Matilda Söderlund, who sent The Elder Statesman (9a) in 2019, reports on Instagram that she has done the first repeat of Hannes Puman's Niemisis (9a) in Niemisel. In total, the Swede projected it for some 50 days not including specific indoor training. (c) Bill Hamilton

"The route is about 25 m in total. Starting with two crimpy moderately hard boulders. After that, the crux starts where you climb two hard, technical boulders on top of each other. After that, you have a little rest in a crack/sloper and then continue to the top. I got WAY more pumped than I expected climbing through the crux so it was a big fight to the very end 😊

I built a replica of the route at my gym. I set the two start boulders on the boulder wall and the crux on the moon board (divided into 3 boulders). I also did intervals on the moon board on boulders close to my max level. I’m satisfied with the results of the training 😊 I also feel much stronger in general now than when I first tried the route in 2021."

In 2012, the now 31-year-old was #6 in the World Championship. The same year she also onsighted three 8b's and flashed two 8b+'. Lately, her focus has also included bigwalls up to 8c (b+) and doing an 8B boulder. She is also a co-founder of a big gym in Stockholm, Moumo, and holds a Master's degree in BA from the highest-ranked university in Sweden.

Marco Zanone has started September by doing Condé de choc (9a) in Entraygues. “This line climbs very well. Really cool and hard moves all the way to the top. Stoked to get back on the 9a range.” (c) Valeria Mutinelli

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Conde de Choc is a route that has always been under my radar. It’s quite short, very bouldery at the start, I think it requires to be bit a boulderer and a bit sport climber. I really like that type of style, the one I probably like the most, so I knew one day I had to try it. This august I climbed in Entraygues more than usual. Did Sankukai in a few days during a 2 weeks stay so I was psyched to try harder.

After a 10 days break, at the beginning of September I returned to France with not a specific goal, because we didn’t really knew where we could have climbed. An epic rain storm hit just before we left home, so the choice was easy. Let’s go to Entraygues that is always dry.

Felt pretty strong on the intro boulder and in the meantime I was working the upper part (that I have already climbed in 2021) to make sure to have everything dialed for the day I will pass the crux. After the first 2 days struggling with the humid, on my third climbing day of the trip, the wind came and everything worked out perfectly. The first time I did the boulder I went to the top 💪🏻

Since June my focus as always been in Ceuse, but summer It’s too hot for me to try at my limit. Now that fall is at the gate I’m super excited to go back there to say hi to an old friend.

Mejdi Schalck, who won the silver at the Boulder World Championsip last month, has done Bio sharma graphie L1+2 (9a) Rocher de Beverau. (c) Arthur Delicque

“I was the 3rd ascensionist of this route after Mathieu Bouyoud and Esteban Daligault my friend. I made it on my 4th session. The route have a first part in 8b+ where you don’t have to be pumped, then you have a pretty good rest and a hard part with 15 physical moves on big underclings 🦾”

In this year's Boulder World Cup the 19-year-old did just three events, scoring two wins and one third place finish. He has also skipped most of the Lead World Cups and his next competition will be the European Qualifier in Laval in October, where the winner will get an Olympic ticket.