Mishka Ishi has repeated Dai Koyamada's 8C Byaku-dou in Horai, after some days 20 projecting it during one year. This means she has set a new world standard for 13 year old's. It is a 25 move roof which has been done once before. Mishka is the second female to have done an 8C after Ashima Shirishi who did Horizon at age 14. She begun climbing being 6 years old and later her mother has started to climb. Previously she has done four 8B's and Nyu-Metsu 8B+ so her ticklist puts her among the very best. No hard routes yet but she is trying an 8b+. "I have no trainer. I think and act by myself. It is so much fun but there is always someone who takes me to the rock and he is Jun Shibanuma. He travels to all parts of the globe and he is a wonderful climber. He talks about the rocks in the world and to tell the truth I had him interpret for me. I am learning English."

Vladislav Shevchenko, who did his first 8c+ at age 16, has done his first 9a, Max Factor in Bahchisaraj after four days of projecting. In 2017, he won the European Youth Cup and last year he was #45 in the WCH in Innsbruck. "This year I plan to play in World Cups in Villars, Chamonix, Kranj and World Cups in China. In the autumn I want to go to Spain and try to get through there a few more tracks of category 9a and 9a+."

Miho Nonaka, who has been injured, did her first WC start in the Speed event in Wujiang and set a new personal best at 8.90. The second best non-Speed specialist* was Elena Krasovskaya at 9.10. Most of the big names were around 10 - 12 seconds, including Janja Garnbret at 11.12 probably due to a slip as she did 9.46 last weekend. Among the male, Kokoro Fujii was second fastest among the non-Speed specialist at 6.64 only beaten by Mickael Mawem at 6.57. Third was last weekend's bouldering winner Manuel Cornu at 6.75. Another eight male did go under 7.3 and below so the field is tightening up. Complete results *Only counting the ones frequently in semis in Bouldering and Lead. (c) Eddie Fowke

Daniel Jung, who previously has done three 9a+', has just published some news about his FA of Karamba Karacho 9a Phantasialand on his Insta. It is a link up of an originally 9a and 8c which he both downgraded after the full line was done. (c) Hannes Kutza "Karamba Karacho is a limestone roof on a small local rock. Nearly 50 powerfull moves on pinches crimps and pockets. It was a hard project physically and mentally challenging. I needed a lot of patience, because most of the time the rock was wet. It took me 3 years to finish the first part „Karamba“ in 2011. I would need at least 6 crashpads, they had to be moved 3 times during my rest position. Sometime I only could train on a few moves because most of the holds were wet. I didn't want to break hold in the wet conditions. Some holds were ok to climb on wet conditions. A few weeks after I send „Karamba“ I was lucky to send „Karacho“ as well. „Karacho“ starts where „Karamba“ ends. To send the whole line was a big project for me since then. Sadly the rock was unclimbable wet most times I visited the crack during the last years. After the very dry summer the project became very interesting again last year. The rock was in perfect conditions. That made a big difference. During my sends 2011 the crux holds were humid all the time. With dry holds it felt much easier, so I was back into „Karamba“ very quick. But I had problems on the second part „Karacho“. I wasn't able to reclimb it, it felt too hard. After lots of checking out I found a tricky new beta, with a hook I was able to do a long move and skipped the two worst crux holds. That was key so I finally could send „Karamba Karacho“. The beautiful line that I had in my mind since such a long time. For me it's important to mention that I didn't use a hammer or any tools to „clean/create“ the line. I only cleaned it with a plastic brush. I didn't used any sika. The rock was very sharp, but it's a part of the game, I payed it with a bit of pain and blood. It was worth it: I did a real free climb. It is very sad that I have to mention this, usually I should be the standard. But sadly lots of modern routes, even some of the hardest have artificial holds (drilled pockets, molded sika...). Please remember what free climbing is about: climbing without any artificial help."

Caroline Sinno, who previously has done three 8B traverses in Font, has done the FA of L'Insoutenable légèreté de l'autre, which was 8B before break in 2009. Then Nalle Hukkataival repeated it in 2011. "First ascent after the key undercling broke. 8B+ now?". Later one more important break before Caroline did a new FA after two months projecting it, including finding beta and giving it some 20 good tries. (c) Max Loison - (Check out the power in that three finger open crimp in a roof standing on very small foot holds!) "I cannot really tell how much harder it is because I didn’t try it back then but I guess it’s a lot harder and trickier because instead of changing hand on the lip of the arete you have to aim at a crack and change hands. It is weird as you cannot hold with all of your fingers because there is not enough space." It should be noted that Charles Albert has opened a more straight finish giving it 8B+, finishing in a harder mantle but less moves. "I can’t say my version is now 8B+ but it’s a solid 8B. I think it is harder than New Base Line, the only 8B+ I have experience off but Font standards are different."

Janja Garnbret, the Boulder WCH in 2018, got her fifth straight Boulder WC victory in Chongqing by winning all three rounds. Among the male, Manuel Cornu, #3 in the WCH in 2016, got his first WC win but it was a very close call as he won over Tomoa Narasaki with just one attempt to the zone. Further more, Tomoa made a false start on boulder #3. Add to that, Manuel was the last guy to qualify to the semifinal Top-20 by one attempt to the top. Adam Ondra still leads the WC even if he could not compete in China due to being sick. 1. Janja Garnbret SLO 44 - Manuel Cornu FRA 34 2. Akiyo Noguchi JPN 44 - Tomoa Narasaki JPN 34 3. Jessica Pilz AUT 34 - Anze Peharc SLO 34 Complete results

Piotr Schab, who just the last year has done four 9a+', has done his first 9b Fight or Flight in Oliana. In the 8a ranking game, the Pole has been runner up after Adam Ondra for more than a year. (c) Wojtek Kozakiewicz "It means a lot. 9b was a dream and Fight or Flight was a real challenge. I’ve never climbed such an intense route, usually my hardest climbs were long and endurance - styled. I had to adapt to a faster style of climbing and take more risks than ever, but it was a great game. It took me 22 days in total, out of which 15 in 2018. Still have two more weeks in here so I hope to use them well and choose some projects for the upcoming trips."