Shauna Coxsey gets third ascent of Mito Sit (Font 8B+)
- Tuesday 11th February 2025
Just months after her latest shoulder surgery, Shauna Coxsey has returned to her former top bouldering form to claim the - the first female - ascent of Mito Sit; currently the hardest bloc at SIntra, Portugal.
Commenting on her ascent, Coxsey said: “Mito is one of the most impressive lines I’ve ever seen! The boulder was so much bigger and much steeper than I expected and the holds so much smaller! It’s a striking line straight through a steep face on a huge boulder, the start moves are on holds that are so small they only just work”.
Mito Sit was first climbed by Jun Shiba in 2022 and is a low sit to a problem which previously had a Font 7C crouch/sit and a Font 7A stand. The problem follows the obvious distinctive natural line on the boulder.
As with many of her other hard repeats, Shauna made remarkable quick work of the boulder, taking just two sessions to complete the bloc.
Shauna explained how her attempts unfolded saying: “[in the first session] It took me a few hours to figure out the start moves. They are so feisty! I had a few link goes but was a bit too tired to piece it together. After a good warm-up on my second session, I got close on my first go from the start but fired one of the easier moves towards the end. It was a good test for my composure and focus to send it but luckily it came together a few attempts later. And just in time as my skin was suffering! Sintra bites!”
Coxsey’s third ascent of Mito Sit follows a repeat in 2024 by fellow Brit Will Bosi and the first ascent by Japanese climber Jun Shiba in 2022. Mito Sit continues Shauna’s return to the top end of high-end outdoor bouldering. In 2024, Coxsey ticked three Font 8B+ boulders including Fotofobia in Pedriza, Hazel Grace in Gotthard and The Boss in Yarncliffe, Peak District. Mito Sit is her fifth Font 8B+ overall including climbing New Baseline which she climbed back in 2014. Shauna remains the only British female climber to have climbed Font 8B+/V14.
And her 2025 plans? “My plan for the year is to climb. I am not sure where or on what yet but I want to focus on climbing and trying hard.”