Mark Brand has repeated Michiel Nieuwenhuijsen’s Le Pilier du Désert assis (8C) in Fontainebleau. Interestingly, the 27-year-old has had a very steady progress for ten years straight, not counting Covid 2020, and last year he sent The Big Island (8C). ” Happy with this one! Such a good line. Big props to Michiel for the FA. Ended up using Jonas's beta but using a heel instead for the first moves.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Last time I was in Font I decided to take a look at Pilier du Desert and instantly knew that it was something I´d like to try. It is quite a striking feature and the big compression style nature of the boulder was something that would probably suit me well. So this trip it became the main objective. The boulder has been done in quite a few different ways now. Quite quickly I realized Jonas´s beta would suit me best as I wasn´t a big fan of taking the pocket with the right hand. By starting with a heel or toe on the left (in my case a heel) you can go to the pocket with the left and take a hold further to the right. This way the compression is even bigger with a bigger jump at the end. I did play around with a completely different beta for the middle part, but this ended up being too low percentage.

The go I did the boulder was a classic one more go situation. I was already deep into the session, almost ready to leave. But I had just dropped the last jump twice, so I had to have one more go. I put a bit of pressure on myself and hyped myself up a bit before setting off and found myself on top of the boulder a minute later.

How can you best explain your continuous and steady progress over the last ten years?
Through my youth career lead competitions were the main focus with a bit of bouldering for fun. A couple of years ago I noticed that although I had the fitness I didn´t have the strength to really compete at the worldcups. I decided to take a year and fully focus on bouldering to build this strength. The idea was to get back into lead climbing after, but this never happened haha. Over the last few years the focus on competing at first but I started to transition into outdoor climbing more and more. I have just been training consistently over this period with a power based focus, for example climbing more on spraywalls and boards. This has definitely been beneficial for climbing outside. As I got stronger I have seen quite linear progression outdoors. Climbing my first 8A+ in 2021 and my first 8C last year. It would be great to continue this trend :), but we'll see.

Kwon Gaeun, who four months ago sent Era Vella (9a), has repeated Adam Ondra’s Puro Dreaming (8c+/9a) in Arco. Her father Younghye, who won an Ice World Cup two years ago, at age 51, comments.

”Up until now, Gaeun had mostly focused on challenging projects in the U.S. and Spain. However, seeking a fresh environment to take her climbing to the next level, we chose Arco, Italy, as our next destination for scouting and training. ​Arco is a place I know well; I used to stay here for training during the Ice Climbing World Cup season, traveling between Switzerland and France. Given its familiarity and the world-class sector, Massone, it was impossible not to have it on our list. ​Our primary goal was the legendary line 'Pure Dreaming' (8c+/9a) in Massone. Surprisingly, Gaeun figured out all the moves within the first few days. However, two days of heavy rain caused water to seep through the cracks, leaving the holds damp and delaying her redpoint. She stayed patient, training at nearby local lead gyms while waiting for the right window. When the conditions finally cleared, she executed the route perfectly.”

The 12-year-old comments. ​"I simply loved climbing on such magnificent rock under the warm Arco sun. Although I was a bit frustrated for a while because of the wet holds, I learned to stay patient and enjoy those moments as part of the journey. Traveling to a new place has been a wonderful experience. ​After sending 'Pure Dreaming', I started working on 'Underground' for my next project. Being a shorter climber, some of the reaches felt long, but it was fun figuring out the beta and connecting the moves between the two routes. ​While I was working on a specific sequence, Laura Rogora stopped by. I asked her if there was an alternative beta, and she was incredibly kind and helpful, which allowed me to solve the move easily. I want to say a huge thank you to her again! ​Now, as soon as I return to Korea, the competition season begins. For the last few days of this trip, we’re heading to Innsbruck for some lead training. I’m sure I’ll be back in Arco very soon!

Jana Svecova, who in 2023 did the FA of Nova (8C), reports on Instagram that she has done her second 8C FA, Tokyo Drift (8C) in Holstejn.

