Jonathan Siegrist has done Don’t Die in Linares (9a) in Texas. The 38-year-old has now done 75 routes 9a and harder. "I went FULL A Muerte after sticking the crux move and decimated my skin in the process… felt the do or die moment on the top out as I tried to contain the bloodbath! Another nasty one from Cody [Roth]..."

Can you tell us more about the "bloodbath"?
After sticking the main crux you still have a pretty serious 7C boulder problem and on this move I got my hand stuck behind a toe hook. When I ripped my hand out of the pocket I left a huge piece of skin behind and at this point, I still had a 7c-ish section to finish the route... so I felt the real pressure now as I could feel a pool of blood filling the jug I was resting on! I knew there was no way I could have another try and with my trip ending in a few days, I knew this was really my last effort for the season. Thankfully the top was not super hard but I definitely took every move very seriously and kept cleaning the blood off of my fingers as often as I could! I like moments like this where the climbing level is way below your max but you really have to focus. If not for the whole risking your life thing, I think I would really enjoy big solos.

Bronwyn Hodgins has sent La Rubia (8c+) in Villanueva del Rosario. "WOWOWOWOW!!!! I can’t believe it!!! I chose this route a year ago as a lofty dream and trained for 8 months specifically at home, then lived in Villanueva del Rosario for 2.5 months this winter and managed to get the send on the final days of the trip!!! Definitely suits my style, hang on forever with a four limbs in a crazy 3-d cave. The crux was tough!!! But I do love crimps and I think it also suited me. The kilter board training was definitely for this!! By far my longest sport project. Send go was a fight at the top, I very nearly dropped that last move at the chains! SO PSYYYYYYYCHED!" (c) Julia Cassou

The Canadian climber is more known in the climbing world for her big wall free climbing and remote first ascents, but after three back-to-back big wall expeditions in 2022, Bronwyn was feeling burnt-out from expedition stress and logistics. A little lost for motivation she travelled to Spain to climb tufas and improve her Spanish, and soon found herself wondering how hard she might be able to climb if she put her intense focus into training and sport climb projecting...

"It was hugely intimidating arriving at La Rubia, having only climbed one 8b+ and a handful of 8b's. I definitely felt like maybe I had dreamed a little too big this time! But over the course of the season I slowly ticked away at more manageable chunks of the route until I was finally able to put it all together.

The mental aspect was really tough. I felt like I had some of the tools from big wall free climbing such as performing well under pressure and sequence visualization and execution, but I had no experience in sticking with a project for anywhere near this long. At the same time, I continued to make progress pretty much every time I tied in which was super motivating.
The route is 55m long, and steep with many knee-bar rests in the top half, which also gives a lot of opportunity to overthink things and get nervous. On the send go, I climbed super smoothly and faster-than-ever all the way up to the final bolt (where I'd fallen on my last attempt a few days earlier). I tactically skipped the final knee bar so that I didn't interrupt my mental flow and launched myself with all I had left for the big move just next to the chains. I still can't believe my fingers latched onto that hold!"

Loic Zehani has done the FA of Zao (9a) in Sainte-Baume. Zao was the 22-year-old's 77th route logged in the 9a to 9b range. "Very old project (maybe 30 years!). It's a nice route slightly overhang and vertical. The rock is absolutely beautiful and the climbing is very powerful for the fingers. It starts with 4 hard moves (more or less 7B FB ) followed by 6 very hard moves (8A FB). This section is one of the most beautiful slices of rock that I have climbed and it finishes with a very nice vertical and demanding climb without [poor] feet. Very proud of this one because it's not my favourite style of climb!"

Piotr Schab has redpointed JoeDan (9a) at Santa Linya. The Polish climber has redpointed 29 routes 9a to 9b over the last twelve years. The picture above is from Pachamama (9a+).

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Joe Dan was actually one of the very last routes left in Santa Linya [for me]. Powerful start into a deadpoint crux move that appeared last year after a broken tufa, then Fabela climbing to the top. Didn’t climb routes for a year, so struggled a bit with the top endurance part.

What has stopped you from climbing routes this past year?
Over the last year(s) we’ve opened our second gym called Mood in Kraków, tough times to train so I focused on bouldering. [I] Wanna come back to routes though!

Eliáš Kysela, who over the last four months has sent his first three 9a’s, has done Martin Krpan (9a) in Osp/Misja Pec. The 17-year-old did his first 8c some 18 months ago.

”I went to Mišja Peč for a week. The main goal was to climb Martin Krpan. On the first day I managed to send Konec Mira which is half of the route and four days later I managed to send the whole line. I think it's a little easier with a kneepad. But ok compared to the 9a routes I've climbed, it's definitely not 8c+.”

Shauna Coxsey, who won eleven World Cups and stopped competing in 2021, has during a week spent in La Pedriza, sent six boulders 8A and harder including Wild Wild West, Pin y Pon (8B) and Fotofobia (8B+). All the more impressive, the 31-year-old mother to a toddler completed Fotofobia, which was FA'd by Ignacio Gonzalez, in a single session. (c) Talo Martin

“I was so excited to try Fotofobia! Big moves on tiny crimps on and overhanging wall... Yes! It is such an amazing piece of rock and the moves did not disappoint! I tried to climb the original line from Nacho. It seems there are a few new bigger holds at the end to the right that have been cleaned up. I decided to avoid those and stay left of the obvious seam. As for the grade, I really don’t know. It's been a while since I have climbed this grade so don't feel I am in a position to fully comment just yet. It went down pretty quickly so I am tempted to say it may be closer to 8B but I also don’t think I could design a climb to suit me more than this.”

Maya Ene, who last year climbed an 8c+ route as well as an 8A+ boulder, has completed The Thrilla in Manila (8B) in Hueco Tanks (TX). Her family owns a small climbing gym in New Jersey, and her father Ionel, finished his World Cup career in 1999 by being #19 in Speed and #43 in Lead at the World Championships.

Can you tell us more about Thrilla?
I think I got very motivated to try a V13 after placing third in the Hueco Rock Rodeo competition on February 17. To be on the podium with these famous names, Nina Williams and Michaela Kiersch, meant a lot to me. The problem was beta intense (knee bars - not my style) so I worked on it for two days. I was able to send it on my last day of the trip, last try. Super psyched. Looking for a V14 now:). My father was a big support for me during the comp and while working on the problem.

What is coming up next for you?
I will try to spend a couple of more weeks climbing outside (maybe I can send my project "Pure Imagination" this spring). In May, I will start focusing more on indoor climbing to get ready for Youth Nationals.

What does a normal climbing week look like for you?
My training? Hmm, that is something hard to describe because I don't have a particular program. My parents' schedule is a bit chaotic, but we climb indoors 4 to 5 times a week. Besides our gym, we climb at many others around us to experience different styles, sets and holds. A couple of weeks before Youth nationals we focus exclusively on indoor climbing.

How often do you climb outdoors?
We have almost no climbing outdoors here in New Jersey, so to get some quality climbing we have to travel at least 6 hours, so when we go, we stay for a couple of days. I think we spend about 3 months climbing outside throughout the year.