Chris Sharma strikes again by doing the FA of Sleeping Lion 9b+ in Siurana, after projecting it for one and a half years years at age 41. The route is located on the expansive wall opposite of La Rambla and La Reina Mora. It's a solitary line with no other route within 20 meters of either side of it. Here is an Insta video that captures Sharma linking most of the route last October. (c) Rikki Giancola

Giancola, who has been filming the whole process and was on-hand during the FA says, "The energy, perseverance and good vibes of this climber make him unique and inspiring. Doing my bit by sharing Chris Sharma’s vision and passion for climbing with the world is simply an honour..."

Nils Favre, who will compete in the Asia Boulder WCs in three weeks, reports on Insta that he has repeated Toni Lamprecht's Bokassa's Fridge 8C in Kochel. (c) Johanna Mielke

Can you tell us more about Bokassa and the climbing at Kochel?
Kochel is the closest place from Munich for bouldering/lead. The bouldering area is basically the base of the cliff, with a “slippery” rock. But, all strong climbers from Munich spent time there and there are a lot of hard routes/boulders. This boulder is one of the most logical lines of the area. It follows a prow and ends at an obvious crack/jug when it starts to be too high for bouldering.

It’s an eliminante because you are not allowed to use the left wall but quite logical as you follow the arete. (With the left wall it’s Antonator, 8B) Toni started the boulder at a defined position quite low. I climbed the boulder as it was first ascended, it’s already 18 hand moves and graded 8C/V15. Flo Wientjes did the first ascent of the sit last year. It adds 5 “easy but really tiring” moves for a total of 23 hand moves. I had 3 good tries on the sit start after sending the normal start but...

How does climbing on rock help you prepare for the upcoming Asia WCs?
Climbing outdoors has been a priority for me next to my training. I find myself way more motivated this way. I also realize that I’m trying/training way harder on the rock than plastic. I can also skip most of my finger training when I climb on the rock as I train them while climbing. Finally, I find myself extremely motivated for all the coordination moves when I don’t do them too often, and get maybe a bit “bored” when I do too many of them. But it would be wrong to say that I’m only climbing outdoors. I train a lot besides outdoor climbing but I would definitely spend even more time on the rock without competitions.

The beginning of the season was a bit stressful as Switzerland got only two spots for the World Cup. Sasha already got a spot because of the Olympic team so only one spot was available. I managed to win the selection comps to get my spots for the two first world cups.

Delphine Chenevier, who did her first 8b+ last October, has done Courte patte (8b+) in La cimaïette. She did her first 8b more than twenty years ago and in 1999, she placed #6 in a Boulder World Cup.

Can you tell us more about Courte patte and how you have been able to perform so well of late?
I’m super happy to send this new 8b+, quite rapidly (5 sessions). It’s a very bouldery route that requires finger strength. It’s a short route of 15m :-), with the crux that is an intense boulder section of 7 movements. It’s clearly the result of the good training done since one year with the coaches from La Fabrique Verticale, Olivier Broussouloux and Laurence Guyon.


What does a normal climbing week look like for you?
I don’t have a "normal" climbing week…it depends on my professional life, and how busy I am. I try to do one short after-work session on the rock, even if the conditions are not the best (finishing with a headlamp as I don’t have a lot of time), then one finger/power session on the Moon board or hangboard and 2 climbing session during the weekend, ideally on the rock (even if it’s rainy, cold, windy) or on the moon board.

Mixing rock climbing and training on the hangboard/Moon board/yoga/core training, on 4 weeks (one month) = between 16 and 20 but always short sessions as I don’t have a lot of time because of my professional activity :-)

What do you have in mind next?
Perhaps trying an 8c …but before all, to continue to enjoy climbing on the rock and discovering new routes around Grenoble. The route developers are very active in Grenoble and there are always new routes!

Pablo Zamora reports on Insta that he has done El Indomable (8C) in Tamajon, which was the third 8C for the somewhat under the radar Spaniard.

Can you tell us more about El Indomable?
Alberto Rocasolano made the FA and then Nacho Sanchez repeated it. It has not been repeated since 2018. In December I tried it one day and saw myself falling on the last move. I came back a few times with the bad luck of finding it wet and I couldn't test it. This week it stopped raining and it started to get hotter and I was able to do it

When did you start climbing and when did you start focusing on bouldering?
I have been climbing since I was 12 years old and outdoors for the last 6 years focusing on boulders. I did not think that I could do these difficulties until I got involved with Soyuz 8C which I was able to do in November and then Entropy 8C, two months ago.

What else are you hoping to do this year?
At the moment I have some pending boulders here and some projects that could be the hardest in the area, we'll see hehe.

Philipp Gaßner, who did his first 8c (+) at age 14 in 2014, has sent Trofeo dell'Adriatico (9a+) in Arco. (c) Michael Picculruaz

Can you tell us more about Trofeo?
I tried the route for the first time last year. Adam‘s video made me psyched to try it. I really liked it so I finally came back this year for a few short trips. On day four I fell very close and I knew I could do it. Then I did it on day seven with a good flow :) The route is amazing, it is mostly about pinches on tufas and the rock is rough and very fun to climb!

What's next?
There are a few routes in Tyrol, Weisse rose and Qui that I would like to climb. Otherwise, I want to do some trips but I don’t have any exact plans yet.

