Elias Iagnemma is a new 8a member who has recorded four 8C's and four 9a's, including the FAs of Extrasystole 8C and the 9a/+'s Ten and Ultimo Tango a Zagarolo. In 2018 he won the Italian Boulder Cup and tried some World Cups. Insta with more pics.

"Until 2018 I trained only and exclusively for competitions. Then in the last two years, my vision has changed a little and so I decided to compensate with a lot of rock climbing. In the winter of 2019, I almost stopped training but I only climbed on rock because when I wasn't climbing outside I was busy building my "BLOCKLAND" climbing gym. Once this dream was realized, I resumed training at my best but no longer exclusively aimed at competitions but also on performance on rock where it has recently given me more satisfaction. I love competitions and rock alike and I can't do without both. I hope this 2021 is a good year to get back to both of them in the best possible way. For the moment I continue to prefer outdoor climbing since with the situation of the pandemic the competitions are at risk until the last day and therefore I would not like to waste all the training performed over the months for a competition that probably will not happen. With this, I hope that we can return to normal as soon as possible and return to compete in the best possible way and in maximum safety.

After winning the Italian cup I took part in some world cups but I was injured in a finger and ankle and I couldn't give my best. Now I have recovered and I hope to return to the competition scene in this new year."

Brittany Goris has done the FFA of East Coast Fist Bump 8b+ trad in the Waterfall. "This route had been on my mind for years after belaying my friend Reed on the second (?) Ascent. After finding a dozen sequences that didn't work for the crux, I finally found the one that did. In a rare moment of perfect flow, I sent on my first lead attempt after a month or so of rope soloing. Feeling very grateful for the journey and all the people involved. A truly special climb." Full story on BrittanyGoris.com - The Impossible Dream

During the last year, she has previously done ten trad routes 8a and harder including the FFA of Stingray 8b, video. In other words, 180 cm tall she is one of the very best female trad climbers out there and actually not that many males could show a better annual trad ticklist. In the 8a trad ranking game she is #1 ahead of all males. Interestingly, she has focused on trad climbing just the last two years. The 28-year-old started climbing some 20 years ago as a competition climber and has gone through all stages of climbing, including sport, bad injuries, bouldering and burnout before blooming out as a world-class trad climber.

"I started focusing on trad because I wanted to grow as a climber. I felt really stagnant just chasing grades as a sport climber and wanted to find a deeper purpose than that. Trad climbing constantly pushes me outside my comfort zone and offers so many opportunities to challenge myself in new and unique ways. To really be a great trad climber you have to master so many things-- technique, strength, and mental fortitude, and there is endless room for growth in all those areas. The more I got into it the more I became interested in how connected trad climbing is to the history of climbing in general which greatly inspires me. I also started to really see the beauty in cracks in particular. I also have fallen in love with the trad community, it tends to attract really weird people for some reason, just like me."

How has your training changed since you began focusing on trad?
Well I moved into a van and started climbing outside full time at the same time I started mostly trad climbing, so my training became more about the things I can do while travelling. I mostly just climb and do workouts for antagonistic muscles to prevent injury. If I feel like something, in particular, is holding me back I focus on it for a while.

Joel Kinder has done the FA of Black Mirror 8c+ and The Activator 9a in Hurricave. Just the last year he has now done nine 8c - 9a FAs. (c) David Frietz

Black Mirror: "Bolted this thing right after I sent LOV (9a+) in 2018. I've seriously tried this thing 80 times and never completed. I sort of left it as a side project and never saw it through until this year. Savage, mean and pissed off type of route, but rad like that. A new puppy in our life makes time at the cliff more valuable and I think it's helping. HA! WE GO HARD!!!!!!!!! Maybe 8c? But I kinda doubt it... old man shit so let's see what the kids have to say. Crazy the Hurricave is still giving lines."

The Activator: "Bolted in 2010 and tried for 6 weeks back then. It was WAY over me. Last year I tapped back in, got close, got injured and no send. This year went to fuckin WORK on it and with the ups and downs finally, the moment arrived. What a feeling!!!! One of my babies is completed and I have so many more to nurture and tend to. Life is good again."

The picture is from Peregrination/Visitor Q, 8b+/c in the cave. Gallery and comments on his Insta.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has done the first repeat of Beto Rocasolano's Trinity 8C in Cueva de pelayos, Spain. Beto has earlier referred to this 45 moves boulder route as "The Wheel of Life from Madrid." Jorge is #8 and #1 in the bouldering and routes ranking game, respectively. Here are some follow-up questions with Jorge, who is also the #8 8a Climber of 2020. (c) Javi Pec

Which was your most memorable send in 2020?
El bon combat 9b cost me the most and was a big mental struggle I faced for two months because this route is my anti-style in which everything happened. I had some setbacks that were not favourable, a fight that I will never forget!

What are your strongest point in climbing?
My strong point has always been my head. I have trained it a lot and I recognize that part of my success relates to this. The rest of the points, I think I have a lot of strength in my fingers, and technically I am good at finding my methods and doing strange things with insteps, knees and heels. On the other hand, I consider myself quite bad in traction force and speed.

How did a normal week look for you in 2020?
It depends on where I am, if I am in Madrid I usually do a double session training and then rock climbing, sometimes I also work as a route setter. If I am travelling I always climb on rock, whatever the conditions and I usually climb as much as I can, sometimes less due to my skin. If I can climb ten days in a row better, haha!

What is your ambition and plan for 2021?
I like to improvise, and even more, after the pandemic that has screwed up all our plans. For the moment to train and return stronger to Catalonia.

It can also be mentioned that Jorge has made an Insta post where he like Adam Ondra says that knee pads are part of the game and that it is actually great that some lines have become easier making them possible also for less strong climbers. "The beauty of this is that it seems that now climbers are more interested in doing a line for its beauty, leaving aside its difficulty."

Gonzalo Larrocha has done Supernowa in Vadiella, suggesting a personal 8c+ downgrade. The 36-year-old has previously done 20 routes 9a and harder in the last five years, but including also his personal grades it would have been 25. "Excellent endurance route. I think I used 21 kneebars out of which several have not been used before, so I think it lacks a bit for 9a."

Oriane Bertone has done Antoine Vandeputte's Super Tanker 8B+ from 2007 in Fontainebleau. In the 8a ranking game, the 15-year-old is #4. "I was a little bit lucky because it is now snowing in the forest in Font! I was surprised to top "Aresie" in one session some weeks ago. After that, I told myself that I could try the super classic extension of this boulder. I had seen Jan Hojer's magic video on this boulder, which is much taller than me :-). So I always thought that it was for me an impossible dream line. Finally I was very happy to top the boulder two sessions after Atresie, with almost the same beta!"

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