Ethan Salvo has made what seems to be the first post-hold-break ascent of in Squamish. Harry Robertson did the original FA of the line, as an 8B, back in 2003.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Zazen is an old boulder that has quite a bit of mystery around the first ascent. The story is a bit unclear but a hold may have broke after the ascent making it harder. It has been unrepeated until now.

I’ve tried the boulder for around 15 days over the past year, but mainly the past 3 months with very cold dry weather. The boulder breaks down into a 3 move intro v11/12 into the hardest single move I’ve ever done, I’m not sure how to grade that move but it’s much physically harder than any other move I’ve tried in Squamish. After that you climb the classic V8 Gibb's cave. I sent the boulder 2nd try today, by myself with only a few pads. It was pretty cool to enjoy the moment by myself and have to try so hard, yet climb so well.

What is your climbing background?
I’ve been climbing for just over 5 years now, but was a competitive swimmer for years before. I think swimming helped a lot as a base strength for my climbing. I did the comp thing for a few years but slowly started to focus on bouldering outside. Last April I moved to Squamish and have mainly been climbing outside. It’s been a huge help for my climbing growth and progression. I like to try things at my limit and spend a lot of days trying them. Zazen was a cool one that fit me because of the crux hold, it’s a very small left hand mini pinch. During covid I had been training on a board for Lucid Dreaming (8C) which has a similar crux move. I never made it to Bishop but I think the hold specific strength really helped me with Zazen.

Drew Ruana reports on Insta that in just the last two weeks he has done three 8Cs (+) in Clear Creek Canyon (CO). He started off by repeating Daniel Woods' Everyting is Gniess 8C, after having projected it for around 15 sessions. Later he did the FAs of Maxwell’s Demon sit 8C+, as well as, Fox and the Hound sit 8C.

Paul Robinson, who has been synonymous with bouldering over the last two decades, took the above picture and says, ”He is so damn strong it’s insane. Never seen something like it before!”

In 2019, he was #8 in the World Championships. After failing to make it to the Olympics, the full-time chemical engineering student has chosen to focus on bouldering and has become arguably one of the best boulderers in the world. In total, he has done 100+ boulders 8B+ and harder including eight graded 8C+. Here's an interview 8a did with Drew a little while back, 8a interview..

Loic Zehani has done Aubade Direct (9a+) in Sainte-Victoire, check out the video. The 21-year-old has now logged 60 routes 9a and harder with 22 being sent in just the last 12 months.

"Very nice route bolted by Christophe Daconcecao more than 20 years ago and first red pointed by Gérome Pouvreau in September 2010. An easy and fast intro sequence followed by a hard and physical first section. Then after a bad rest, you have a nice hard section, very fingery and demanding climbing followed by a stunning grey wall, typical "Sainte victoire". It took me 4 days in 2019 for the 8c+/9a version and 6 days more this year for the 9a+ version. This style of climb demanded a lot from me but I loved this route. 😍😍😍. So happy to climb this."

Giacomo Raimondi has done the second ascent of Christian Core’s Nim (8C) in Varazze, which was put up some 20 years ago. ”The send happened quite fast but I knew very well the first part of the boulder because it is common with my first 8B+.”

Do you know if there are more Core FA’s still unrepeated?
Last year, I did Bunjil (8B) and Majinbu (8B) which also were second ascents. There are still a lot of unrepeated boulders from Christian and I think that they are not so much repeated because some of them are really hard and not that cool and finding good condition it's really difficult.

Enrique Beltran Blasco has done Priorato de Sion (9a) in Alquézar. Daniel Fuertes bolted it and later in 2008, Ramon Julian made the FA suggesting 8c+ but as with many of his FA's, the repeaters have upgraded it.

Can you tell us more about this route and your send?
This 9a is the one that has cost me the least of all my three 9a's, about 18 attempts. It is a short and hard route with small crimps and a boulder with inverted holds. Happy to share the send with Dani Moreno and Dani Fuertes. They have done it previously and going to the sector with them was perfect. They came to belay and push (my) motivation.

Katie Lamb has made the FFA of Dave Graham’s iconic Spectre (8B) in Bishop (CA), logging it as 8B+ for herself. ”Freaking out. With the jump method - hardest single move I've done and proudest ascent to date. Never thought I'd have a chance. Doesn't get any better!!”

The 25-year-old has, during the last 12 months, done five 8B’s and two 8B+'s making her #1 in the 8a ranking game for the third year in a row.