BURSTSvana Bjarnason, 34, has sent Joe Blau 5.14c in Oliana, marking the hardest ascent of her career. It came eight months after surgery for severe deep endometriosis and adenomyosis, conditions, which she said on 8a.nu, that caused “intense belly pain, uterine cramps, neuropathic pain affecting the legs and lower back, nausea, digestive issues.” Bjarnason said the climb became “an emotional comeback after a long and uncertain recovery period,” after spending the season unsure what her body could handle. “With this disease you never know in which state you’re gonna wake up,” she said. “You never know whether you’ll be climbing hard at the crag or crying at the crag.”
The recovery was complicated by more setbacks, as Bjarnason said she partially tore a pulley during the season and was still recovering while projecting the route. “There were way too many days when pain completely changed my plans, training, mood and expectations,” she said. Although she hoped surgery would permanently remove the symptoms, she realized “you can’t eradicate endometriosis.” Sending Joe Blau became, in her words, “much more than a grade,” describing it as “rebuilding trust in my body and getting a small revenge on endometriosis.”
Bjarnason first tried the route several years ago while pursuing Olympic qualification, but she said competition climbing left little time for outdoor projecting. She returned to Joe Blau the following season, made progress, then got injured and shifted focus to other projects before returning to competitions on plastic in World Cups and European Cups. Around the same period, doctors confirmed she would need surgery. “I knew I needed to have a big goal in mind to get through all this,” she said. “Joe Blau was an obvious one.”
After surgery, Bjarnason rebuilt gradually, starting on easier climbs before returning to the route. She said the process took “a looot” of sessions as she slowly regained form through the season, balancing improvements with recurring setbacks. Her training plan targeted a May ascent, and she said “that’s exactly what happened.” On the send go, she did not expect success because of a difficult final section where she had repeatedly fallen. “It felt surreal when I clipped the chains and I immediately burst into tears,” she said. “Sending my first 8c+ [5.14c] eight months after surgery did feel like a first victory.”
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