Clay Gordon reports on Insta that he has sent in different days but in one session, two 8B's in Bishop, Spectre and Buttermilker. He also did The Mystery 8A+ and Evilution Direct 8A. Pic from Spectre, © Michael Pang Clay was 4th at the Youth World Championships in 2016 and four times he has been the national champion in USA.

Alex Totkova, who is #9 in the 8a ranking game, has done her first 8c, Goofy in Leonidio. "Cool route is Goofy. It starts with less difficult movements. You can squeeze your knees twice. Passage is the transfer from one route to the other. Then go on 8a+." Alex compared her previous achievement, a route called "4x4" at the home crag Vratsa 8b+, as "The cruxes at Groofy were riskier. Now I would try something harder"."

Marcello Bombardi, winner of the Chamonix Lead WC in 2017, has done Estato Critico 9a (8c+) and L'odi Social 8c+ in Siurana. (c) Elisa Negro "They took me two days each, five attempts for Estado Critico and seven for L'odi social. In 2019 I will focus on the competition and especially on the combined, trying to get a pass for Tokyo 2020. It would be a dream to qualify for the Olympics."

Oriane Bertone continues her rampage in Rocklands by doing Law and order 8A+, Pendragon 8A and onsighting Tail of a Caracal giving it a personal 8A grade. To make it even more impressive, the daily max temperature have reached 35 degrees the last days. "Cool traverse, called 8A+ on the topo. I felt it 8A soft (à single hard move at the beginning). May be 7C+ in comparison with Atomic Playboy in Font, that I climbed in october. Very happy to send onsight this crimpy traverse." In total, the 13 year old has done 36 boulders 8A to 8B+ out of which half the last year. The video shows her amazing spider women technique with the feet sometimes like 1 meter above her head! Truly amazing!

Laura Rogora, who did her first 9a when she was 14 years old, has done her fifth, Esclatamasters in Perles. It was put up by Ramon Julian Puigblanque in 2007 and we have seen some 8c+ suggestions but then a hold broke in 2015 and the 9a grade has been confirmed again. (c) Marco Lacono The 17 year old has been a successfull competition climber for several years and in 2017, she was #6 in the European Championship and also #6 in a World Cup. Last year, she won all three European Lead Youth Cups she entered as well as the Youth Worlds in Bouldering.

Jakub Konečný, #6 in the Lead WCH in Innsbruck, reports on Insta that he finished off 2018 by doing Catxasa 9a+ in Santa Linya. This means he has done four 9a or harder just the last two weeks. (c) Vojta Vrzba "Last possible try of the day, last climb of this year. I’m glad to finish this already great season by clipping the chain of my dream route."