Caroline Ciavaldini has repeated her husband's Le Voyage (8b+) trad in Annot. Using the British grading system, James Pearson suggested also E10 7a doing the FA in 2017. In between 2002 and 2011, Caro did 66 Lead World Cups, out of which she placed Top-12 58 times. In 2006, she was #3 overall and in 2011, she won in Chamonix. She has redpointed several 8c's and also onsighted several 8a+' and 8b graded routes. ©Raphaël Fourau


“I am resting at the middle break, 2/3 up "Le Voyage". For the very first time, I have passed the second crux, a very long and technical 7A+ boulder, quite a few meters above my last protection, a No. 6 RP. Just before beginning the crux, I heard James, 4-year-old Arthur, and 2-year-old Zozo cheering me from below. James and the kids were hiding before, maybe because James was hoping to give me more space to focus, as Zozo constantly asks for me today. But right before the crux, I wanted them to be there. Being a mom is disturbing for your climbing, but at the same time, they are my people. I also look straight up at Raph, who is hanging on a static… He is here today as he was supposed to film James in "Bon Voyage," his latest hard route, and has made the most of it to film my attempt. Carl and Antoine are here too, belaying and taking more video from below. Carl made some light jokes as I was putting my climbing shoes on, and I was super aware that he was trying, and succeeding, to create just the right mood for me. It does really matter to me to have these people here today. I can feel them gently pushing me up.

I have done the hardest by far, and it has taken me 2 years to be where I am today. 2 years to get back from baby number 2, with the constant help of Maddie Cope and Lattice. Getting pregnant, people say, isn’t an injury… I would say it’s way worse for your climbing than any pulley (I had 2) or other climber’s injury.

"Le Voyage" finishes with a last easy section on fairly bad rock and a final crack around 7b+, from which you would hate yourself if you fell… yet you could. I am resting and trying to channel my internal dialogue. I have what it takes, but I need to climb well. Emotions are always there… fear of failing, fear of breaking a hold and failing, fear of over-gripping, of slipping… My brain won’t stop, just like it did at the rest before the crux. It’s been so long since I was last trying so hard that I don’t know what I was doing to sort that before being a mom. Did I always have all this internal dialogue?

"Le Voyage" is my longest project ever. 2 years. But at the same time, as a climbing parent, you have to take things differently. You don’t get many attempts on a climbing day… technically, I only get one at the minute when Zoellie snoozes. We have belayed on lead with her in the back in a baby carrier when she was smaller, but that wouldn’t work now. You check the weather forecast all the time, but you still have to balance your goals with the family’s life. You need so much more patience, but you are also so much more patient because that’s what babies teach you. Family life gives you more rhythm, and that has been good for training. I have had to train so much just to get back to my former level… then reinforce my shoulders because "Le Voyage" is so demanding. I have even done some specific leg training. I have never been as specific. But I don’t think I have been obsessive. I can’t. Because I am still a mom. First? I don’t know… for sure maybe sometimes I have been stealing some time from my children for my training. I am somewhat selfish. But it’s made me very happy to create that space for my climbing. It has made me be Caroline again."

Eliáš Kysela, who last month did his first 9a, has sent Estado critico (9a) in Siurana. Last summer, the 17-year-old did his first 8c, and now 16 months later he has done ten routes 8c to 9a.

”It was pretty quick to send this route, the first crux is quite easy for me but it was a lot of struggle at the top, so I checked the moves on the first day and four days later I sent this line for 9 attempts. I plan to return in the winter to climb other projects in this sector.”

What projects are you thinking about now?
In the second half of the trip I tried La Rambla (9a+). I did all the moves and linked some sequences.

What's the secret to your progress over the last year?
I trained hard over the winter and spent more time on the rocks. I do some power and power endurance training and hard bouldering. Usually on a spray wall. I train 5-6 days * 3 hours per week.

Brooke Raboutou, who last month sent Box Therapy (8C), reports on Instagram that she has flashed Nascondino 8A+/B and Darkness 8A+ in Ticino. (c) Matty Hong

To our knowledge, only Ashima Shiraishi, Janja Garnbret and Charlotte André have previously flashed an 8A+.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has had a busy week doing three 9a's and harder link-ups, out of which two were first ascents. In Santa Linya he did Direct into your Fabelita (9a) and in Margalef he FA'ed; Samfaina para el mundo (9a+) as well as La presencia del gancho (9a).(c) Javi Pec

"With this combination I close (or at least for the moment) all the possible combinations on the wall :( This one, in particular, is enjoyable, you do the entire hard sequence of Samfaina (9a+) and then you go to the final block of The Perfect World (7C approx) I guess it goes to 9a+/b, let's see what they say."