Elan Jonas McRae, who was #12 in the Arco World Cup in 2017, has done his first 9a+, Sacrifice in Echo Canyon. It was bolted by Evan Hau who got the first repeat this summer after Adam Ondra's FA in 2018.

"The route has a lot of subtle complexities and for me, the easiest part was actually climbing it. It is always wet in the bottom crux so it’s necessary to dry the holds before each attempt and often times it’s just too wet to climb. It is also a big commitment just getting to the cliff as it is straight up a mountain for 75 minutes. I started working the route last summer and put in about 2 weeks of effort before injuring my knee on a heal hook down low on the route. My first few sessions were with Evan Hau and he really helped me get psyched to try it early on. The route was very wet last season however so most days were just spent trying the dry different holds.

This year, I avoided Sacrifice for most of the summer in order to avoid re-injuring my knee but was eventually drawn back in. Progress was quick and I sent it after a few days! On the day I climbed it, the route was the most wet it’s been all season after a heavy rain storm."

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has done the FA of Las meninas R2 9a+/b in Rodellar. It is an extension to a 9a+ FA he did two weeks ago. In total, the 20-year-old has now done 29 routes 9a and harder which put him close to the All Time Top-10 list. In the 8a ranking game, based on his ascents the last twelve months, he is #1.

Jana Vincourkova has done her second 8B, Rustam Direct in Holstejn. In total, the Czech has done eleven boulders 8A and harder since May. More pics on Insta and here is the video.

Noteworthy is that Jana restarted climbing 20 months ago after a two years break. "I started with climbing when I was about 6-7 years old and from the beginning, I trained too much. After a few years, it wasn't even fun for me with all the training, competitions, stress, no fun so I stopped climbing. I also didn’t have any climbing partners or some climbing group and it just didn’t make me happy. I knew I would get back to it, with an open mind and without putting any stress on my shoulders simply by climbing, the things that I like the most. Now I have a boyfriend who climbs really hard so I try to climb on the same level and at the same time, he knows how to keep me psyched for training because I do not like the “boring” routines of dead hangs, pullups, campusing and so on. I would rather just climb,😁."

Marine Thevenet has during the last two weeks in Gottardopass done five boulders 8A to 8B including Dulcifer sit 8A+ in the picture by Clement Lechaptois (who did Hazel Grace 8B+). In total, the #7 in the World Cup in 2014, has now done some 50 boulders 8A and harder out of which half during the last 18 months.

"This boulder is a truly beauty! The sit begins with a little compression and then you have to follow the ramp until a big jug at the top. I did it in the day, last week. I sent the stand and then I crushed the sit start. I am very grateful for all the climbers that opened and keep opening those beautiful boulders ; especially the Cameroni's family. There was a really good atmosphere at the foot of the boulder, with Clément Lechaptois, Guiliano Cameroni and Sophie, Jules Nicouleau and Alice Garnier, conducive to a lot of achievements."

Dylan Chuat has done Cabane au Canada in Rawyl 9a (8c+) commenting on Insta, "Really happy to have clipped the chains of this magnificent and incredible route. This line was initially 9a, but 8c+ seems more correct to me. The route is very pumpy with very beautiful sections and a hard crux right below the relay."

The 19-year-old was prior to Covid-19 mainly a competition climber and he is the Lead and Boulder vice champion in Switzerland. In May he did his first 8A+ and later he has done up to 8C. Last week he did his first 9a and he was #9 in the Austria Climbing Series.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo, #1 in the ranking game, has done the FA of two hard core routes in Rodellar.
Las Meninas 9a/+: "Super line of pure resistence bolted by Gonzalo Larroccha!" (c) Carlos Padilla
La menina sixtina R2 9a: "Super nice! How cool and very logical! Endurance and a very tricky final stretch. 9a easy?"

In total the 20-year-old has done 27 routes 9a to 9b out of which 12 the last 12 months.

Emilie Pellerin, who previously has done an 8b trad, reports on Insta that she has done La Zébrée 8b+ trad in Val-David. (c) Witek Slusarczyk

”It took me 5 days this year plus maybe 3 attempts through the years. I was super close to sending it a month ago when I left to Squamish (for a guide's course), but failed by the bottom 1.5 meters (just barely didn't do it from the start). I had it in mind the whole time I was out there, and came back here for the send. This was my first attempt since I came back. I aid up to try to dry it (with not much success), tried none of the moves. Then decided to give it a go it even though it seemed impossible to climb it in these conditions. And I did it! There were sponges and rugs blocking some of my hand holds, I slid off foot holds and hand holds, it was very aquatic. As for the gear, I placed all the gear on the way up. I stepped in the route to place the first piece, which is the one that guys place from the ground.”

Marcello Bombardi, who won one World Cup in 2017, has started his Flatanger trip by two 8c flashes, Muy Verdes and Nordic Plumber as well as redpointing The Illusionist 9a. "Such a good line! I was at my max limit reaching the holds in three moves but somehow managed to hold on. Such a good fight not to fall!" (c) Stefano Ghisolfi

"In Nordic plumber I had a really huge fight! I knew the first part quite well by seing and belaying the other guys the days before and I executed it quite easily. On the second part, after the chain, I was half flash and half onsight. I've got pumped from head to feet but somehow I managed to recover well on the resting points and hold on till the chain. For Muy Verdes it was a bit easier since you can see all the route close from the ground. I watched Stefano Ghisolfi climbing it the day before and then Stefano Carnati and Luca Bana told me the beta."