Déjà | A Decade-Long Climbing Journey with Babsi Zangerl & Jacopo Larcher

Some routes become legends. Others become part of your story. For Jacopo Larcher, Déjà started more than ten years ago, when he first explored the line with Fabi Buhl. At the time, the route was still an unanswered question. A beautiful project on the historic walls of the Rätikon, with a crux pitch that had challenged climbers for decades. "There's always something special about trying something that hasn't been done before. You don't know if it's possible, and every move you free climb feels like a little gift," Jacopo recalls from those early days on the project. After years of effort, Fabi Buhl eventually made the first free ascent in 2019, turning one of the wall's longest-standing projects into reality. Ten years later, that same line became a shared project for Jacopo and Babsi Zangerl. The Rätikon is much more than a climbing destination for them. It is a place filled with memories, seasons, friendships, and countless days spent on the rock. That is what made Déjà the perfect goal to pursue together. From the very first days on the route, they were captivated by its character, especially the crux pitch. Long, relentless, and demanding from the first move to the belay. "It's probably the hardest single pitch we've ever tried on a multi-pitch route," they say. With razor-sharp holds, exceptionally hot summer conditions, and only a handful of good attempts before their skin gave out, every day became a mission. Early starts, late evening sessions, rides on e-bikes from the Austrian side, and countless hours spent searching for the perfect conditions. After weeks of effort, the moment finally arrived. For Babsi, reaching the summit and redpointing every pitch meant much more than climbing a difficult route. After a long injury break, it felt like a true comeback. "After such a long injury break, this route meant so much to me. It wasn't only about the difficulty. It felt like a real comeback." A few days later, Jacopo completed the climb in the same style, linking every pitch from the ground up all the way to the top. Standing together on the summit, the significance of Déjà went far beyond the route itself. It was the culmination of years of history, persistence, friendship, and shared adventure. 🎥 Watch Déjà, the story of a route, a partnership, and a journey more than a decade in the making. #LaSportivaClimbing #BabsiZangerl #JacopoLarcher #Deja #MultiPitchClimbing #ClimbingFilm