wiping the slate clean and going penalty-free. Kazbekova and Ginés López could only watch from the finishing position as the exhausted Kruder sister took 20 minutes to recover and psyche herself up for another shot, her focus slipping and motivation decreasing with every minute that passed.
Ready to give it her all, Julija cracked on, now just battling her own exhaustion and the weight of victory hanging on every move. In a dramatic final climb, it was clear that she had just one last attempt at the final pitch left in the tank. After nailing the first crux, a newly fired-up Julija conquered the wall, pulling up and over the top of the dam penalty-free as the rain started to fall – a truly heroic performance.
Celebrations for Julija and Jernej, champions of Red Bull Dual Ascent 2023
© Matteo Mocellin/Red Bull Content Pool
I was struggling a lot. The hardest pitch for sure was the last one... The second hardest thing was to find the motivation to do it again!
Following her victory, Julija said: ”I’ve just realised I’m the first female winner, which feels amazing. In general, this year’s competition was more about women climbers. Jernej also had a very important job because whenever I was slowing down, he had to make up the time. We made a really good team because we were motivating each other and supporting each other.”
The Red Bull Dual Ascent 2023 podium
© Matteo Mocellin/Red Bull Content Pool
Second-place Kazbekova was reflective on her stellar performance: “I’m a little disappointed, but everything’s OK. The last pitch was a lot of pressure and my fingers kept opening up. It was so close; it was three moves away for me, but I didn’t have anything left. We were both a little bit nervous for tonight, but as soon as we started climbing, it changed to adrenaline.”
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Swiss home favourite Klingler celebrates Small Final win with Ladevant
The dramatic finishes and incredible speed weren’t all reserved for the Big Final – the Small Final was also packed with plenty of drama and unforgettable sporting moments, After five phenomenally quick pitches, the race between Petra Klingler and team-mate Louna Ladevant and rivals Vita Lukan and Domen Škofic was neck-and-neck at Contour, the final pitch. Rated 8b, Contour is the shortest hardest pitch of the entire route, with the most holds, pushing the athletes to their very limits.
Petra Klingler and Louna Ladevant
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Off the back of a gruelling 7c+ Ascona Locarno pitch, Ladevant launched straight into the sixth and final pitch. Seeing Ladevant go full throttle, Škofic was hot on his heels, chalking up and gambling with penalties as both male athletes opted for pure speed.
Halfway through the pitch, only two metres separated the rivals, with Ladevant grunting and yelling his way through every move as his BPM ramped up and pump levels maxed out. A more composed Škofic was the first to climb onto the dam wall and immediately got to work prepping for Lukan’s final climb, only a fraction of a minute between the two teams.
Petra Klingler hangs on for the Small Final victory
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It all came down to Lukan and Klingler’s speed, stamina and accuracy. Lukan was first to launch into the final pitch, but an ultra-focused Klingler stepped up her pace. Both athletes were visibly gassed out in the final minutes, and then one slip changed everything.
Lukan fell just half a metre from the top of the dam and whipped away from the wall. She could only hang 220m in the air to watch and see if Klingler would make the same mistake at the vital pitch point, but after taking a moment, the Swiss climber successfully grabbed the dam lip and went over the top to take a third-place finish for her team.
“It's incredible. Still, adrenaline is rushing through my arms especially, and my head. I was just so excited,” Klingler exclaimed after the event. “I still can't really believe what we did once more. It was so cool climbing up this dam. We had a perfect team once more, perfect communication. It was fun. We pushed ourselves to our limits, and still, I don't know how I was able to hold on in this last pitch. Somehow, I did, and it's incredible.”
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Highlight: Lukan’s incredible Small Final comeback moment
The fifth pitch, Ascona Locarno – 25m of 7C+ with 58 holds – had proved a bit of a nemesis for Lukan after she fell multiple times during qualifying. But in the Small Final, all seemed to be going to plan, as Lukan managed to stick the move that had caused so many problems previously. She powered through the rest of the pitch, fending off the pain of pump and remaining super-focused and dynamic.
Vita Lukan goes all-in during the Small Final at Red Bull Dual Ascent
© Matteo Mocellin/Red Bull Content Pool
Lukan and Klingler’s climbs remained penalty-free, and the race was neck and neck until Lukan slipped on the final move and was whipped off the wall. In a monumental upset, Lukan was forced to restart the 25m pitch, swapping her three-metre lead for a 21-metre game of catch-up and opening the door to Ladevant and Klingler to inch closer to victory.
Laser-focused on redemption and already clipped in, Lukan went on to storm her way up the fifth pitch and make a staggering recovery, essentially climbing three massively challenging pitches in a row and losing relatively little ground. After handing over to Škofic, who enjoyed a little extra recovery time ahead of his final climb, Lukan described the experience in three words: “exhausted as hell”.
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Highlight: Kazbekova suffers the first fall of the Big Final… then crushes it
The first heart-in-your-mouth moment of the Big Final came during the climb on Hilta, the third pitch. After a storming start from both teams, it was Kazbekova who took the lead for her team first on the 7b+ pitch. With the ‘invisible’ section looming above her, she set up confidently for the first risky crux of the climb.
Jenya Kazbekova powers into the final pitch
© Matteo Mocellin/Red Bull Content Pool
The tension was palpable as she made the big first leap, but confidence crumbled away as Kazbekova lost her grip and footing. It was a heartbreaking mistake and the first major setback for the team. The error gave rival Julija Kruder vital extra moments to compose herself before committing to the same crux.
