On September 18, 2026, South Tyrolean climber Filip Schenk flashed Vivi si muore (9a / ~5.14d) at La Stazione in Val Tanaro, Piedmont. First bolted and freed by Lorenzo Bogliacini, it stands out as one of the cave's main lines: three distinct physical sections split up by reasonable rests, ending with a low-percentage throw to a blind hold. That last move was what Schenk worried about most beforehand, even if the opening section packed the most intensity.

He was pushed into trying the flash by Giovanni Placci and Giorgio Tomatis, who was in the middle of projecting it himself. After receiving their beta, Schenk spent about fifteen minutes fighting through from the deck, eventually latching the blind hold at the top—turning "all the tension into pure joy."

Flashing 9a is still near the limit of what can be done on a first try. Adam Ondra logged the first in 2012, followed by Alex Megos and more recently Placci, with Ondra since moving the mark to 9a+ on Super Crackinette. Schenk, 26, who has redpointed up to 9b, credits years on the competition circuit for his flash setup—learning how to read lines from the ground, dial in personal beta quickly, and control the pressure when there is only one shot.

Sources: Planetmountain, Gripped, Up-Climbing, WOGU (Sept 2026). Cover: Up-Climbing.