Siara Fabbri has done Toy Boy (8A+) in Val di Mello. "Great day out with Simo and good psyche/send train with Kim! Dialled the 2nd crux beta then sent, really nice line and movement!" (c) Simone Tentori

What's the climbing like on Toy Boy?
Toyboy is a really fun line traversing a smooth crimpy crack feature in a roof and then into some easier overhanging climbing. The 1st crux is a cool move off a small slopey crimp with a sort of double drop knee and tiny upside-down toe hook, and the 2nd crux is a tricky cross move. I fell here on my flash go during my first quick session on it. We came back and after dialling the beta here and with some send train psyche after Kim I sent 2nd try :). A little lesson I took from this block is that I should always tick a far/hard-to-reach hold at the closest point I can grab something!

Lujza Michalkova and Sara Šimekova have done Forever More sit start (8A+) in Brione. (c) Ado Capko

Sara (in the picture): The first time I touched this boulder I knew it was finally something made for me. The first time I was in Brione was last fall. I climbed here my first 7A, first 7B even my first 7C, all in one week. This place is magical for me. When I came a week ago with our team, I just wanted to climb as many 7B and 7C's as possible. But my plan didn't really work, there was always one move missing. I was frustrated and I just wanted to try something that I will enjoy. One girl recommended me Forever more, but I didn't believe I can climb 8A.

After the week of nothing I just wanted to try the moves and didn't care about the grade or the ascent. After a while, I had almost all the moves. I was shocked. I struggled for a while with the mantle, but after a few tries, I found my beta. The only move missing was this dynamic move to the small crimp. After a few really close tries, I stuck it and continued climbing. This was the stand 8A version. I tried the Sit start afterwards but my skin was too bad to give it a proper try.
We came there again on the next day after a rest day. The first try was just warming up. On the second try I stuck the hard move and went up. But my leg slipped when I was going up. On the third try, I was able to climb this boulder. Now I am preparing for European competitions. I am trying to find some sponsors that would help me on my way.

Lujza: I tried the boulder Forever more on Saturday for the first time, because my friend Sára Šimeková suggested it. Even though I didn't have much hope, cause I was ill and pretty tired, I just went for it and tried it again and again. The mantel went pretty quickly (2nd try), but the first two moves were the real deal. You have to take two crimps, push into your foot in the opposite direction while being almost in a horizontal position and cross over with your right hand to a crimpy pinch. After this you have to pinch it hard, put your right foot higher, do a bad toehook with your left and do a long move to the next crimp, concentrating on the right foot to stay on the wall. I managed to do the stand start (8A, basically the 8A+ without the first move) and wanted to do the sit start as well, because I did all the moves, but it got dark and we didn't have time nor energy anymore.

We're climbing 1+1, meaning we have one climbing day and then one restday, so on Sunday we rested, did some school stuff and took a hike. Monday was the day, I knew it, just my skin didn't feel like it. We warmed up, the conditions were good and it was time. Or maybe not... I kept falling in the second move, slipping of the crimp with my left hand. Slowly my ring finger started bleeding, then index finger and then my middle finger. All taped up I tried it more times and suddenly I just stuck it. And when I stick the problem I never let go of the rock, so there it was, after that big fight, I sent it. All the pain in my fingers and my muscles went magically away and all I felt was happiness :)

Claudia Ghisolfi, who last September did her first 9a, and placed in the top ten at a Lead World Cup, has done Premiere (8c) in Castelbianco.

Can you tell us more about Premiere?
I'm not in good shape and I didn't want to try hard routes now. But my boyfriend (Alessio Voghera) told me to try that route with him and on Saturday we did it together! It isn't a hard 8c because when Stefano, (my brother) did the first ascent he didn't use the kneepad. But I'm happy even if it isn't hard because in the past October, I fractured my heel slamming against the wall and It was hard to find the right confidence to climb without fear of falling

What are your 2023 competition plans?
Now I'm training hard in the week to prepare for the comps that start at the end of May with the Italian Lead Championship but at the weekend I always climb outside. It's important to me to climb outside even if it isn't considered "training".

Do you have any Olympic aspirations?
Yes, I'll compete in one boulder world cup 🤞🏻

Matt Fultz, has pulled off the first repeat of Aidan Robert’s Vecchio Leone Sit (8C+) in Brione, making it his seventh ascent of that grade.

Can you tell us more about your latest 8C+?
I’m just very blessed to be able to climb in such a beautiful place and be in good shape. I didn’t expect to get caught up with this problem before the trip but it really drew me in with its complex moves and positions. In total it took 8 working sessions and is the first problem of this difficulty I’ve done outside the United States, although I’m hoping to do more this year!

Jules Marchaland, who did First Ley (9a+) in February, has repeated Pierre Le Cerf's Just two fix (9a) in Gorges du Loup. Last year, the 21-year-old took silver at the only Euro Youth Cup he did. After that comp the 20-year-old did three World Cups, always placing in the top 20, in addition to sending his first three 9a’s.

Can you tell us more about your latest 9a?
This route is about 35m! (So long for me haha) The first part is Just One Fix (8c+), "soft", and after a very good rest you have a physical end with brutal move and endurance ! For the progress: I did the first part in 2017! And last year I tried the second pitch! I think I fell 5-6 times at the last hard move and this year I came back stronger and I did it on my 2nd try.

What are your comp plans in 2023?
The main goals are the french championship! I have from last year's results, qualified to do the Chamonix and Briancon World Cups and I hope I can do the start of the season!