Marine Thevenet has during the last two weeks in Gottardopass done five boulders 8A to 8B including Dulcifer sit 8A+ in the picture by Clement Lechaptois (who did Hazel Grace 8B+). In total, the #7 in the World Cup in 2014, has now done some 50 boulders 8A and harder out of which half during the last 18 months.

"This boulder is a truly beauty! The sit begins with a little compression and then you have to follow the ramp until a big jug at the top. I did it in the day, last week. I sent the stand and then I crushed the sit start. I am very grateful for all the climbers that opened and keep opening those beautiful boulders ; especially the Cameroni's family. There was a really good atmosphere at the foot of the boulder, with Clément Lechaptois, Guiliano Cameroni and Sophie, Jules Nicouleau and Alice Garnier, conducive to a lot of achievements."

Dylan Chuat has done Cabane au Canada in Rawyl 9a (8c+) commenting on Insta, "Really happy to have clipped the chains of this magnificent and incredible route. This line was initially 9a, but 8c+ seems more correct to me. The route is very pumpy with very beautiful sections and a hard crux right below the relay."

The 19-year-old was prior to Covid-19 mainly a competition climber and he is the Lead and Boulder vice champion in Switzerland. In May he did his first 8A+ and later he has done up to 8C. Last week he did his first 9a and he was #9 in the Austria Climbing Series.

In 2001, Chris Sharma made the FA of Realization which later was re-named to Biographie in accordance with the French tradition that the bolter, should choose the name. Sharma did not grade it but it has always been considered as a 9a+ although Ethan Pringle, doing the third repeat, originally called it a hard 9a. The start has been slightly harder due to a break. For some reason, it has by media been called the first 9a+ although since 2008, Open Air by Alex Huber, has been considered 9a+ based on Adam Ondras's first repeat and upgrade. Also Huber have later said that based on the grade inflation, Open Air, with just one repeat, should be given 9a+.

It should also be mentioned that in in 1998, Bernabe Fernandez did Orujo 9a+, which has no repeats. This route has not made it to the official history books, probably to the Chilam Balam contrevercy, see below. Furthermore, it has been said that the FA, beside chipping, actually filled some holds which he did not use, so others could not use it either.

When it comes to 9b, the first getting that proposal was Akira in 1995 by Fred Rouhling and Ali Hulk sit extension in 2007 by Dani Andrada but they should be called boulder routes as they include a sit start. Then we have Chilam Balam, which was suggested 9b+ in 2003 by Bernabe Fernandez. But as many repeaters have said 9a+/b and that the FA'ionist never cooperated with the media, it might be that Jumbo Love by Chris Sharma in 2008 should be considered as the first 9b in the world.

The first 9b+ in the world is Change in Flatanger in 2012 and it has never been repeated.
The first and only 9c in the world is Silence in Flatanger in 2017 and it has never been repeated.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo, #1 in the ranking game, has done the FA of two hard core routes in Rodellar.
Las Meninas 9a/+: "Super line of pure resistence bolted by Gonzalo Larroccha!" (c) Carlos Padilla
La menina sixtina R2 9a: "Super nice! How cool and very logical! Endurance and a very tricky final stretch. 9a easy?"

In total the 20-year-old has done 27 routes 9a to 9b out of which 12 the last 12 months.

Marcello Bombardi, who won one World Cup in 2017, has started his Flatanger trip by two 8c flashes, Muy Verdes and Nordic Plumber as well as redpointing The Illusionist 9a. "Such a good line! I was at my max limit reaching the holds in three moves but somehow managed to hold on. Such a good fight not to fall!" (c) Stefano Ghisolfi

"In Nordic plumber I had a really huge fight! I knew the first part quite well by seing and belaying the other guys the days before and I executed it quite easily. On the second part, after the chain, I was half flash and half onsight. I've got pumped from head to feet but somehow I managed to recover well on the resting points and hold on till the chain. For Muy Verdes it was a bit easier since you can see all the route close from the ground. I watched Stefano Ghisolfi climbing it the day before and then Stefano Carnati and Luca Bana told me the beta."

Emilie Pellerin, who previously has done an 8b trad, reports on Insta that she has done La Zébrée 8b+ trad in Val-David. (c) Witek Slusarczyk

”It took me 5 days this year plus maybe 3 attempts through the years. I was super close to sending it a month ago when I left to Squamish (for a guide's course), but failed by the bottom 1.5 meters (just barely didn't do it from the start). I had it in mind the whole time I was out there, and came back here for the send. This was my first attempt since I came back. I aid up to try to dry it (with not much success), tried none of the moves. Then decided to give it a go it even though it seemed impossible to climb it in these conditions. And I did it! There were sponges and rugs blocking some of my hand holds, I slid off foot holds and hand holds, it was very aquatic. As for the gear, I placed all the gear on the way up. I stepped in the route to place the first piece, which is the one that guys place from the ground.”

Barbara Zangerl has made the first repeat of Beat Kammerlander's five pitches Kampfzone 8b+ in Rätikon up at 2 800 m altitude. (c) Reel Rock/Alpsolut Pictures. The Austrian has previously done three of the most difficult MP on El Capitan and most of the hardest in Europe and should be considered as one of the Top-10 MP climbers in the world.

"I was blown away by the scenery up there. After a two hour approach you reach the ridge, from which you get a first glimpse of the pillar where „Kampzone“ is the central and only line. After all those classic Kammerlander routes like Silbergeier, Unendliche Geschichte, New Age… I couldn’t imagine that it could get any better. And, to be honest, after my first look at ‘Kampfzone’, I didn’t expect it to be such a gem. But, as soon we got on the route, we were really surprised by the rock quality and the varied styles of climbing. From powerful moves to technical, scary slab climbing; you can find everything on „Kampfzone“.

We (together with her partner Jacopo Larcher who later also did it) worked for two days on the line, before I surprised myself to climb the whole line ground and up all pitches free! It was an honour to partner up for a single day with the master himself Beat.

Until 2009, the 32-year-old was one of the best female boulderer until she stopped due to an herniated vertebral disc. In sport climbing, she has now done four routes 8c+/9a or harder and in trad climbing she has done up to 8c. In other words, she is the best female multi-disciplin rock climber out there. Last year, she was awarded with the National Geographic adventurer of the year.

Giani Clement has done the FA of Stil vor talent 8C/+ in Magic Wood, a more direct finish to La grosse Tarlouze 8C which he did last November. The 36-year-old has been training almost exclusively on the project in a structured way over the last three months. "I was very focused, had a plan that I followed to reach my goal and realize my dream. I really enjoyed every session and the whole process." (c) Hannes Kutza

"Instead of the last two moves towards the final jug of NES (Never Ending Story 8B+), it continues on the sloper-rail to the left till the corner where the climbing becomes steeper and more challenging with the crux section - ending with the dyno to a good rail. Until then there are 11 more moves with my solution. What follows is the exit which is physically much less demanding, but mentally quit tough, a small overhang with the highball slab to the top." More info and pics on Insta

Marine Thevenet, #7 in the World Cup in 2014, reports on Insta that she has done the FFA Kingda Ka 8B in the San Gottordo pass up at 2 100 meters. In total, the lawyer working full time, has done some 50 boulders in the 8th grade out of which almost half of them during the last 18 months. (c) Clement Lechaptois

"I tried it during a weekend last summer but I could not do the first part of the boulder. The last week, surprisingly, I did the first part of the boulder and I felt reaching the underclings at the first try, so I spent two sessions to find my beta on the rope and two more sessions to send the boulder. The process was really exciting :)"