Sierra Blair does Captain Hook (8A+)

Sierra Blair has repeated Chris Sharma’s Captain Hook (8A+) in Oak Flats and here is the video. ”First send post break…and possibly since 2003 pre-break haha.

Can you tell us more about Captain Hook?
I saw Captain Hook for the first time when I was 11 years old and remember thinking it was impossible at the time. Last season I looked at Captain Hook and saw a hold broke. I put a few tries into the boulder and once again thought it was impossible (especially with the break). I made it a goal to send Captain Hook this season and was excited to get the boulder done in a few sessions. It’s definitely a very proud line at Oak Flat.

Resole and get back out there with the newest TX4 Evo

Advertorial: High performance standards, maximum fit, and comfort combined in one product: TX4 Evo is the new shoe developed to ensure safety and comfort during…

Keenan Takahashi did the FA of Ego Death (8C) last September a couple of months after he did his first 8C+. "Immediately upon walking up to it, I knew it was something special if it was possible. It’s the sort of thing I’ve dreamed of since I started climbing, steep compression, at my limit, decentl…

Will Bosi pulls off “no beta” 8A+ flash

William Bosi planned to have a rest day but could not resist trying to flash Lethal Design (8A+) in Red Rock (NV). ”Very happy to get a no beta flash on this classic.” (c) Teresa Coimbra

Was it like a comp flash with just some observation?
Yeah, so I thought about the moves for a couple of minutes whilst I tried to quickly warm up and put shoes on.

How did you warm up? Was it the first climb of the day?
Yes first pull on of the day. I took max. 5 min of dynamic stretching and wiggling my fingers and then went for it as we didn’t have much time, so I knew I only had one quick go. Then I went and did the classic, The Pork Chop (6A). Was meant to be a rest day as my girlfriend was the one climbing that day, but those two problems looked too good.

Beckett Hsin, 14, completes Mind To Motion (8B+)

Beckett Hsin, who last year sent The Game (8C) , has done Mind to Motion (8B+) in Elkland. ”Amazing boulder, had to find different beta for the beginning and top out sequences. I almost died on the top.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and about your dying moment?
Mind to motion is around 18 moves in total. The main portion of the boulder is techy compression on crimps, until you reach a flat jug. After that you have to compose yourself for the sketchy top out. I started trying it with my brother Sam, and after a few sessions we were both able to send!

“Almost dying” was a bit of an exaggeration, haha. The top out climbs right over a ledge, if you happened to fall there you’d most likely roll down the hill. When I got there on my send go, there were a few times where I almost fell. Luckily I was able to push through and make it to the top.

Luca Bacer sends Sanjski Par extension

Luca Bacer has done Sanjski par extension (9a) in Mišja Peč. "Without kneepads and with the underclings all the way to the top. First 9a!" (c) Stefano Staffetta

Can you tell us more about Sanjski Par?
I started trying the route a couple of seasons ago, without knowing if I'd ever manage to send it one day. I started to put more effort into it only last season and I soon sent the first anchor (8c+), but then some injuries stopped me. This season I felt more prepared and I immediately started making some good links, managing to climb the first pitch 8 times. Last week conditions were good and I finally succeeded in climbing all the way to the top of the extension.

Working this route really taught me to appreciate the way the first climbers had done it and I wanted to respect their style by doing exactly the same line with the same tools of the time. ... Like this, trying and eventually climbing the route proved even more fun and challenging for me.

Adam Ondra flashes 8B (+) in Sweden

Adam Ondra has flashed Luftig kö till nålens öga (8B+) at Kjugekull. ”Probably hard 8B? Fit my style perfectly except for the last move. Did it with the left heel and then the cut loose was so much on the limit!”

This was the fourth problem graded 8B+ that Ondra has flashed however, he's downgraded all but one of these flash successes to 8B. (c) Paul-Martin Luc, who shared the beta with Ondra, said that, "He came very prepared and knew basically all boulders from watching videos."

On Instagram Ondra further adds, "Everything flowed really well, I got all technical details [down] perfectly on this compression beast and I found myself at the final cut-loose, where I just tried really really hard (can’t remember when I had to try so hard in the span of just a second) and I was on the top."

Emelie Gearhardt does Walk the Line (8A+)

Emelie Gearhardt, who the over last two years has done roughly 20 boulders problems graded 8A and harder, reports on Instagram that she has sent Walk The Line (8A+) in Chironico.

Can you tell us more about this boulder problem?
I tried „walk the line“ many years ago for the first time but it felt really hard for me so I didn’t try it again. In January we‘ve been in Ticino for some days and I decided to give it another try after so many years. I was surprised because it felt pretty good and I was able to climb the stand start. So I was psyched to go back to Ticino to finish the sit start, and luckily [this trip] it went well!

Zach Galla repeats The Process

Zach Galla has done the second ascent of The Process (8C+) in the Buttermilks. Daniel Woods put it up in 2015, and at that time it was one of few boulder problems graded 8C+. In the ranking game, Zach is #3 after having also done three 8C’s, as well as, Sleepwalker (8C+) over the last three months. The 23-year-old was #8 in the Salt Lake City WC last year but he has said his focus 2024 is outdoors. (c) Brennan Robinsson

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
The process was a very special one to me. I saw Daniel do the FA in real rock when I was 14 and the boulder has been in my mind as one of the most mega things out there. Feels crazy that it’s remained unrepeated for 9 years, and my climbing has leveled up enough in that time to climb it for its 2nd. The boulder is definitely scary but not too dangerous. the crux jump to the lip is about 18 feet [5.5 meters] off the ground and feels like it will swing you off and cause a weird fall, but I was lucky to never take a bad one from there. After the lip, the boulder starts to get into a no fall zone as you execute around a V8 [7B+] boulder before making it onto some easy slab terrain. It felt as if there was nothing else around me and I was climbing in a bubble. A unique climbing experience I’ve never experienced before.

How many sessions did it take and how did it all unfold?
It took me three trips and somewhere around 10 sessions. I first flashed the drop off boulder Social Distortion 8A+ (B), then started working the next section off of a ladder and was able to complete that link on my first trip as well. I thought it may go quickly but the boulder is a logistically hard one to try. I needed at least one day of rest after a short session with only a few tries, and often multiple rest days after a sesh due to skin.