BJ Tilden, who previously has put up some 30 routes 8c+ and beyond, has done the first ascent of Show Your Teeth (9a) in Wolf Point. (c) Matt Pincus

Can you tell us more about the process behind the FA?
I bolted this route last summer. I tried it a few days in the fall to get the beta sorted but didn’t go too deep on it. I knew it was really good and I was super psyched to focus on it this spring. The bottom of the route is a 30 move sprint right from the ground, then a good rest and a pumpy 8b to finish. The white panel climbing is some of the best at the cliff. It came together after eleven days of effort this spring.

Enrique Beltrán Blasco, with eight 9a’s under his belt, has done Patanics (9a+) in Rodellar, giving it a personal 9a grade. (c) Álvaro la fuente

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
After finishing the season in Margalef, I visited my hometown to see my family and friends. My body and mind urged me to return to Rodella to try Patanics. In total, it took five weeks of work. I was very close to achieving it in the second week, but the conditions weren’t the best. It took me another three weeks until I woke up at 4:00 a.m. and found the perfect conditions to do it.

How come you call it 9a?
For me in terms of difficult it is similar to No pain no gain (9a+) [which he also graded 9a]. You climb more meters (around 20 more) and ends in a final 7c part. For me in it is not enough to be 9a+. It’s only a personal opinion. You know that I like graduate hard.

Jules Marchaland, #4 in the VL ranking game, has onsighted Produit de la saume (8c) in La Saume. ”Everything went perfectly, all the decisions were good. Super happy for my first 8c onsight, a soft one for sure. But psyched to have seized the chance 🥹”

Can you tell us more about the onsight?
Onsighting is often ungrateful, but yesterday everything went perfectly. I made the right decisions at the right moments, and it was great! I want to go for more onsights — it’s one of my favorite ways of climbing. To finish the session, I went for Dragée Fuca (8b+) flash, an 8c in two pitches, and I slipped at the very top 🤡. But the anchor was below, so I also flashed an 8b+.

It was a really good day in a great place — perfect to take a breath before the World Cup season :)

Alizee Dufraisse, with nine 8B’s to her name, has sent Martin Keller’s Highlander (8B+) at Sustenpass. The 37-year-old, who won bronze at the European Lead Championship and climbed her first 9a 15 years ago, completed the 8B stand start last summer and has been projecting it intensively throughout last autumn and this spring, mainly alone. In the meantime, she also completed her PhD in Sport Science.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and which was harder, Highlander or the PhD?
I first tried it in 2018 and then did the higher start last year. It’s a very long boulder where the crux comes after about 20 moves. But the PhD was harder :) You know, you work hard for six hours every day. When you go climbing, you have projects, but you don’t usually invest that much time. I'm glad the hard work paid off for the boulder as well.

The PhD thesis was a Sociological analysis investigating how climbers incorporate sport and work practices in the changing context of their sport and profession, as well as the impact of gender in these processes.

"In conclusion, we assert that the professionalization of male and female climbers in the neoliberal era is based on diverse practices, embedded with divergent values stemming from two distinct social worlds, within a context that generates multiple tensions for the athletes. Moreover, despite public policies and the initiatives undertaken by sportswomen who adopt practices aimed at promoting greater gender equality, the resistance of social actors to the destabilization of male dominance—combined with conflicting ethical perspectives on the very concept of equality—limits the possibilities for a reconfiguration of gender relations, which continue to struggle to mitigate the differential valuation of the sexes.";

"I call for the development of policies and/or initiatives, based on scientific research, aimed at promoting the inclusion and advancement of women in climbing"; "As well as initiatives, also based on research, aimed at reflecting on the development of climbing and multiple tensions and power struggles that it brings in the climbing community overall.”

Doug McConnell, who sent his first two 9a’s last year at age 42, has completed the 9a extension of La gioconda (8c) in Rodellar. ”Amazing! It doesn’t get any better than this. Gracias Primo. He said it well “40 meters of pure style”. I tried the parts of this across 4 years - each year a bit better in some weird, intangible way…this year was a surprise to feel good on it almost immediately and get it done on my 8th day this year. To have the opportunity, with decent conditions in June after I’d given it away for the season, was a treat.”

Can you tell us more about the route and how much work is behind the ascent?
La Gioconda is an amazing 40m roof bolted by “Primo” Palao in 2019. It’s an unusual style as it’s both very technical and very physical, the last 4 bolts of climbing are steeper than horizontal - you’re climbing down to the lip of the cave! The final crux involves a lot of core tension after you’ve already spent 30 minutes in the roof. The route is comprised of 2x 8c-ish pitches separated by an awkward rest. I found the second pitch much more difficult than the first, and linking it from an alternative start last year (Codigo de la Gioconda) was really taxing for me. Initially it was hard for me to even get between the bolts. The difficulty and complexity of the route was inspiring.

I spent something like 25 days on La Gioconda between 2022 and 2024 doing two parts, mostly with my friend Amos, whose help was invaluable as the route is so beta intensive. It was pleasing to only need another 8 days this year to put it all together. I was meticulous about keeping notes and videos of my beta so that each year I could add to my knowledge from the previous.

This spring being so wet in Catalunya gave me a good opportunity to train to address the physicality required in that roof. I’m not sure if that was the difference or whether just another year of steep cave climbing behind me would have been enough regardless. I was also more focussed this year, just on La Gioconda, and allowed myself shorter sessions being fresher for each.

I can’t express enough how good this route is. In fact, the climbing in el Museo sector is some of the best I’ve done anywhere, and it has a high concentration of really high quality, hard routes. I don’t really understand why it’s never busy.

Tamas Zupan, who sent his fourth 8C in March, has done the first repeat of Brain rot (8C+) in Magic Wood. ”An amazingly good boulder. Three really hard moves on crimps. One of the best crimpy, tensiony and compact boulders in the forest. Thanks to Barna Kerényi for the information and motivation for this boulder.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I had five sessions. I could try in the morning and evening because of the temperature. Three very difficult mooves on crimps. Keeping the big swing was the crux for me. After Will Bosi climbed it, Barna told me that I would be interested. I am very happy that I managed to climb it. One of the best boulder in the forest.

Why do you think you are peaking now at 37?
I did a workout in the first half of the year. 500 pull-ups every day for 1 month on a 12mm crimp. And for the next two months just campus, and campus bouldering in 60 degree overhang. I am not a very technical climber, but I like to train my finger strength. And I'm looking for crimpy bouldering. :)

Caroline Sinno, who the last 12 months has set a personal best with 31 boulders 8A to 8B, has sent Super Samson (8c) in Claret and Intercooler (8c) in Frankenjura. This was actually the 40-year-old’s first two 8c’s.

Can you tell us more about the ascents and your new focus on routes?
I really like sport climbing now! I’d like to do more of it — it’s what motivates me. I’ve spent so much time in Font, but for the first time in my life, I felt unmotivated there.

I’ve done many climbs in Font, and since I’m very small, I can’t climb all the boulders. I still have a couple of hard ones I’d like to finish, but I’m more psyched about exploring new things now.

I’m super proud of the FFA of Super Samson! It’s in Claret, an old-school cliff. The route was bouldery but also long — there’s a 7C+ boulder problem in it, and a real one at that!

I also really like Frankenjura — strength endurance is my favorite style. I’ve done Intercooler, and I almost sent another route too (I fell because my fingers were frozen!). There’s another route there I want to finish: The Sound of Silence (8c). I’m training for sport climbing this summer, probably in Frankenjura!