Owen Whaley, who had 8b+ as personal best until three months ago, has done his fist 9a, Arrested Development in Mt Charleston. (c) Chris Weidner

Congrats! What is your climbing background and what about this great peak performance? I started climbing at a very young age with my dad. We live in Las Vegas, Nevada, a great location for rock climbing. I’ve been going climbing outside most weekends for as long as I can remember and regularly spend school holidays traveling to US and European climbing destinations. I had worked my way up the grades to 5.14 (8b+) and V13 (8B). Also, I joined a team and got into competition climbing. I’ve been competing since I was 10, and my best result is 6th place for Sport at the PanAmerican Youth Climbing Championships in Ecuador in December 2019.

Usually, I train at the gym mid-week and climb outside on weekends. But recently after the competitions were canceled and school was switched to online learning due to coronavirus, my schedule allowed me to focus completely on outside climbing and I was able to tick multiple 5.14’s. I got on Arrested Development at the end of May as a side project while I worked other routes at the crag. The route fits my style perfectly, and I was able to do all of the moves by the second try. I projected it for about two weeks.

Jakob Schubert reports on Insta that he during a two day trip to Magic Wood managed to do three 8B+' including a flash of The Never Ending Story. This means the Austrian has flashed two 8B+. Adam Ondra has flashed (3), James Webb (2) and Daniel Woods, Tomoa Narasaki, and Ned Feehally have flashed one each.

”When the borders finally opened, I took the first chance to drive to Switzerland despite the really bad weather forecast. I was really motivated and convinced, we’d find some dry spots. 48h later we had successfully climbed everything that was difficult and dry. The place really plays towards my strengths and it feels like the change between indoor training and the rocks really pushes my climbing abilities.”

When it comes to competitions, the 29-year-old could be considered the best male Lead competitor in history. Two times he has won the Lead World Championship and in total 21 World Cups wins including three in Bouldering. In 2011, he won the seven straight World Cups. Outdoors, he has done 30 routes 9a to 9b+ and in Bouldering three 8C's. In other words, overall he should be considered #2 after Adam Ondra. Here is a video that sums up what Jakob did during the lockdown and until the end of May.

Max Bertone, who did his first 8c last year, has done his first 8b flash, Abregenief in St Léger. His father Stefano says that the focus right now is onsight and flash and comments. (c) Oriane Bertone

"A friend of Max (Sam Richard) was working this line. Fortunately for Max, he has the same size as him and knew all the holds and beta in detail. So Max chose to try the flash with the help of his friend Sam and managed to follow his instructions on the hard section of the route. He onsighted the easier final section after crux."

Jose Luis Palao has made the FA of the 60 meter super steep Mona Lisa integral 9a+ in Rodellar. Two weeks ago, he did it to the first L1 9a anchor and then he added 20 meters of 8b+ climbing to do the full line.

”It was a route that I started to equip in 2019. Around 15 sessions of equipping plus another 15 or 20 to send it. Many meters of hard climbing and leg pain. A great battle from start to finish! I am very happy to start this project from 0." (c) David Lopez

Eva Hammelmüller has done her fourth 8c during the last three weeks, Walhalla in Maltatal. During the same three days trip the 20-year-old also did a second go ascent of Psi 8b+ as well as two 8b's and an onsight of Himmelsleitner 8a. In the 8a ranking game, the Austrian is #3 among the female but counting only last month she is #6 also including the male.

"My plan for this summer is to climb as much outdoors as possible, and I‘ve already checked out a cool line in Ötztal (8c+) that I would love to send this summer. I also have 3 other 8c‘s in mind that I want to try!" (c) Klettermax_87

Paul Robinson, who recently did his #1 000 boulder 8A and harder, has done his 22nd 8C, Traffic in Coal Creek Bloc. "Traffic is a long boulder that does the crux of Jeremiah and then climbs right into some really small crimps and a hard shoulder move. Then around the corner and finishes on a 7A+. The whole climb is around 20 moves long andis quite pumpy. You can add in 3 more hard moves by starting on jeremiah low which is a hard project and will be a tough line when someone completes it."

Stefan Scherz, who won the Lead and Combined Euro Champ and was runner-up in Boulder last year, has done Don Pedro 8c+ in Niederthai in just two sessions.

So three 8c+'s and your first 9a since the lockdown, how was that possible?
During the lockdown, I tried to focus on doing some power and strength exercises, which helped a lot to stay fit or even become fitter. When the lockdown ended and the gym was still closed, I only had the chance to go climb outside. Since then, every time I went rock climbing I felt better and better. I’ve been rock climbing pretty much every day except 2 rest days, for 1 month straight.

What about indoors and competition training?
My first day back in the gym was at the end of May. Since then, I’ve been training a lot indoors with the national team. Yet, I try to spend as much time as I can outdoors on the rock. The first national competitions are at the beginning of June with speed and bouldering, later in August, there will be a lead comp, where I’m already looking forward to.