BURSTA few days ago, German powerhouse Yannick Flohé repeated Corona 5.15a (9a+), Germany’s first climb of the grade. Located in Frankenjura, Corona was FA’d in 2006 by Markus Bock and has since become a classic hard line in the area. Adam Ondra was the second ascensionist after eight sessions of effort in 2009. Alex Megos achieved the third ascent in 2013. The line is steep and follows a series of heinous pockets, as is typical of the Frankenjura.
The line has seen a handful of ascents since then, including from Felix Neumärker, Dai Koyamada, Daniel Jung, and Moritz Welt, among others. Almost all have called the line 5.15a. Ondra said it was soft for the grade, Neumärker called it 5.14d, and Megos sent the route on only his second attempt. Flohé gave the route a grade assessment of 5.14d/15a.
This ascent adds another milestone to an impressive year. Flohé made history in July when he became the first climber to flash V15. The problem was Foundation’s Edge V15 (8C) in Fionnay, Switzerland. Flohé has completed many hard classics in Switzerland and France over the past few years. In February, he made the third ascent of Story of 3 Worlds V16. In 2023, he sent Return of the Dreamtime V16, Ephyra V16, La Force Tranquille V15, and From Dirt Grows the Flowers V15. In 2022, he started the year with a repeat of the famous Off the Wagon Sit V16. In Spring 2024, he climbed his first 5.15a, Lazarus at the Schiefer Tod crag in Frankenjura.
The 26-year-old German climber is also known for his comp climbing. He competed in the Paris Olympics last summer, placing 9th overall. In 2022, he won gold at the Brixen Boulder World Cup and bronze at the Koper Lead World Cup. The previous year, he won gold in Combined at the World Championships in Moscow.
Yannick Flohé on Corona 5.15a
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