Connor Herson has done the FA of Midnight Way (9a+) in Paradise Valley and The Shark 8b+ trad in The Chief. The 21-year-old made his first 8a headline in 2018 when he did an 8c+, 2nd go at age 14. In the same year he repeated The Nose 8b+ MP; and was #11 in the Youth World Championship. Since then, he has evolved into one of the world's leading trad and big wall climbers. (c) Tempei Takeuchi

Can you tell us more about those two impressive first ascents?
The Shark: When I returned to Squamish, Didier offered to show me his project. I assumed I would just be trying the moves for fun, but he offered me a chance at the first ascent! I ended up sending it on my second session, grade is probably around 8b+ or 8c. The climb is pumpy, steep, and powerful, and it’s very high quality!

Midnight Way: I knew about this possible linkup last year, and it was my primary objective when I returned to Squamish this year. The line follows all the hard climbing on Spirit Quest (9a) and then climbs straight into several hard boulders. I ended up climbing spirit quest then falling higher up 3 times, and in order to send I needed to climb spirit quest and feel fresh after all the hard climbing!

On the day I sent Midnight Way, I high pointed on my first go (nearly doing it that try), then fell about halfway through spirit quest on my second attempt. On my third attempt I notice my finger was bleeding halfway through spirit quest, and it got worse and worse as I climbed higher but I still somehow made it work!

Josh Ibbertson has done Change P1 (9a+) in Flatanger. The 20-year-old, who has already completed seven 9a climbs, made his first 8a headlines at the age of 10. Two years ago, he sent Rainman (9b). (c) Adri Martinez

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Whilst not initially on my agenda for my first trip to the cave, but after belaying Jorge on his send of the full rig I got psyched to give the first pitch a try.

Leo [Böe] and I worked together to find our own sequences, so it felt fitting that we were able to send on back to back attempts! (Leo as it was getting dark and myself the next morning). The crux for me was maintaining tension through the very intense right knee and then releasing this without cutting feet. It's an intricate sequence that feels very burly at the same time!

I sent on the first go of what I think was session 9, although two other of those sessions were just 1 short try each. It felt closer to 7 'full' days of effort. I'm now motivated to come back for the full line next season!

What is next?
Back home in the UK for a bit to train and surf. Then off to Red River in November!

Michał Korban, with one 8c+ under his belt, has completed Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura. It was put up in 1991 by Wolfgang Güllich as the first 9a in the world and has been repeated some 30 times. (c) Frank Kretschmann

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
The route took me around 16 sessions, making it my longest project ever. The first time I tried Action Directe was last June (I dedicated only one day to see how the moves looked), and I immediately knew I would come back to it. Between May and June of this year, I spent three weeks on the route, but unfortunately, I didn’t get lucky with the weather (the route was wet for half the trip), so I ran out of time. I decided to rest and heal my injuries—first a torn pulley, then a sprained ankle—so I was ready for the next trip at the beginning of September. The first week was quite hot (25-27°C), but surprisingly, I felt pretty good. Unfortunately, when the rain came, I had to give up again.

I set off for the next trip as soon as the conditions improved. Right away, I felt surprisingly good, and from the second day of this trip, I was approaching the Waldkopf with the intention of sending the route.

At this point, I knew that physically I was capable of doing the route, but I wasn’t sending it. I think I was putting too much pressure on myself. Up to that point, I hadn’t even reached the final sequence (the traverse to the left), but I felt the most confident on the finishing moves. Significant progress happened on the fourth day of this trip. I approached the crag after a full day of rain, thinking there was a high chance the route would be wet and I would have to retreat. I guess that’s exactly what I needed. During this session, I fell off the last move twice. The attempts that should have been the best turned out to be the worst. I still need to work on my mental game. By the fifth attempt, I knew I was already tired, so the pressure was off, and that was key. During that try, I definitely didn’t feel my best, but I managed to send it anyway.

Which sequence did you opt for at the crux?
I decided to do this section with a heel hook. At first, it felt like a bit of a lottery, but once I got used to the move, it felt right. Going straight from the crimp also wasn’t a bad beta for me, but I felt it cost me too much energy. The toe hook felt almost impossible.

Why was 8b was your hardest route the last year prior to sending AD?
This year, I mainly focused on training at the climbing gym and got into progressing with exercises on the hangboard and campus board. Additionally, I took my final exams this year and graduated from highschool, so I had less time for trips. I aimed to climb quick redpoints and onsights. For quite some time, I’ve wanted to do my first 9a, but I was saving that achievement specifically for Action Directe.