Bernd Zangerl, one of the hardcore boulder pioneers, especially in Magic Wood, has done yet a new FA, Grenzenlose in Valle dell'Orco. No suggested FA grade but as it took him quite a while it should be at least 8b trad. More info to come. (c) Jacopo Larcher

"I could have built a landing zone or organized 10 crash pads that have now become "the norm", but I'm not friends with these trends. Adapting the challenge to a personal comfort zone would have made the first ascent easier and more quicker for sure. But, isn`t mother nature the director and sets the level of challenge for us, also in terms of protection? Physically I knew straight away that I can do this project, the crux was the mind. I prefer to work alone or with my best friend on mental physical challenges like this. I am oldschool, but choosing the longer way also means a more intense examination of the project." Full story

Kim Marschner, who did his first 9a this summer, has done the Dreamtime in Cresciano. The classical Fred Nicole test-piece put up in 2001 as the first 8C in the world but it was later considered 8B+ until a hold broke down. "Such a classic! 8B+, 8C I can't tell. Maybe low end 8C. The left heel hook drove me crazy. Needed one lucky Go where the hook stuck and I climbed it to the end in my third session. Did the far lock off from the crimp." Video on his Insta.

Yesterday, Marscher was in German television in the Nina final where he was runner up after Alex Wurm, meaning he also lost Euro 25 000 in prize money.

"I started Ninja because of Moritz Hans. He was also a comp climber until he retired three years ago. He asked me to join his team at Team Ninja Warrior two years ago. In the same year, I also competed for the first time at the normal Ninja Warrior Germany and became second after Alex Wurm. Last year I injured my foot by trying the Mega Wall. It is 5,5m high and I slipped off the lip and fell all the way down. So I finished the stage and also the next stage on the same day but the next day I went to the doctor and he said I have a torn ligament. So I couldn’t keep on.

This year I made it safely through the qualification and semis. In qually there was the power tower for the first time. The two fastest from every qualification (there where 6 qually's) competed against each other in that power tower. The one who was faster was straight in finals and won 5000€. I won. So in finals I started and came the furthest but there where still three to come. I fell at the last obstacle the flying bar before the mount Midori Yama. So Alex was the last to come and made it one jump further than me so I became second again. No money for the second place. First got 25.000€"

Nicolai Užnik, who won a Bouldering Euro Youth Cup in 2019, has done his first 8C, Bügeleisen sit in Maltatal. The classical line has an 8B+ stand start that was put up by Klem Loskot in 2001.

”You climb 3-4 moves until you‘re in the stand start position. The moves are not really hard (7B+ish) but you get tired, so obviously it makes it a lot more difficult to climb the whole boulder from the sit. (about 12 moves in total) I started trying the sit start this summer where conditions weren’t the best but then it was wet almost the whole fall. So now was the first time after a few months that I got to try it and I sent it in my first go of the day. So psyched!”

How did you warm and keep warm during the send?
I had a self-made fingerboard and I tried to do a few single moves to kinda get warm. The go where I sent it was actually the „warm-up go“ 😅 At the two crimps just before jumping out to the edge, my fingers were so cold that I didn’t feel anything.

Christian Bindhammer, who did his last out 14 8c+/9a and harder in 2012, has done his second 8c+ in 2020, Perfect Link in Pinswang-Schloss. The 44-year-old was one of the best competition climber in the world in between 1997 and 2005. He is working as an IFSC route setter so he has had more time going outdoors creating a nice peak in 2020. (c) Dominik Bösch All together a quite "complete" climb, as holds are also quite mixed up from supersmall crimps to slopers and some pockets climbing meters around 30 to 35m Was already close last year but as it is a winter area, you have to wait for cold but sunny days. Did several 8c‘s this year - much easier - so the route could check in with 8c+ in my opinion. ...and as it‘s another lockdown here - I had a bit more time than normal for climbing😉😁 which makes it a lot easier to try hard when conditions are good.