As Kruder psyched herself up for the crucial move, an amped Kazbekova was wasting no time, sparking a fierce comeback as she rapidly ascended through the pitch in a bid to reclaim the lost metres and crush the route. Despite her attempts to be the first to conquer the pitch, Kruder stuck the jump and finished the pitch in first. A tense few seconds followed as Kazbekova made her second attempt at the crux, this time nailing the move.
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Highlight: Ginés López’s bold move on Cornercard pays off
With Jernej Kruder pulling ahead in Pitch 3, the race ramped up as the male athletes went out first on Cornercard. Bolstered by his sister’s more cautious climb during the third pitch, Kruder had cruised through the invisible section, his bouldering experience paying dues as he seamlessly stuck every traverse, maintaining his lead.
But a fresh wave of fierce competitiveness saw Ginés López go turbo from one insanely difficult pitch to the next, as he locked in and chalked up for the fourth pitch without missing a beat. With the level of difficulty maxing out the most seasoned climbers, Ginés López’s bold move put the defending Red Bull Dual Ascent champion’s stamina to the ultimate test.
The risky approach paid off as Ginés López pushed through the pain. The Spanish climber closed in and cut Kruder’s lead down to 8m, with both athletes sticking the make-or-break jump. At the final mantle, with his heart rate topping out at 190bpm and pushing his limits to the max, Ginés López clipped in for the final time on the fourth pitch, leaving the race for victory wide open with two pitches remaining.
Alberto Ginés López takes on Jernej Kruder at Red Bull Dual Ascent 2023
© Matteo Mocellin/Red Bull Content Pool
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Highlight: Mind Games – the Big Final penultimate pitch swaps speed for strategy
Signs of burnout started to set in for both teams during the fifth pitch, offering up the opportunity for the rivals to rest, prep and psyche up for the final pitch and the last lead for the female athletes. The banter from both teams added a little fuel to the fire and amped up the anticipation. Both teams had to switch up their mindset, swapping a strategy of pure speed and endurance for psychological stamina.
It was ultimately Kazbekova who threw down the gauntlet, the first to reach one of two crunch points in the pitch. Once the Ukranian climber was safely through the first major challenge, Kruder was finally ready to set off, picking her way up the wall, steady and considered with the threat of Kazbekova’s rapid ascent looming above her.
Julija Kruder on her way to victory
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
A popped foot followed by a gut-wrenchingly wild and intimidating fall brought Kazbekova back to the start of the pitch, giving Kruder the advantage and space to conserve some energy as her power levels started to bottom out. But Kazbekova was in insane form, closing the gap despite all the extra effort. However, the frustration for the Ukrainian athlete was palpable.
Kazbekova aced the second crux move of the pitch, but the extra climbing seemed to empty the tank for the Ukrainian. The male athletes, more rested and set up for the pitch, made their climb more focused on speed and stamina. Egged on by the crowd, Kruder was first to get in position for the make-or-break sixth and last pitch, but Ginés López put it all on the line, once again chalking up without missing a beat and powering into the last pitch.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Want more? Check out the full results here, and rewatch all the Red Bull Dual Ascent finals action here
Podium celebrations get messy at Red Bull Dual Ascent
© Raphaël Surmont/Red Bull Content Pool
Petra Klinger powers through
© Matteo Mocellin/Red Bull Content Pool
Jernej Kruder in the final push for the 2023 title
© Raphaël Surmont/Red Bull Content Pool
Speed and stamina – Domen Škofic looks ahead
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Red Bull Dual Ascent 2023 qualification
Qualification day kicked-off at the famous Verzasca Dam landmark in Switzerland, where 12 teams faced off for a place in Saturday's finals. Both familiar and new faces from around the globe made the line-up of elite climbers and Thursday's forecast for rain meant that all qualification climbs were completed on Wednesday, with the competition climb shortened to the route's top four pitches.
Who qualified for the finals?
Alberto Ginés López and Jenya Kazbekova put in a confident, high-speed performance on the wall, completing the route in 45.03s. López was part of last year's winning duo with Luka Potočar and is chasing victory once again, this time with his Ukrainian team-mate. "It was such an amazing experience," he said after their first place finish. "This year I chose Jenya [to climb with]. She was super fast. We did a really good job."
Alberto Ginés López and Jenya Kazbekova celebrate their qualification win
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Second place in qualification went to Julija and Jernej Kruder. The Slovenian siblings will compete against Alberto Ginés López and Jenya Kazbekova for victory in the Big Final on Saturday. Jernej returned to Red Bull Dual Ascent for 2023 after losing out to López in last year's final following a close, turbo-charged climb. The experienced Julija will make her finals debut.
After landing a place in the Big Final, Julija said: "I was, of course, very nervous. I didn’t know what to expect, but that’s a good thing as well. I'm really excited by new things, so I knew this challenge would suit me."
Jernej Kruder finished in 2nd place after the qualification round
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
The remaining spots for Saturday's Small Final were taken by Swiss climber Petra Klingler and Louna Ladevant of France, who will go head-to-head against Slovenians Vita Lukan and Domen Škofic. The two teams were clearly amped to be part of the closing rounds in the last stage of the competition.
See the full list of qualification results here
Red Bull Dual Ascent 2023 is the ultimate multi-pitch climbing contest
© Raphaël Surmont/Red Bull Content Pool
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