Carlo Traversi, who did his first, out of ten 8C, in 2011, has repeated Dave Graham's From Dirt Grows The Flowers (8C) in Chironico.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Got really close to finishing From Dirt in early 2013. Right after making the first ascent of The Kingdom (8C), I fell off the mantle a few times from the bottom. I could do the mantle easily from starting mid way up the boulder but it always felt like it just didn’t work from the bottom. I’ve returned to try a few times over the years but conditions just haven’t lined up. This trip it felt good first day, but then it’s been too warm since then. Luckily with only a few days left in the trip, we got some cold, windy conditions yesterday and I was able to climb it 2nd try from the bottom. Was a really odd send for me, the boulder has always felt like a bit of a struggle, nothing feeling easy. Send go felt weightless, no struggle, the easiest climbing has felt the whole trip.

Three years since the last 8C. How did you get back into peak performance shape?
I feel like I’m always in peak performance shape. At least I try to be. That doesn’t always result in sends, but my level has mostly been the same or slightly improved each year for the last 10 years. So my “results” are rarely reflective of the work I’m putting in.

What are your 2023 plans?
Lots of plans but nothing worth mentioning yet. The goal is always to maintain top level in bouldering, sport, and traditional [climbing]. So I will likely be bouncing between those 3 disciplines through the summer. Multi-pitches is definitely a priority for 2023.

The 34-year-old did his first two 9a's in 2015 and he has later done two 9a+. Three years later he did the second ascent of the first 8c+ trad route in the world, Beth Rodden's Meldown, and last year he did another one of the hardest trad lines in the world, Magic Line (8c+). His previous send above 8C was Creature From the Black Lagoon (8C+), which he did three years ago. Carlo also worked on The Dawn Wall together with Kevin Jorgeson some ten odd years ago. Overall, Carlo has made a case to be considered one of the best multi-discipline climbers in the world.

Jana Svecova has found new beta, on Adam Ondra's Terranova (8C+) and seems actually close to sending after just four sessions.

Adam Ondra reports on Insta that he has been on a ”family vacation” trip to Malta. "Spending a lot of time with family and getting rest for the hard training ahead of me! It was nice getting to know the small climbing community in Malta 💪" In the end, he onsighted eight routes 8a+ and harder, meaning the 30-year-old is approaching 500 such graded onsights. (c) Stephen Farrugia

The hardest onsights on the island were actually (probably) two FAs in Melieha Cave;
Winds of Change (8b+): "Start to the right to Aint Sane in the Membrane, finish like the Down in a Hole. Hard start, then a total nohands and a tricky boulder. Definitely being tall helps. Giving a grade on my onsight try and being 8th 8th-grade route of the day doesn't help. Thanks Simon and Stevo for an amazing day!"

Fight Club (8b): "Start like November Rain, but go direct in the end. probably first ascent? Roof climbing on tufa at its best."

Adam also probably made the FA of a previously chipped route, Tunnel Vision (8b+) in Mgarr Ix-xini. "Short burly route just above the little "tunnel" when you approach the gorge. If you use the chipped pocket in between the 3rd and 4th bolt, it is probably 8a. Without, I think it is pretty hard 8A boulder."

Siara Fabbri, who did her first 8B+ in November, has done Les Feux Dazeroth 8A
in Branson, Creatures of Comfort (8A+) in Vernayaz and Taijutsu (8A+) in Val Bavona. (c) Simone Tentori

Can you tell us more about those ascents?
Good weekend here in Val Bavona 😁. Psyched to send Taijutsu 8A+ today, it's a new block that got put up a month ago.

I had a session last fall on Creatures on my first trip to Vernayaz. I felt close to sending but fell off the last move four times, it's a deep lock off and I kept failing to get this crimp good. In the end, I found some better beta and came back recently, I refreshed myself on the moves, then sent :).

We went after to check out the boulder with Les Feux, but it was really cold so we just climbed a little. We returned the next weekend and I sent Les Feux fairly quickly, but onsighting the mossy top out in the night was spicy. I was psyched to find the right beta for these blocks and send them relatively quickly as I want to improve in optimizing the projecting 😊💪.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has done The full journey (9b) in Margalef. "First repetition after Alex Megos. 4 days of work but I already did the first part one year ago and the second part one week ago." (c) Adri Martinez

The route is a original line linking The journey (9a+) which he did last year and Carlota's journey (9a+) which he did last week. In the 8a ranking game, the 23-year-old is #2 after Adam Ondra.

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Nicolai Užnik has made a rare repeat of Klem Loskot’s in Maltatal. Last year, the Austrian won the European Championship and in the World Games, he was #4. (c) Stefan Köchel

"Most challenging boulder I ever did, so psyched!!! 8C+ in my opinion, especially since the starting foothold broke a while ago and made the first move even harder."

Can you tell us more about the ascent and your journey?
I first tried it, I think in 2019 and felt absolutely chanceless until last year when I could finally do the first move once. A few days ago I got really close falling at the dyno to the lip and was unable to put it all together. Today after slipping off matching the lip, I finally did it two attempts later. For sure the hardest and most challenging boulder I did so far. I think it was last climbed in 2017 and since the starting foothold broke off not too long ago and made the first move even harder, I think it deserves the 8C+ grade.

What is your competition season preparation looking like?
This weekend we have the Austrian Championships at my hometown in Klagenfurt which is a good test for the upcoming World Cup season. I‘m feeling in good shape and can’t wait for the comp season to start!