Zaza Be, First Ascent and First Free Ascent

Madagascar, Tsaranoro Massif
Climb Year: 2014. Publication Year: 2018.

Not previously reported in the AAJ, Zaza Be was established by Marc Gamio and Gérard Thomas (France) in June 2014 at 7c A0. The 500m, 14-pitch line stopped below the top of formation. Later in 2014, Mayan Gobat-Smith (New Zealand) and Ben Rueck (USA) freed the remaining aid on Zaza Be, graded the climb 8a (5.13b), and renamed it Solar Fusion. Tobias Wolf, who repeated Zaza Be in 2016, believes the route should be graded 7c+, with many pitches easier than earlier topos have shown.