Pepa Šindel, with previously a dozen routes 9a and beyond to his name, has done the first ascent of Harmatanec (9a) in Harmanec Krpcovo. ” A very interesting, mysterious and hard bouldery route, bolted by Kubo Šuhajda starting with an easy slabby 7- that turns left just before the breathtaking roof above you. This overhang is the hardest part of the route. 9 moves on super small holds including a super big span from a shitty 2 finger pocket.

However, Harmatanec is not only about the difficulty of the crux, but also about the mental block, because the quickdraws cannot be clipped in the entire length of the crux and you are falling into the slab below you. The only place where the quickdraw can be clipped is in the sketchy kneebar upside down where the boulder Is finnished but if you fall while clipping, you are cooked🥀

Fortunately, when I got there, I was in autopilot mode and pulled throught. The kneebar is followed by another few moves of hard climbing and then comes a good rest. After that comes a long endurance 8a+ in which I fought for my life. Although I think it’s soft 9a, but still it could be 9a. In any case it is an amazing route.”

Clément Lechaptois, with a dozen 8C’s and beyond under his belt, has completed Power of now direct (8C) in Magic Wood. The last holds are 150 cm apart, so at 170 cm the French climber really had to stretch for it. (c) Nina Arthaud

Can you tell us more about the ascent, your tactics behind doing the big dyno and your ape index?
I didn’t have any special tactics. My arm span is 181cm. So I am pretty lucky I would say! I just remember that I tried the boulder maybe 4 or 5 years and it seemed too reachy back then. Maybe I just wasn’t strong enough. The boulder is just so nice and pure that I wanted to try once again and see if I could have a chance.

Suprisingly I did all the moves quickly this time. The problem for me was to be fresh enough for the last move coming from the bottom.

Session after session I felt better on the intro. I sent it on my second or 3rd try on session 4.

What are your autumn plans?
Nothing sure yet! Maybe try a bit Solitary daze low, if the conditions are good. But I am thinking about going to Japan. Otherwise Ticino is always a good option! Still undecided :)

Haruki Uemura has completed Pornographie (9a) in Céüse after five days of projecting. The Japanese climber won gold at the Youth World Championships in 2021 and, two years later, reached the finals in Briançon. (c) Sam M.S. - Sichert Media Solutions

What is your climbing background?
I started climbing at age five and begun competing at ten. I’m 21 now so I have been competing for a long time, but starting this year, I’m focusing on rock climbing.

Did you send any other routes during your trip?
Nothing! Pockets are my weakness, so Céüse feels really tough for me.

What is your next plan?
I’m planning to challenge some hard routes on Japanese rock.

Alex Megos, who one month ago placed 17th in the Chamonix WC, has spent the last two weeks in a mostly rainy Flatanger trying Jakob Schubert’s B.I.G. (9c). As a side project, he sent Kangaroo's Limb (9a+) before the weather forecast forced him to move. The 32-year-old has previously sent three 9b+ routes, and with his outstanding onsight ticklist, he is a strong contender, widely regarded as the second-best overall climber in the world after Adam Ondra. The double Olympian has also made around ten podiums in different World Cups and Championships. (c) Mark Postle

Can you tell us more about the trip and the side project ascents?
Yeah it's been tough the last couple of weeks with the weather... I tried Kangaroos briefly last year (for 5min) and didn't want to get into it. This year I thought it's smart to not only try one thing so I opened a couple of side projects. One was Kangaroos Limb, which was nice to try, because it's the only short hard route in the cave 😅😂

So for the last 10 days I tried Kangaroos maybe 3-4 days for a coupe of times in the evening until it happened two days ago.

Where did you move to escape the rain and how long do you plan to stay in Norway?
We are in Trondheim right now. Hell is great!! 😍 I love it there. I don't have an open end trip so I only have about 2 more weeks.

Can you tell us more about the progress on the 9c project?
I could try BIG a few times in the last couple of weeks, but not as much as I would have wanted to. It's an incredible route! Ready good moves and very fun. It's very hard too. It'll need a lot more time and work for me, especially all the kneebar rests 😬

Andy Lamb, with four 8C+’ to his name, has completed Monkey Wedding (8C) as well as flashed Moon shadow (8B) and The Guest List (8B) in Rocklands.

Can you tell us more about your trip?
South Africa was great! I was only there 3 weeks, but got to do a ton of lines I wanted to try. Still a ton of climbs I didn't get to try like Amandla (8B+) (skin didn't feel good enough at the end of the trip) and Speed of Sound (8B+)(closed this year). Definitely want to come back next summer to get on these and maybe start the process on some bigger projects.

What is next?
I'll be at home for the next few months, got a few projects I'm psyched to finish up. Then will hopefully do a Switzerland and / or Font trip this winter.

