Shinichiro Nomura, who started bouldering outdoors six months ago, has done two 8C's in Shiobara, Hydrangea and Babel. The 159 cm tall did them on his second day including also an 8B+ and in total he needed 15 tries each. "I am am super happy with these sends. In total, the 21 year old has now done five 8C's and he is #2 in the ranking game. Last year his focus was Lead competitions and his worst result during the five last WCs was #29. (c) Jun Shibanuma, who also did Babel!

Alizée Dufraisse has done Veritas low left 8A+ in RMNP. "Colorado is amazing!! I learn the process to push in bouldering and explore all those crazy places." Now she sets the bar on Bear Toss 8B before going to Rocklands.

Alizée, who has done two 9a's, in #6 in the female boulder ranking game.

Connor Herson is a multi-discipline climber doing it all from big wall trad climbing to competitions. At the same time he has been focusing multiple ascents instead of just some few hard redpoints projects.

"In August last year, right after I sent my second 5.14 (8b+), my friend Hobbs and I joked about climbing 14 5.14's before turning 15. I didn't take it seriously at all, but later that trip I sent two more, and it seemed like it could happen. If I averaged one a month, it would be possible.

However, between August and December, I was focused on competitions so I didn't even get to try any. After that, I ticked four more in between December and March, and then came my trip to the Red. Beforehand, I thought that if I climbed well, I might be able to pull of two, but I surpassed my expectations by sending Lucifer (8c+), Southern Smoke, and Omaha Beach! I rode the psyche through the rest of April and the beginning of May, and, as well as doing the Nose and Halfdome each in a day, I managed to pull off this goal at a local sport crag called Jailhouse!

Looking forward to the future, I think I would like to send one or two more 5.14's before turning 15 in July because one (God's Own Stone) I did while I was 13 so instead of 14 5.14's before turning 15, I could make it 14 5.14's while I am 14 years old, which sounds pretty cool. Beyond that, I am going to be focusing on competitions over the summer, but I'll be doing some climbing in Yosemite beforehand. (c) Andrea Laue - Lolita 5.14a at Jailhouse Rock

The first female 9a is today considered to be Josune Bereziartu's Bain de Sang from 2000 although also 8c+ have been forwarded. In fact, looking at the female 9a advent statistics, most are today thought to be closer to 8c+/9a.

9a: Josune Bereziartu - Bain de Sang 2000
9a+: Margo Hayes - La Rambla 2017
9b: Angela Eiter - La Planta de Shiva 2017

8c+/9a Statistics (out of which 9a's and harder)
8: Anak Verhoeven (4)
4: Angela Eiter (3), Josune Bereziartu (2), Laura Rogara (1)

Jonathan Siegrist started to work on Jumbo Love in 2016. Last week he did the Chris Sharma 9b after an intense month with eleven sessions, after some 45 tries in total. In order to reach the 80 meter route you need to drive 10 miles on a bad dirt route and climb a 7c+ intro route. (c) Cameron Maier - Bear cam Media

"I chose Jumbo Love because I am incredibly motivated by the history and the allure of such a wild and remote route. The logistics are a serious consideration for this route because of it’s environment, the access road is very serious and rugged and the hike is steep and strenuous in the desert heat. It felt impossible for me to climb well on the route for more than one day in a row. Also I really felt like my conditions window was pretty small so waiting for the right days was important. For these reasons alone I was only able to try the route on about 11 days over the entire month. Patience is always a key factor in any hard project but for this it felt even more important than usual. It takes around 2.5 hours from my house to the base of the cliff, especially because I hike really slowly!

I changed my training considerably for this climb because for the most part the holds are actually good, it’s just the movement is massive throughout. As a shorter climber (167 cm) I worked extra hard over the winter to try and train with huge moves and become a little more dynamic, and mostly dropped my focus on finger strength.

Next I am planning my escape from the brutal Las Vegas summer to Canada!"

Sam Weir started climbing in 2012 and within a year he reached 8A. Last year the 27 year old did his first 8C and now he has done The Ice Knife 8C (B+) in Guanella Pass.

