Alberto Gotta has done Perfect Man 8c+/9a in . It was found by Andrea Gallo and later rebolted by Matteo Gambaro, who made the FA in 2016.

How was the process taking it down?
I think something like 20 sessions but only during weekends because it is not close to my home and I'm a full-time worker. I sent it after trying it occasionally over some years because it is not that close to my hometown. That's why I needed some years. Differently from Matteo, I rested with a kneebar that I found just before the last hard section so that's why I proposed the 8c+/9a. It's a very nice powerful route under the main roof of the crag. A visit is definitely worth it.

You have not done many hard routes the last three years and now you started 2022 by doing three routes 8c+ and harder?
That's because I was almost a professional climber while studying at the University so I climbed a lot both in competitions and on rock. When the University finished, I immediately started working and the time for training drastically reduced affecting my performance. Lately, I found a good work/life balance so training is in full swing and I am able to climb hard again. (In 2016 and 2017, he was Top-21 six times in the World Cup, as well as doing his first 8c+.)

Fanatic Climbing reports that Nico Pelorson has done the ninth ascent of Super Crackinette 9a+ in St Léger. The French has previously done eight 9a's, out of which six FAs. (c) Lucien Martinez - Grimper Magazine

"What motivated me was this rather radical effort: 30 difficult movements without rest. It gives goes of 1 minute 30 on average with a really nice effort. Also, I was quite curious to see what the first 9a+ flash (Adam Ondra) of the history looks like!"

In Bouldering, he has repeated Soudain Seul, aka The Big Island Sit, and suggested a personal 8C+, video. For No Kpote only he was more drastic taking it down two grades to 8C. He is also famous for having done 22 boulders 8A and harder including five flashes up to 8B in Targassone during only four days, video, as well as having done an 8C with just one shoe, video.

Sera Gearhart has, within a week in Red Rock (NV), done her two first 8A (+)'; and . Video on both on her Insta. (c) Rob Murillo

What is your climbing background?
I've been climbing for 15 years (!!). I grew up doing the competition circuit and started climbing outside more in college. I work full time remote and have been travelling with my partner (Taylor McNeill) since the fall!

How much do you train/climb per week?
I don't train at all right now, but I climb outside probably 4 days a week (as much as I can without losing all my skin).

Stefano Ghisolfi has done the FA of L'arenauta (9b) in . In total, the Italian has now done ten routes 9b and 9b+. On Insta, Stefano says it was bolted 20 years ago and this was his second trip working on it. (c) Sara Grippo

Congrats! Could you fill us in on this new route?
The first part, the less overhanging, is 7a to the first chain. From there starts the roof part, around 20m almost horizontal roof. The first section of the roof is not super hard, around 8b+, and then there is a bad kneebar and from there starts the real challenge. A hard section on pockets with very bad feet, some ten intense moves. The line does not cross any other route, it is one of the purest and most logical ones, straight in the middle of the roof. The place is amazing, close to the beach. (It is actually just 20 meters to a huge and popular beach).

Simon Lorenzi, Lead Youth World Champion in 2016, had his best year ever in 2021 twice being Top-7 in the Boulder WC and making the FA of Soudain Seul 9A (8C+). Interestingly, until 2019 he almost only focused on comps but struggled to get into the semis. Later, he focused more on outdoors and his comp results improved significantly.

Have you improved on comps because of focusing more on outdoors?
My results in the world cup and my performances outdoors are not very linked in my opinion. I performed more outdoor because I spent way more time on the rock during winter. In comps, I did better mostly because I changed the way I train to focus a lot more on my weaknesses (strategy, technic and my mind).

What have you been up to lately?
Since the end of November, the goal was to start the preparation in lead and bouldering for the upcoming world cup season. Unfortunately, I injured my finger so I had to train only on big pinches and slopers on a spray wall because it was the only thing not painful for my finger. Fortunately, I went to Font to try Big Conviction. The three left crimps of the boulder were good enough to take them open hand.

Could you describe a normal training week and one normal session? I train 5 days a week and most of them with my trainer. I always have a good and efficient warm-up to be ready to give everything during the session. Every week is different and the training is more focused on my weaknesses or what I need the most to perform better in competition. The sessions last between 2 and 4 hours depending on what I do.

What are your plans and goals for 2022?
My goals are to perform at the highest level in the world cup in both disciplines and I still have the last project to send in Fontainebleau this season 🙂, "La révolutionnaire " 8C+ from Charles Albert.

Lucija Tarkuš, who did her first 8c+ at age 16, has done Talk is cheap! (8c) in Osp - Banje in Babna. The picture is from Céüse last year. The Slovenian has won seven European Youth Cups and last year she won twice in Lead and once in Boulder. She participated in five World Cups and her worst result was #27.

How was the process taking it down?
Honestly I think it took me too many tries but less than ten sessions. I fell on the last hard move too many times and I'm happy that I could finally finish it.

What are your plans and goals for 2022?
My main goal will definitely be competitions but it would be nice to send some hard routes in rock too.

How much and how do you train?
Now it is preparation season so we train quite a lot in order to be ready when comps will start. We have a lot of team training and I love it. I train like 5-6 days/week and have 1 or 2 sesh/day. We have 1 or 2 team training a week. I'm in a sports class so it is a little bit easier to coordinate with training.

Fanatic Climbing reports with an interview that Théo Chappex, who turns 40 within a month, has made the FA of Ten Criminals in Valais. In 2018, he opened his first 8C and also started projecting his second which took him some 40-50 sessions. The line is 16 moves long and starts sitting with an 8A+/B sequence followed by an 8B without transition and the end shares the last moves with an 8B+ which he did in 2016. (c) Marie Dorsaz

"Sometimes I was fed up with these movements that I knew by heart, but I had invested too much time to give up… Then finally the motivation returned, with better physical shape, and it finally worked! I suspect that the arrival of a Moonboard at home has something to do with it… During the first session this season I felt that I was more powerful in the cruxs and that gave me confidence."