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The world’s longest artificial route
360ASCENT is a project in which Red Bull and 360holds found common interest to set the route on a 360-meter-high chimney and climb the longest artificial climbing route in the world with some of the world’s best climbers.
337–360 m
23 m
9
7c
22 pcs
22 pcs
Open-air
Katja’s climbing shoe needed 8.5 seconds of free fall from the top of the chimney before it hit the ground.
The chimney measures 8 metres in diameter at the top.
The 360 route is the longest artificial route in the world. The previous record was held by a climbing route on a dam in Switzerland measuring 165 metres.
They stood on top of the last 13th pitch on october 13th at 16:46.
309–337 m
28 m
12
8a
45
25
Attractive and diverse
There is no toilet at the top of the chimney
Trbovlje chimney is with 360 meters, the tallest chimney in Europe and 4th in the world.
The 360 ascent route consists of 13 pitches, 12 anchors and more than 160 bolts.
They proposed the grade 8b+.
284–309 m
25 m
11
7b
56 pcs
26 pcs
Alpine style
Unofficially, the first accordion playing on the chimney was performed by our camera guy Jure a.k.a. Chouka.
When setting the route and cleaning the line, we removed a few hundred kilos of loose concrete.
All holds on the chimney weigh more than 1,500 kilos.
On Janja and Domen’s first attempt, Domen said he was not able to climb the hardest pitch in his lifetime, he sent it two attempts later.
257–284 m
27 m
15
8b+
64
/
Crimpy, powerful
Our routesetter Katja lead some pitches, but got scared even when top ropping some sections.
The chimney was designed to withstand a 10.0 earthquake.
To set the route, we drilled more than 4,000 holes which required breaking and replacing more than 35 drills.
On the sending day, both of them fell once in the hardest pitch and made it on the second go.
231–257 m
26 m
13
8a+
27 pcs
23 pcs
Very dynamic
While working on the chimney, we didn’t reply to a few hundred emails and we didn’t pick up the phone to about 1,000 callers. Sorry for that — safety first. 😅
The Trbovlje chimney is taller than the Eiffel tower.
The route was set in 24 looong working days. The longest bolting and setting day lasted 22 hours.
Domen’s favourite pitch is no. 9 - Pink dishes.
204–231 m
27 m
12
8a
62 pcs
5 pcs
Spicy technical
We were working past midnight many times and the police came to check what was going on only once.
The chimney required 11,866 cubic metres (419,000 cu ft) of concrete and 1,079 tons of reinforcing steel.
In order to set the route, we used more than 3,500 metres of rope.
Domen and Janja needed 2 days to climb the route.
179–204 m
25 m
12
7c+
46 pcs
13 pcs
Technical, slow and precise
We only dropped one hold while setting and we found it near the Sava river the next day.
The 360 metre (1,180 ft) structure was poured in 210 days.
During the setting and working we needed more than 300 carabiners.
When Janja and Domen were climbing the route, they did almost 800 moves.
152–179 m
27 m
12
7b
36 pcs
29 pcs
Easy climb with an attractive jumpy top
Drilling the toughest hold’s hole in metal reinforced concrete required 3 destroyed drills and around 15 minutes for an 8 centimetre hole.
The chimney was built between 1974 and 1976 and later shut down in 2014.
The biggest volume (green volcano) fixed on the chimney had 0.9 m in diameter and only 11kg.
Domen and Janja left their backpack with food, water and all other not needed equipment, on the anchor of pitch 9, to maximise the chances of success.
122–152 m
30 m
15
8b
44 pcs
28 pcs
Funky hard climbing
When the setting team was climbing and testing the route, Simon and katja got caught mid-way up the chimney at night without any headlights only once.
When windy, the top of the chimney can tilt by up to one metre.
More than 50 different holds were designed and produced especially for this project.
Janja’s favourite pitch is pitch No. 10 - Black Turtles.
90–122 m
32 m
14
7b
54 pcs
20 pcs
Choose your favourite line
Our photographer Stanko holds the record for the fastest ascent using the ladder. He climbed the ladder leading to the top of the chimney in 21 minutes and 28 seconds.
Chimney was designed by a german company Karrena from Düsseldorf.
The route is set using more than 500 pu holds and more than 250 fibreglass volumes.
On the ascent day, they were climbing for 7 hours and 32 minutes.
55–90 m
35 m
17
8a
42 pcs
47 pcs
Slow and steady
Stanko, our photographer, has climbed the chimney using the ladder more than 20 times.
The angle of the chimney is about 2 degrees positive.
The route was set for this event only and all the holds had to be removed from the chimney.
This was Janja’s second multipitch (the first one was 80 metres for practice a few weeks earlier).
35–55 m
20 m
7
7c
39 pcs
0
Jumpy crux
Gregor Vezonik, one of the strongest boulderers in the world and one of the testers, hesitated for almost 3 minutes to commit and jump on the first pitch.
The chimney measures 27.5 metres in diameter at the bottom and 8 metres at the top.
All the volumes on the chimney were custom made for this event.
On the first go Janja and Domen were climbing for almost 12 hours.
0–35 m
35 m
14
7b
35
14
Big moves on big holds
It was the biggest and most challenging project we’ve ever done. Behind it, there was years of dreaming, planning, trying to find a way and brainstorming. The project finally got a green light in spring 2020 and there was no way back.
The majority of the route was set by two international routesetters, Katja Vidmar and Simon Margon. However, the route was set thanks to huge support of Stanko Gruden and Aleš Stražar and their high rope access as well as rope rigging skills.
International route setter and co-owner of 360holds
International route setter and co-owner of 360holds
Photographer and
co-owner of 360holds
Technical advisor and rescue for rope access
Janja Garnbret and Domen Škofic are among the leaders in competition climbing community. They accepted the challenge to try the 360 masterpiece.
Multiple World Champion in different climbing disciplines at the age of 21 and one of the most successful competition climbers of all time.
World Cup Champion and one of the most talented climbers on the planet.
