Jorge Diaz-Rullo has repeated Alex Megos’ Chan Chan Bastards 9a+/b, aka The journey in Colombia in Margalef. It is a link-up of The Journey 9a+ and the top of Jorge's big project Cafe Colombia. (c) Ignacio Sandoval Buron

"This season I feel better than ever and the feeling in my project is getting better! 😃🔥 I have always liked these two routes a lot and the truth is that it has been good training to now continue with my main project. Also, with new beta for the final crux that is maybe the sending beta!? 🤪💥" More comments on his Insta.

Loic Zehani has done Last Night (9a) in Siurana, in just two sessions. The route was bolted by Dani Andrada and then William Bosi did the FA in 2021. "8 ultra powerful movements including one that gave me a hard time going from a small two fingers pocket to a vertical hold. The second part is less hard. Nice little route anyway."

Three days later he also did Wild Publico (9a). ”This route starts with a very steep section on pockets including a dyno on a mono then a resistant section when you reach Pal publico (8c). After a good rest, there is still a hard section with very slight slopers and a nice and easy end at the top of the cliff.”

In total, the 19-year-old has done more than 50 routes 9a to 9b out of which almost 20 FA at his home crag Orgon.

How do the grades in Spain compare with your FA grades?
I would say that it’s quite difficult to compare because even if I put four and three tries for the two 9a's in Spain, both are very explosive routes and far from easy. The only thing I can say about my FAs at Orgon is that I think they are fairly well-graded (within half a degree anyway). For the three 9b’s I proposed I think 2 are well graded « Obsession » in 2019 and « Harlem » in 2022, maybe « Chikane » would be more of a big 9a+.

How long will you stay in the area?
I am currently going back and forth to France but in January I plan to start a few months' stay in Catalonia...

Martina Demmel, who started climbing only in 2017, has done Heim nach Afrika (9a) in Kochel. It is a link-up that first Pirmin Bertle reported the FA, calling it 9a/+. Later it was discovered that Philipp Hrozek had done it more than ten years ago, but never reported it, thinking it was 8c+/9a. In two interesting and very much read-worthy long Insta posts the 21-year-old says that the link-up has been her priority for two years. (c) Felix Bub

"The whole period, I've surprisingly never felt unpatient with myself as it probably was one of the first routes which was in the range of "finding out if it's possible at all & not when"...🙃 totally enjoyed this luckily steady process what makes me curious for more of this soon😁❤️‍🔥!! Falling more in love with this 🧩-solving game by finding all those game-changing bodypositions, chalk-up points, releasing the tension moments and simply remembering it all (what's been more difficult than expected...🤪).

I've to admit that I was quite surprised/sad about how many people were only focused on asking me about my opinion on the grade instead of congratulating or being interested in the story/feelings behind at all...🥺 maybe it's normal but I've never noticed it in such an obvious extent🤷‍♀️."

In 2021, Martina became the first-ever female to have won the 8a annual onsight ranking game. In total, she onsighted 18 routes 8a+ and harder in 2021. If we start from 7c and harder she did a stunning 138 onsights the last year. Amazingly, she did her first 7c onsight when she had only climbed for 1.5 years.

Adam Ondra has onsighted Osapska pošast L2 (8c) (calling it 8b+) and Water world (9a) in Osp/Misja Pec. "Yees, very proud to onsight it. Possibly not the hardest 9a especially with kneepads, but not a very obvious one to onsight. Super happy."

In total, the 29-year-old has now logged 193 onsights 8b+ and harder but this would have been well over 200 without all of his downgrades. A possible contender for being the runner-up in this onsight list could be Piotr Schab who has onsighted eleven 8c's and 20 8b+'s. The picture is from Adam's Insta with now close to 900 000 followers.

Alberto Gotta has done Hakuna Matata (9a) in Cubo, after projecting it for six sessions. Up until 2021, the 30-year-old had done three 8c+ and in 2022, he has already done six 8c+'s and three 9a's. "I'm very Happy about this one. It felt very hard during the first tries but try after try I figured out every move and finally, during the last possible run of the season, everything was perfect and I found myself on the top. One of my proudest achievements so far for sure." (c) Valerio Zenerino

What do you think has been the key to your recent progress?
I think that last year I understood how I personally could train as effectively as possible. Then during this season, I spent more time rock climbing so I had the opportunity to transform all the competition training into rock climbing achievements.

Can you tell us more about your training?
Understanding that I'm basically a weak climber (endurance is more my thing), I focused more on strength-oriented training, keeping the intensity as high as possible. Working all day, I don't have a lot of time for the sessions so this kind of training suits quite well with the available amount of time.

Rollin Grimmett has done Life Of Villains (9a). The 30-year-old has only been climbing consistently for eight years and has mainly been climbing outdoors. "Wow, feels like a dream. I worked on basically only this route all of last winter, almost every weekend driving down from SLC. Lost count of how many attempts, but probably close to 80 tries over the past 2 years. So incredibly psyched."