”Today was the best day of my climbing career. The send was so unexpected, not because I wouldn’t be close in terms of highpoint, but because of the conditions and other circumstances. First of all, the temp was 5 degrees celsius which is almost unimaginable for me to climb and extremely windy. Second of all, I had to readjust most of the holds and even had a foot slip. but the desire to send this boulder this go, this session was bigger than any slip and wrongly hit hold. It just worked … well, it was kinda drama at the end, I was emotional. I will tell and show you the whole story in a YouTube video that will come out soon hopefully”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I started trying Tokyo last year as a side project while projecting Terranova. I tried it in my best shape ever - around the time I thought I could send Terranova and when I did Mild Abuse of Terminology (8B+) pretty quickly. I just felt really strong. I did all the moves in my first session, but even after 3–4 sessions, the thought of sending—or even linking the first five moves—felt insane. Then the finger injuries came, and the year was over… Mentally, I felt really down. For the second year in a row, I got injured in my best shape by pushing too hard on the rocks with rather tired fingers from the training. That year felt long, and the way back felt endless. I started doubting whether I could ever get back into shape and try hard again. In November, after a month of training, we went to Switzerland. I thought I’d climb 8As every day and just get volume in. In the end, I was happy to get just two 8As in the whole month, but I did get the volume. I climbed so many amazing easier boulders. It was a great trip, but also quite shocking how weak I felt. It made me doubt myself and whether I could ever get as strong as I was before, or even stronger. We got home, Martin got psyched to train with his new coach, and all of us gym buddies trained really hard. It was like a training camp until the end of January. It felt so good, but I still didn’t feel super strong, probably just tired from all the training volume. Did I learn from the last years? Yes! I stop when something feels iffy, or even at the slightest pain. At the end of February, we went to Switzerland again. Martin was hooked on an 8C and wanted to project it properly, so I joined with no particular goal. Just to enjoy climbing with Mélissa Le Nevé and watch Adam flashing crazy things. But I already started feeling stronger. I did Darkness (8A+) quite fast and got hooked on Flowers. I did really well on the powerful bottom and somehow managed to link the mantle in isolation, which is crazy, considering I struggled with 6C+ mantles two years ago, but if there’s something I really like it’s physical challenges. Two weeks of rock climbing, and mostly a lot of resting, resulted in a spike in form. We got home, perfect conditions arrived, so I decided to go all-in on the Tokyo project. Six sessions later, it was done. I think over ten sessions in total.

So what is it about, and why Tokyo Drift?
There is a boulder called Drift (8C) by Adam Ondra that shares the same start and finish. But directly above the starting hold, there’s a seemingly blank section of rock that you cycle around from the left, through decent holds and then traverse to the right with crux at the end of the overhang. I thought going straight up through the biggest overhang should somehow be possible. There are footholds from the Drift, right? It’s roughly a 60-degree overhang.

To my surprise, I could use those footholds, skip the entire detour, and reach the crux of Drift about three moves faster. So it’s less power-endurance, but definitely more cruxy. In Drift, the end part is the crux, but in Tokyo, the start is the crux. The real redpoint crux, though, is the final mantle/slab to the no-hand, which is an old 7B+ classic (very sandbagged). It doesn’t really play a role into the grade, but it makes it much harder to finish. And more complex and fun climb.

I fell on the top-out three times. Once I already thought that it’s done because I literally did the last hard move in the slabby part but my fingers were completely numb and I just dry/cold fired off. Two tries later, I managed to overcome the numbness and cold fingers and finish it after a huge fight.

Simon Boes, who has been struggling with different injuries for two years, has sent Deep Fake (8C+) in Brione. ”Checked out this line last year, such a cool one. All the moves felt fairly doable on their own, but linking everything without any mistakes ended up being the crux for me. Took about 9 or 10 sessions in total. I’ve been going back and forth on the grade; I wish 8c/+ was an option, but 8c+ (soft) seems fair considering other strong climbers have suggested 8c+. (I might revisit the grade after I’ve done a few more in the range).”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
I thought topping out my hardest boulder to date would feel different, but more than anything, I’m just relieved to close the chapter on two years of injuries. Funny how that relief almost outweighs the pure joy of climbing. It’s a strange mix—less explosive joy, more quiet satisfaction and gratitude just to be back doing what I love.

