Nicolai Užnik has made a rare repeat of Klem Loskot’s Emotional Landscapes (8C) in Maltatal. Last year, the Austrian won the European Championship and in the World Games, he was #4. (c) Stefan Köchel

"Most challenging boulder I ever did, so psyched!!! 8C+ in my opinion, especially since the starting foothold broke a while ago and made the first move even harder."

Can you tell us more about the ascent and your journey?
I first tried it, I think in 2019 and felt absolutely chanceless until last year when I could finally do the first move once. A few days ago I got really close falling at the dyno to the lip and was unable to put it all together. Today after slipping off matching the lip, I finally did it two attempts later. For sure the hardest and most challenging boulder I did so far. I think it was last climbed in 2017 and since the starting foothold broke off not too long ago and made the first move even harder, I think it deserves the 8C+ grade.

What is your competition season preparation looking like?
This weekend we have the Austrian Championships at my hometown in Klagenfurt which is a good test for the upcoming World Cup season. I‘m feeling in good shape and can’t wait for the comp season to start!

Alex Ventajas has repeated Gabri Moroni's Trofeo dell'Adriatico (9a+) in Arco. The Spaniard, living in Italy, has during the last two years done eight 9a's and one 9a+.

Can you tell us more about your ascent?
Since I saw the picture of Gabriele Moroni’s first ascent I thought Trofeo dell’Adriatico would have been the perfect project for me. In effect, Trofeo didn't disappoint my expectations: all the moves are so intense and powerful but at the same time very aesthetic. It is meant for being climbed! While I was trying the route I said more than once that even if I kept falling I would never get tired of trying those movements, and I think this helped me keep my motivation high. I had to admit the process that lead me to the send didn't exactly go as planned. It was like a roller coaster, with ups and downs!

I first put my hands on Trofeo at the end of last year, but there were many interruptions due to some vacations, weather, and work. So I went back to it around a month later in January. Since then, I think I spend around 20-25 days on the route. Maybe they don’t seem too much from outside, but when you think you’re close and you keep falling those days might feel a lot. In the beginning, I thought I had found my betas quite fast, and after a few days I managed to give it a very good try from below. Those days I felt really close. But then a crucial hold got wet, there were bad conditions, and above all, I realize my methods weren't as good as I thought: a sequence was too aleatory and required too much energy putting pieces together.

So I realize I had to take a step back to Invest time in changing some of the betas I tried so far. That was exactly what I needed, because by changing a few things I started to have very good tries again, falling in the upper part of the last boulder. I was a little worried that high temperatures will arrive before I manage to put a red point to this great line, but yesterday there were perfect conditions, I felt very strong and I had the feeling I could control every move. Clipping the chain was so exciting! For sure this is the route that made me struggle the most but also my biggest climbing satisfaction so far, and it taught me a lot: to accept failure, learn from mistakes, look for solutions, and go for it without losing motivation! Most of the time the correct mindset it’s all we need to reach our goals!

William Moss has done the FA of Best Things in Life Are Free (9a) in Trapps, and it comes with an R as it is trad/mixed ascent with a risk of injury. This is the first 9a mixed route in the world and as the two bolts, Moss clipped, are in fairly easy terrain, some would consider it as a contender for the hardest trad route in the world. The climb is the 10 meters direct variation to Friend zone (8c+). which he did two years ago. "Two seasons of projecting on this one. My proudest ascent to date and the hardest line up the t’s Buttress."

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the included R grade?
It is the original aid line that was called Best things in life aren’t free. It was always the obvious and hardest project on the Buttress but it had been too hard and too scary in the past for me to send. It is by far my proudest ascent to date. The R is the safety rating. I gave it that because at the crux I am runout about 20 feet above my last piece of protection and the sequence requires climbing upside down which leads to the potential of hitting my head or back in a big fall. This made it scary to climb and was the reason I wore a helmet.

Loic Zehani has done the FA of Brooklyn in Orgon. In total, the 21-year-old has now done over 60 routes 9a and harder. ”Crazy send. A new route, bolted by my father between "Macumba club" and "Bronx". After about twenty very hard and powerful moves on natural holds it ends with Macumba club (8c). Three approach moves lead to the first crux: a very hard move from a bad crimp to go to a shoulder followed by three "campus board" moves (6 moves around 8A+). Then you have the second crux with, in particular, a bad little undercling followed by a nice dynamic move (8 moves around 7C+). After all this, you climb the second part of "La Connection", 30 moves of resistance (around 8b+). This route is almost natural and deserves a few "curious" climbers to come and climb it. I propose 9b for this route. It took me around 15 days of work." 💪😍

What's next?
I have some projects in France between 9b and 9b+ (maybe more). In Margalef I would like to succeed in « Artaburu » (9b) by Iker Pou and try routes by Jorge Diaz-Rullo. In Santa Linya some routes between 9a and 9b interest me. So we will have to make choices.🙃

Everett Sloane has repeated Griffin Whiteside’s Traffic (8C) in The Scoop. "So many mind games. Far from the best line but this one is important to me."

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Absolutely. The climb is around 20 moves start to finish. It starts with really powerful climbing on underclings and finishes with a hard tension sequence on terrible crimps. I came painfully close last season and finally finished it up on my first session of the season. Oh, I also want to shoutout all the WOAH homies who went out there with me.