Pepa Šindel, who last autumn sent his first 9a+, has done Sever The Wicked Hand (9a) in Frankenjura. (c) Petr Piechowicz

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I first tried Sever the Wicked Hand a year ago, but I wasn't tall and strong enough to get over the opening 8A boulder. This year I returned to business with 5 centimetres extra and a little more strength and started giving the first sharp attempts. After 5 climbing days, the condition improved and despite a big fight at the top of the route I sent it there! I climbed the route in 16 attempts.

Pepa’s father has previously commented on his son's ascents. "All members of our family climb and climbing is our lifestyle, motivation and love for us. Pepa trains on the home bouldering wall in the barn and goes to the rocks as often as possible. Ideally every weekend plus the whole school holiday. Although he does not specifically prepare extra, he trains a lot. At least 3 to 4 times a week, power bouldering - old school wall, ideal conditions :-)."

Piotr Schab has been in Rocklands for three weeks and sent 16 boulders 8A and harder. The hardest flash for the Pole was Moon shadow (8B) and Monkey Wedding was his first ever 8C. In the picture, Piotr climbs The full tony tick (8A).

Can you tell us more about those two ascents?
Monkey Wedding - my first 8C and my hardest boulder. Took me 4 sessions with some nice progress at the beginning to stagnation/frustration right before sending. Getting that crazy pinch in the right spot and heel placement was crucial for me.

Moon Shadow 8B FL - just gave it one hundred percent in the first go and it happened. Two moves, not much to mess up :)

Piotr has previously done ten routes 9a+ or 9b but is most famous for his ten 8c onsights. Adam Ondra has onsighted close to 100 routes 8c and harder but it just might be that the 26-year-old is #2 on that list with ten.

Sorato Anraku, 16, created the perfect ending of the men’s final in Briancon, starting last and being the first to top out. Earlier this year the youngster from Japan became the overall Boulder World Cup winner. With only two Lead events remaining, he is ahead with almost 700 points meaning that if he gets a podium in one of them, the 16-year-old will most likely be the first climber winning both disciplines overall in the same year. Tasei Homma was runner up and Satone Yoshida won the bronze. As in both the qualification and semi, Japan took the first six positions also in the final. (c) Complete results

Talking with 8a in Brixen last month, Sorato said he mainly trains alone or with some locals from Chiba, 1.5 hours from Tokyo. Most of his training consists of bouldering or doing circuits and sometimes also some hangboarding. He does not follow any strict training plan. A couple of times a month he travels to Tokyo to train with guys from the national team.

The women's field was won by Luka Vitan, from Slovenia, who secured her first ever World Cup victory. Eliska Adamovska from the Czech Republic, who won in Briancon in 2021, placed second and the third was Manon Hily in front of her home crowd. Complete results (c) Jan Virt/IFSC

ANRAKU: “I’m surprised to win. I love doing both Boulder and Lead and I want to win more medals. I really want to win the World Championships as well. Koper World Cup. Wujiang World Cup. I practice a lot and I want to win them all.”

LUKAN: “It’s amazing. I’m speechless. I did not expect it. I don’t know what happened. I just climbed and enjoyed the route, I fought hard, I give it my all and I’m really surprised. I’m just happy.

"It was a really tough season. I injured my knee in January and then again in February and I didn’t climb from then until the middle of April. I had an ACL tear and a meniscus tear so I went through surgery where they removed half of the meniscus. The season has been tough for me, the victory is unexpected, but it means a lot to me.”

Dylan Chuat, who did two 9a+ last year, has made the FA of X integral (9a+) in Gottreux, video. ”The line I had imagined from the very beginning I was just waiting to release Satire and Shocker so I could link the two together and make a puuuure king line!!!” (c) Sebastien Maflin

Can you tell us more about your latest FA?
It starts in which I made the FA of a few weeks ago and ends in that I did the FA of last week. It’s a really beautiful long line with only hard sections!

What is your next plan?
I don’t know what the next project is. I’m trying to repair my finger and elbow injuries at the same time so maybe a little rest and I’ll clean up some new lines so it’ll take a little time before a new FA.

Andrea Chelleris, who two years ago sent Puro Dreaming 8c+/9a and who this spring became the U-14 Italian Slalom Champion, has done Thunder Ribes (9a) in Arco.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I spent 4 days and 7 tries plus one in November last year. My idea was to send Underground (9a) but it was too hot so I decided to change route. This was better because it is endurance with a hard boulder in the last part of the route with a two-finger jam. I thought to do it faster but it was hot so I slipped a lot at that finger jam.