William Bosi has sent Sleepwalker (8C+) in Black Velvet Canyon. It was set up as an 8C+ in 2019 by James Webb and the grade was confirmed multiple times until Zander Waller found a new sequence and gave it 8C. After Bosi having sent it on his first go on the third session, he thinks it was an 8C challenge for him. ”Incredible boulder! So psyched to send this king line! Now onto the sit.”

The Sit is Daniel Woods’, not yet repeated, Return of the Sleepwalker (9A).

Pietro Vidi has had a great start of 2024 in Valle Bavona by first repeating 4-Low (8C) and later doing the FA of Captain Nemo (8C), which is a sit start to Finding Nemo (8A+). ”Mega line! Still unsure about the grade as it went down pretty quickly, time will tell! New Classic for sure! Props to Dave [Graham] and Giul [Cameroni] for the vision.”

Miho Nonaka, who 24 times has made the World Cup podium, has done Buttermilker Sit (8B).

Coudert Camille, who two years ago completed Soudain seul (9A), has done La Picharete (8C) in Fontainebleau. ”I did this boulder last week as well as two 8B’s and Satan i Helvete Bas. I put aside my big project for a week just to free my mind. The 8C is a boulder opened last year by Nico Pelorson. It begins with a very hard finger and foot 8B crack with six moves. It ends with an 8A compression based on seven movements.

What is your ”big project”?
Imothep sit, which is probably the biggest project in Fontainebleau. It is a sit start to the classical Imothep (8A).

How much effort have you put in?
I think a little less than 40 sessions. I’ve been trying it since last winter. I train specifically in the gym on similar efforts, but I don’t have a replica of the boulder. It has been tried by many climbers for 15 years but without any real effort. I am projecting it together with Nico Pelorson. I am currently missing the 2nd move which I hope to succeed soon. Starting in the position just after this move I fall at the last movement to join the standing start.

Are we talking 9A or even 9A+?
I have little experience at this level. If I compare to Soudain seul and to Alphane, which I tried four days last year, I would say that the imothep sit is a good notch above. It is too much to say it’s 9A+ but the boulder is probably a hard 9A or even a soft 9A+.