Adam Ondra started to experiment with structured and peak optimization training in 2011. During the last three years he has been working together with Patxi Usobiaga and his PUC training concept. Interestingly, this training concept includes no real periodization but instead it is ongoing mix of power and endurance in combination with micro-preparations before realizing his goals. The reasons for this are that it is more fun and less hard for the head. (c) Javi Pec Please explain your focus in 2016 and the PUC training concept? I definitely do not want to to make the whole World cup circuit. I want to feel more like a rock climber. At the same, I want to test how PUC training works for climbing outdoors. If I will pick a few WC stages, time will tell. PUC training is quite simple. Training hard and smart at the same time, towards my goal. Periods of hard training and switching to the periods of realizing my goals. Periodization might be annoying sometimes, but for getting the shape to realize my dreams it is worth it! I love the feeling when I feel strong, weightless and smooth. How much training and which type are we talking about? Well, I usually train something like six days a week, doing campus board and bouldering every day (doing power-based campus board every even day, power endurance campus every odd day), and adding some specific training on rings and TRX every second day and endurance based climbing every second day. Just before realizing my goals, I train two days in a row and one day rest, sometimes only one climbing day. In these days, I usually do very short campus session in the morning and some super hard routes/circuits, with long rests in between and in between 2 and 4 hard routes, excluding the warm ups. Training might not be as hard it was in the last two years when I worked hard for the competitions. We keep experimenting and always trying to find the new and unconventional ways of training. But it is possibly smarter than in the last two years and more specific towards my outdoor goals which are mostly in Flatanger this summer. Is not periodization more like doing four-six weeks blocks? The length of the training period vary, and it is definitely not for the 18 weeks straight. That might be the efficient in theory, but very hard for the head. It is more fun to make the training periods a bit shorter. I do endurance period only at the very beginning of the season, or for no more than one week during the season, in case I happen to have longer period of training. But even in the endurance period, I boulder a little bit, to keep it more fun and not to go too low with the power. The power period is something most of the time when I train and it is what I explained. But it is not power only. I add power endurance (or endurance, the border is sometimes unclear). From my experience, if I do not get pumped for a long time, my ability to climb power endurance or endurance route deteriorates a lot. And then power endurance period (just before realization of my goals) is about doing hard routes, but I still put a little bit of campus to increase my power at the same time.

above innsbruck´s rooftops from Triple M Production on Vimeo.

More than 7 000 climbers from 60 climbing gyms in six countries have participated in the HardMoves qualifications. The final will take place on Saturday in Wuppertal, where 26 gyms and their teams of ten will be trying to qualify to the super final for six teams and six climbers. The super final will be streamed live and is going to take place over a swimming pool in front of 1 600 spectators. The line-up is very impressive indeed and Adam Ondra is participating for Klättercentret in Stockholm. Jan Hojer and Jule Wurm are participating for Chimpanzodrome/Boulderplanet.

Jan hojer and James Webb have done a double flash ascent of Quoi de neuf acte 2 in Fontainbleau giving it a personal grade of 8A+. The boulder was set up by Jacky Godoffe as an 8B but later suggestions of upgrading to 8B/+ have been put forward. James (184 cm) is by far the best flash boulderer in the world with 39 flashes 8A+ and harder, frequent using personal grades. Jan (187 cm) is the best flash boulderer in world-class competitions. Last year he won the European Championship and was #2 in the World Cup.

Font februar from Steffen Breivik on Vimeo.

David Fitzgerald started climbing in 2012. 2.5 years later he did his first 8A and now he has done his first 8B+, Soul Revolution SS in Glenmalure, Ireland. "All of the good aspects of bouldering rolled into one - the full package. I will never get tired of that spot high up in the hills, far away from everything. A dream come true."The picture is from Wonderland 8B in Glendalough, which he did on the same day. "I’ve spent the last four years exploring the bouldering in Ireland, and although the quantity of established areas and lines aren’t large, they make up for it in quality. There is so much untapped potential here on this small island that I feel we’ll never discover all of it. I'm always in search of that next great boulder and I'm aware that Ireland’s Chironico could be no more than an hour's drive away... In the Wicklow area, Michael Duffy has dedicated himself to establishing some of the best lines that I’ve ever laid eyes upon, including Wonderland (8B) in Glendalough and Soul Revolution (8B+) in Glenmalure. The lines that he has established have led to some of my most cherished memories and I still have a mountain of them to climb."