Lilli Kiesgen has had some great days in Gottardo, flashing Scary Christmas (8A) and redpointing The Witch (8B) (personal 8A+ grade) as well as Kingda Ka (8B). ”Really liked it! The movements around the Undercling depends on ones height. The taller you are the easyer it gets. For 1,65m it feels like 8B. Oh and really hard for the shoes - needed two pairs.”

Can you tell us more about the trip and explain the shoe issuse?
I flashed the 8A first day of the trip. I didn’t really plan to do a flash try, but when I saw the boulder I thought it might suit my style really well - a Mantle followed by some small crimps and small foothold. In the climb I had no expectations and improvised at the top Sequence so I was surprised when I stood on top of the boulder😅.

I also had my first session on Kingda Ka later that day. It felt possible, but I couldn’t figure out one of the last moves at the top. When you are small it’s hard to bring the body high enough to use the Undercling. This particular move can change the difficulty of the Boulder a lot depending on your hight. Another problem for me was, that one foothold was so sharp, that it made a hole in the sole of my shoe. So I had to change the shoes a lot. I didn’t wanted to focus on just one boulder, so I also tried the Witch. Lucia and I tried it together and figured out a good beta for our hight.

On the last day I wanted to try both boulders, in the morning I went to the Witch and could climb it in the first go of the day- but unfortunately I dabbed the pad… Afterwards I got stressed and it took me quite some tries to get it done. In the afternoon we went to Kingda Ka. It felt hard that day, so I started to change my shoes again. Two pairs of Solutions got destroyed on the way which made it not only a physical but also a financial challenge for me 😂 I changed between different shoes forth and back and eventually it somehow worked out and I sent my first 8B.

Brooke Raboutou, who this spring became the first female to send an 9b+ by doing Excalibur, reports on Instagram that she has done Pornographie (9a) in Céüse.

”This time, I had a different plan. I didn’t want to get stuck only on Biographie. I wanted to explore new routes and taste the variety this cliff has to offer. I was psyched to send “Pornographie” pretty quickly and get to play on some bigger dream lines. But eventually, Biographie pulled me back in. Along with it came that familiar cycle of hope and heartbreak that comes from putting your all into a project.”

Brooke, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, is equally distinguished for her remarkable bouldering achievements, which include multiple 8B+ ascents, an 8C, and an 8A+ flash.

Satone Yoshida, runner-up in the World Cup before the last event in Slovenia in three weeks, has signed up to Vertical-Life by logging Biographie (9a+) in Céüse. The hardest routes the 21-year-old had previously done were two 8c+’s, also during this trip. (c) Sam M.S. - Sichert Media Solutions

”It’s a legendary line, I can’t find the best word to explain this feeling for now. The crux move was okay for me, but I fell 3 times right after passed crux to reach the big jug. It’s not a one move hard route.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and going rock climbing just before the last WC?
At this timing, with the last World Cup Koper in early September and the World Championships in Seoul ahead, taking on a two-week trip to Ceüse was a pretty risky challenge for me. Since everyone’s focused on training for coming comps, when I mentioned this plan, the reactions weren’t too positive.

But I believed that sending Biographie, this special line that’s been on my mind since last year, would give me extra momentum heading into the comps!

Of course, it didn’t all go as planned. On the #session2 , I linked it with just one take and on the #session3 , I passed the crux from the bottom. But then the nightmare started It got super hot🥵, storm with lightning rolled in⛈️, some days I couldn’t give a try properly, when I finally felt good, I’d fall just passed the crux, I kept getting stuck just one move away from the send…. With the last day approaching, I waited for prime conditions before sunset yesterday, and on try #13, I finally sent it!!

This line definitely made me grow as a climber. And big respect to @chris_sharma for the FA Huge thanks for supporting me through this tough challenge @ueharu__ 🤝🏻

What is your plan during this winter?
I’ll keep pushing myself on rocks! Alter the comp season though haha.

Dylan Chuat has done Move (9b) in Flatanger. Previously this summer, the 24-year-old has sent three 9a’s in the big cave and he is #4 in the ranking game. (c) Alexis Guerin

” My biggest project so far!! For the first time, I was finally able to try a hard route and go all the way through my process without injuries or setbacks! Despite bad conditions — and even days that were totally unclimbable — I managed to find the right weather windows to put in some good burns… and finally the victorious one! It was a real battle, with so much support behind me, and in the end a pure and unique climbing moment. I’m super happy that Move became my first at this grade — it’s definitely not known as the easiest 😈! Honestly, it felt much harder than its neighbor Change (same grade), which I got to check out once during a heatwave. Can’t wait to come back and try more lines in the cave!”