Andrea Chelleris’ Hot Streak Rolls On 5.14d in Spain

Fresh off his Euro Youth Cup victory in Toulouse, 16-year-old Italian climber Andrea Chelleris has carried his competition form straight onto the Spanish limestone. Just weeks after topping the youth podium, Chelleris clipped the chains on 20 Años Después 9a (5.14d) in Siurana, adding another benchmark send to a résumé that already includes his first 9a at age 14 and a 9a+ ticked last year. Since turning 13, the former Italian U-14 Slalom Ski Champion has onsighted an extraordinary 20 routes in the 8a+ to 8b+ range, making him one of the most versatile young climbers in Europe.

Chelleris kicked off his trip immediately after the European Cup, driving straight to Spain with his father. The plan was to base in Margalef, but a week of pocket pulling shredded his skin early on, forcing him to tape up and pivot to Siurana’s more crimp-friendly terrain. The change paid off. “I could fast send Pati Noso (8c+) and Directa Cornualles (8c) on my third go,” he explains. Momentum built quickly, and within days he dispatched Sin Ácido Clorhídrico (8c+/9a) in just two days and five attempts—a route he says fit his style “very well.”

With confidence high, Chelleris turned his attention to 20 Años Después. At first contact, he thought it would fall quickly, but the route had changed: a broken hold low down transformed the entry sequence, forcing him into a left-hand mono to right-hand undercling move that proved far from trivial. Once he adapted to the new beta, progress accelerated until he began repeatedly falling on the final crux. “I knew I was very close,” he says. Two falls later, he stuck the redpoint go, sealing one of the hardest sends of his year.

And the trip isn’t over yet. Chelleris still has his eyes on Victimas Perez (9a) in Margalef, a line he’s already fallen from at the last crux “five times or more,” with one attempt coming painfully close. With time left before heading home on December 5th, he’s eager to return to the pockets and settle unfinished business. If his current form is any indicator, the send is well within reach.

Balancing school and sport remains a family effort. Chelleris homeschools, studying on his rest days, while his father—who works as a professional tree climber, paused his job to support the trip. Together, they’ve created a rhythm that lets Andrea push his limits on rock without losing ground off it. Judging by his latest ascent, that balance is working brilliantly.