"Amazing consistent compression climbing with some tricky toe hooks and small feet. Really extended in the arms. Probably not possible if you have a smaller reach than me? Took me 3 days but I have been training in the gym and climbing on Hypnotized Minds which is much harder. Feels to be the same grade as paint it black 8C, low end. Video"

Barbara Zangerl has done Cedric Lachat's Speed Integrale 9a in Voralpsee, which was a 10 m extension to Beat Kammerlander's Speed 8c+. It took Babsi some 15 days and the sending day was amazing.

"What a day!!!!—at 7 a.m. I finished my nightshift at the hospital; right after we drove to Voralpsee; without any expectations. Energy was pretty low in the morning, but somehow the day ended with this crazy fight through this big route! On my last try of the day-> I DID IT!!!" Jacopo Larcher

Interesting she did it the first time also doing Speed 8c+. "The extension is powerful on slopy pockets ...not easy to climb that with pumped forearms."

Ten years ago, the 163 cm Austrian was one of the very best female boulderers in the world. In 2009, she got an herniated vertebral disc which had her to stop bouldering. Today, including trad FA up to 8c and several 8c+' in sport as well as world class multi-pitches and big walls up to 8b+ on El Cap, she is the best female multi-discipline climber.

"I love all disciplines. I couldn't focus just on one all over the year. Next is Canada is a trip to Canada for June and July. Excited to go there for my first time. Always fun to see new places."

In 2013, Tito Traversa (12) fell to the ground from 18 meters due to quick draws fallen apart as they were only attached with the rubber band. Tito had just done his fourth 8b+ and he was on a youth trip with his local club including one leader and two parents.

The Italian court has now said the unofficial instructor Nicola Galizia should be blamed and has sentenced him to two two years in prison and also judicial expenses in excess of 21 000 euros. However, Galizia is likely not going to jail as this is his first offense. Pareti.it has more info in Italian

For Tito, forever in our hearts, video made by Christian Core which was presented at Arco Rock Master 2013 where Ramon Julian Puigblanque dedicated his victory to him. Tito's father have said we should keep his 8a scorecard as another memory of his son.

9b at 1800m: La Cène du (Roi) Lézard – The Last Supper of the Lizard (King), Jansegg, FR/CH from Pirmin Bertle on Vimeo.

Niccolo Ceria reports on Insta that he has flashed Chris Sharma's Trifecta Middel 8B and James Morris' Mortality Sequence 8A in Flock Hill. Interesting is that they both only been repeated few times. (c) Gomez Garcia Gonzalez

Niky's Insta is full of other great pictures and info about some new FAs, but no grades, in the stunning and famous boulder spot in New Zealand. With a couple 8B flashes previously, he should be considered as one of the best in the world.

Jonathan Siegrist has done the second repeat, after Ethan Pringle, of Chris Sharma's Jumbo Love 9b in Clark Mountain. In order to reach the 80 meter route you need to drive 10 miles on a bad dirt route and climb a 7c+ intro route. (c) Cameron Maier - Bear Cam Media More info to come

Adam Ondra has been invited to climbing in Herculane in Romania where he, among other things, made one 9a FA and Stone Butterfly 9a+. Interesting is that he calls it the “wall of perfection” on his Insta and that he has marked the routes with thumbs up which he actually rarely does.

“Amazing project from Gerhard Horhager right of Guri Guri. Power endurance on small tufas and crimps. Very complex and fun climbing.

Chad Greedy reports on Insta that Isabelle Faus has done The Cat Ranch 8B in RMNP. Isabelle has already sent close to 100 boulder problems from 8A to 8B+ and she's 2nd in the ranking game.

Akiyo Noguchi and Miho Nonaka won the fourth stage of the Boulder World Cup in Tai'an and continues their total domination. In the last two WCs, Akiyo has done all 26 boulder (Miho 25) and the runner up Stasa Gejo has done 15 boulders. Among the male, Alex Khazanov got his and Israel's first victory, interview is coming up, with the two Slovenians Jernej Kruder and Gregor Vezonik sharing the podium. The route setting and show was perfect in Tai'an with many amazing moments and excitement to the very.