All in all, the process felt quite smooth with the good conditions, and the moves felt dialed. In the end, it really came down to executing properly.

Can you tell us more about your injuries?
I developed tenosynovitis (inflammation of the sheath that surrounds your tendons) in both middle fingers, one after the other. This alone took about 12-18 months to recover from. My fingers felt tweaky and painful, but I luckily still managed to climb at around 80% capacity during that period.

With my left middle finger (the second injury), I pushed a bit too far while trying to balance rest and training, which led to some scar tissue buildup. This made the inflammation harder to heal.

After all that, I then injured the A2 pulley in my left ring finger, which took about six months to be pain free. In total, I’ve spent around two years climbing with finger pain.

Lesson learned: high risk, high reward. I was constantly on the edge of overtraining. While I did become significantly stronger, the process was less enjoyable and way less outdoor bouldering.

Max Bertone has flashed Lazarus (8B) in Fontainebleau. ”King line !! Thanks Oriane & Adri for the beta. So happy to flash that gem.” Video.

Four days later Oriane Bertone also sent it. ”So good to spend some time in the forest and to send this project before the summer and the comp season. Two sessions to find my beta and 2 tries at the third one to send the boulder. Thanks paps, Adri and Max (so good to see you to flash it. Congrats!).”

Last year, Oriane won the World Cup and was runner-up in the World Championship. The 20-year-old won almost every youth competition she entered as a teenager, and her track record outdoors was equally impressive. In total, she has completed 15 boulders graded 8B and harder, as well as six routes graded 8c or 8c+, all between the ages of 12 and 16.

Her sibling, who is three years younger, has focused mainly on lead in the competition arena. He won the Euro Youth Cup in 2023, and last year he was runner-up in the Bali World Cup. At age 15, he climbed his first two 9a routes, and last year he completed his first 9a+.

Sachi Amma, with three 9b’s under his belt, has repeated Chris Sharma’s Sleeping Lion (9b) in Siurana. In total, it took the 37-year-old some 30 days over four trips to send. (c) Jan Novak

”Sleeping Lion’ felt like a massive mirror reflecting the emotions hidden deep inside me. Anger, sadness, loneliness. But also joy and excitement. The route has been a significant journey for me as a climber. ”

Sachi stopped competing after he won the World Cup in 2014. The next year he did five 9a+’ and his first 9b. In 2016, Sachi shared some philosophical thoughts in an 8a/Vertical-Life interview: Changed Horizon. "I can not find any value to be a better person by comparing myself with other climbers. That is why I stopped competing...."

What made you first attracted to the route?
When I first heard that Sleeping Lion had been established by Chris Sharma, and saw the footage of him climbing it, I immediately thought, “I want to try that.” A steep limestone wall where you keep moving dynamically, only to face the final crux when you’re completely exhausted—it felt like a route that suited me perfectly. But in reality, there were fewer sections where I could truly use my strengths, and I struggled more than I expected.

What was most challenging?
Sleeping Lion can be divided into four main sections. Each section by itself comes relatively quickly, but once you try linking two or three of them, you’re suddenly faced with a completely different level of difficulty. I always felt like I could climb it someday, but I had absolutely no sense of how far away that “someday” was. That uncertainty was the hardest part of the challenge.

How many sessions was needed for the send?
Over the past two years, I organized four trips. The first was one week, the second and third were three weeks each, and the fourth was four weeks. The third trip fell during a period of heavy rain, and I was only able to try the route for five days. In total, I think I spent around 30 days actually working on the route.

What is your 2026 plan?
I am thinking to go Ceuse in June and Squamish in Summer. And then I will decide if I go deeper into hard sport route or Yosemite in the winter season.