Kwon Gaeun, 12, has repeated the iconic Era Vella 5.14d, marking her first climb at the grade. With this ascent, Gaeun joins a small group of exceptionally young climbers who’ve redpointed 5.14d. In 2024, Chilean climber Leo Cea completed the second ascent of TecnoKing (5.14d) in Chile at just 11 years old. In 2022, Théo Blass sent Trip Tik Tonik 5.14d in France at age 12, and around the same time, Gianluca Vighetti, also 12, climbed Un Vento Nuovo 5.14d. For context, Adam Ondra was 13 when he first reached the grade.
After her send, Gaeun said on 8a.nu, “After a few days, I solved all the moves, and Dad and I celebrated, had a party. I was happy because I have always managed to send a route once I’ve solved the movement.In the end, I achieved the send after a total of six attempts over three days.”
At 10 years and three months old, Gaeun became the youngest climber to ever send 5.14c with her redpoint of Southern Smoke in Red River Gorge. Gaeun’s father, 5.14 climber Kwon Young Hye, is Gaeun’s coach and main belayer for her projects. About Gaeun’s first 5.14d, he said, “She climbed calmly and steadily, clipping the rope into the chains to complete her first 9a route.”
Era Vella was first climbed by Chris Sharma in 2010 and has since become one of the most renowned sport routes in the world. It has attracted many of the top climbers, including Adam Ondra, Sasha DiGiulian, Seb Bouin, Jonathan Siegrist, Jorge Díaz-Rullo, Alex Megos, Michaela Kiersch, and others. Originally established at 5.14d, the consensus later trended toward 5.14c before a broken hold pushed it back to 5.14d. Most recently, Squamish-based Tim Emmett made headlines by sending the route at age 51 after 130 days of effort.