1. Alex Khazanov 34 ISR - Akiyo Noguchi 44:5 JPN
2. Jernej Kruder 24:2 SLO - Miho Nonaka 44:10 JPN
3. Gregor Vezonik 24:4 SLO - Fanny Gibert 23:6 FRA
Complete results The results are presented as points and with ties, the number of attempts are added.

In 2009 Chris Sharma bolted La Dura Dura and two years later he did something unusual for the climbing community, as he told Adam Ondra to challenge him for the FA. Ondra did it in 2013 and one month later Sharma did his first 9b+. Cooperation in competitions is common but "closed projects" are quite normal in the climbing world and calling Perfecto Mundo an open project, Chris has once again showed the way forward.

"It was great climbing with Stefano and Alex on Perfecto Mundo. They were very respectful in asking me permission and honestly I had been quite on and off with the route so it was super motivating to try and share there experience with someone else. Definitely way more fun than trying it alone. And it was great to share something special with the new generation.

Sometimes keeping projects for ourselves can block the good energy from flowing naturally and it was great to let the good vibes flow with Alex and Stefano. Such nice guys and incredible climbers and athletes. That being said, I think it’s a case by case situation, and people should respect people’s projects and always ask for the bolter’s blessing.

I’m super psyched to continue trying and hopefully send Perfecto Mundo one day soon. It’s one of the most meaningful routes I’ve tried and have yet to complete. So whether it goes this season or next, I plan to keep at it till it comes together!" (c) Ricardo Giancola

Perfect route setting, based almost only on volumes, in the semi final where we saw some sensations as Tomoa Narasaki and Alexey Rubtsov missed the final. With the old scoring system, Narasaki would have been #2 as he flashed three problems but as he failed to get the zone on the fourth, the new scoring system put him down to 8th place. Among the male, six Japaneses in Top-11. Complete results. The final starts 02.30 GMT+8.

Female finalists: Noguchi, Nonaka, Gibert, Condie, Färber and Gejo
Male finalists: Fujii, Kruder, Vezonik, Khazanov, Sugimoto and Chon

Chris Sharma bolted Perfecto Mundo in 2010 and has worked it of and on since. Stefano Ghisolfi started working on it this winter and they were joined by Alex Megos this spring who just sent it after 15 days projecting. (c) Sara Grippo

How come did you choose this route as your first long term project and did you do any specific training for it?

It was not a decision I made beforehand. I just had a Spain trip planned to Margalef and Oliana with checking out "Perfecto Mundo" in mind. So I got here and after checking it out I got really psyched on it. We've been talking about going and trying Perfecto Mundo with Stefano (Ghisolfi) already a while ago but I never managed till now.

Chris was giving me all the beta he knew and he was the first one I'd see climbing on the route which was super interesting to see. We motivated each other and helped each other with beta and sequences. Stefano ended up taking my foot beta for the jump from the mono to the pinch for example. I changed my beta for the top to Stefanos beta. We were belaying each other as well. I didn't do any specific training for the route no. I came straight from a bouldering World Cup to Spain. All the training I did was on the route itself.

Also Ghisolfi has enjoyed the cooperation and might take another trip if the weather cooperates before he need to start preparing for the Lead World Cup preparation. "It was motivating to try the route together, no competition between us but just cooperation. I don't know how close I am, could take one more week or maybe I need to come back in autumn or winter."

The male Japanese domination in the Boulder World Cup continues and they won both groups in Tai'an as well as got nine into the Top-20 semifinal, starting tomorrow 09.30 GMT+8. All the big names made it through. Complete results. (c) IFSC

Among the female, the Japaneses set a new record with eight into the semifinal and to make it even more impressive, they participated with just eight female. The next Boulder WC takes place in Tokyo and there some 20 female and 25 male Japanese athletes are allowed to compete. The reason for the higher number of male is due to there were five in the Top-8 overall.

Manon Hily seems to be in her best shape in her life and has done Coma Sant Pere 8c+ in Margalef. "Much easier then Era Vella meaning 8c/+." (c) Théo Cartier

Last week she did Era Vella 8c+ (9a) after just trying if for four days and during her trip she has onsighted or flashed every 8a she has tried and she also did her first 8b onsight, La presó dels monstres. She says that the Margalef style with many two finger pockets suites her style.