Can you tell us more about your climbing background and the ascent?
I fell in love with the movement and problem solving nature of climbing, and from the beginning, I could tell I was naturally proficient. Efficient movement and even the subtle adjustments needed, all came intuitively. But I wasn't immediately very strong. When I first started climbing, I never imagined I'd send 8a, let alone 9a. I was barely climbing 7a outside. But I consistently improved because I was excited to try harder than what I thought I was capable of. I always wanted to be better, and I surrounded myself with friends who would push me. Each year since my first 8a I would project outside of my comfort zone, and each year I would send a new grade, culminating in my send of 9a with 'Life of Villains' last week. Consistently, I would devote whatever time and effort was required.

The key in sport climbing for me is to be as efficient as possible. I don't usually do much traditional training in the gym, I prefer to just climb. So often in the gym in between new sets, I would "train" by repeating hard boulders I had done before. I feel like that's a great way to learn efficiency in movement. I guess I've been pretty fortunate to avoid most injuries or issues that some climbers might experience when ramping up training too fast.

I first tried 'Life of Villains' (LoV) halfway through the Winter of 2020/21. It was my first full season in the Hurricave, and I had sent Peregrination and 86'd. I was feeling quite fit and was inspired by watching Dru Mack and others try LoV. All the moves on the route felt hard, but I could tell the route suited my style. It was crimpy and required excellent power endurance, my specialty. But I knew it was well above my ability at the time. I would fall over and over in the middle crux, and only once made it through before I fell shortly after.

A year later I returned for the winter 2021/22 season. LoV was my singular goal every weekend for almost 5 months. I was stronger this time but needed better endurance. I was steadily improving, falling higher and higher, even once on the last move. But I made a crucial mistake. I limited myself to only giving redpoint attempts. I started losing power, and began falling back at the earlier crux. By the time I course-corrected, the season came to a close, and it was too warm. Since then, this year has been one of immense growth for me. I chose climbing goals that would challenge me, I focused on routes that would train my power through the summer. I sent Supertweak (first American 8c) with pretty hot conditions in July, and also spent way more time bouldering in the gym to train. When I returned this season, LoV felt like an old friend. Like as if it hadn't been 7.5 months since my last try. But this time I felt way more solid. Everything felt smooth, exactly how you want it to feel. And 2 sessions in I was already falling near the end of the redpoint crux. Last weekend I fell twice in a row one move away from the jug at the lip, and I was pretty confident it would happen soon. I took two rest days (crucial for me on this route), returned Wednesday and immediately sent. I executed everything perfectly, it was so flowy it felt like I was on autopilot.

Sol Sa signs up to 8a by logging La pequena Mowgli (8c) in Siurana. "It’s really big moves for me…, it’s like a boulder that was fun, fun."

The Korean has been a very active international competition climber since 2009. In 2018, she got the Combined silver World Championship. In 2020, she did This year, she participated in seven Boulder or Lead World Cups, and her worst result was #33. As a boulderer, she has done three 8A+, out of which Social Distortion (8A+) in just six minutes in 2020.


What are your next plans?
I have two plans. My first goal is to win a prize in the Asian Games. However, it is possible to be selected as one of the top two athletes in the Korean national competition early next year. If I can’t be selected another goal of mine is to send an 8B+ boulder and an 8c+ route in 2023.

And if you will be selected?
I want to make it to the bouldering World Cup finals. I want to achieve good results in the 2023 Asian Games as well. When I compete in a competition as a national team, I cannot decide on my own when to go outdoors climbing. After the season is over, I plan to go bouldering to Bishop or Rocklands if I can.

Nico Pelorson has done the FA of Le Braille (9a) in La carriere. Although, it is located only a five min walk from the city centre of Grenoble, the route bolted Mathieu Cortès has been a project for 15 years.

Nico has also done the first repeat of Blaoum 8c (9a) in Baderne, which Pierre Duroché put up in 2007 as a 9a. The 25-year-old, who is very known for his hard personal downgradings, calls it 8c.

In the last two weeks, he has also done Forgotten G (8C) in Chironico, calling it 8B+, as well as Big Paw (8B+) and the FA of Les petites prises de la bastille (8B+).

Gio Placci, who did his first 9a+ three weeks ago, has done Trofeo dell'Adriatico (9a+) in Arco, after projecting it for only six days. "What a line !!!! With the kneebar it’s consistently easier, 9a+ low ends IMO. Gabri (Moroni) who made the FA did it without the kneebar rest and so the route was definitely way harder maybe 9a+\b."

What are your winter plans?
I’m training now for the season 2023 but I still have a ten days trip to Spain over the new year, where I would like to climb First Ley (9a+).

Chaehyeon Seo, who just did La Rambla (9a+), has done two impressive onsights in a day in Montsant. First, she onsighted Hidrofobia L1+L2 (8b) after being up there for almost 40 minutes and later she onsighted L'antagonista (8c). The only other female who has onsighted an 8c in Janja Garnbret.

Can you tell us more about the last onsight?
It took me almost an hour. The hardest part for me was at about 55m height. I fought there for almost twenty minutes. I just focused on it and thought that this is the last chance I was getting pumped even though I was resting, so I thought that this is the last chance that I can do the crux. I just grabbed the pocket hold and made a cross over to the bad sloper and I just barely made it.