Oriane Bertone, who has done eleven 8A's previously, has done Fragile Steps 8B in Rocklands. On the five meter long very steep problem, the 11-year-old finishes of with two heel hooks high above her head. To make it even more impressive, Oriane did it in just five hot sessions, the last out of which was the coldest with "just" 25 degrees. Video including also an 8A.

Jedenásťročná Oriane Bertone, ktorá má na konte už jedenásť bouldrov 8A, preliezla Fragile Steps 8B v juhoafrickom Rocklands. Na konci tohto päťmetrového, poriadne previsnutého bouldra Oriane končila s dvoma pätami vysoko nad hlavou. Jej prelez je o to hodnotnejší, že boulder liezla počas piatich horúcich návštev, pričom pri tej poslednej, najchladnejšej náštee bola teplota "mrazivých" 25 stupňov. Hold, juhoafrické leto. Video spolu s prelezom ďalšieho 8A.

In sport climbing, compared to most other sports, there are few written rules and rare use of referees. Instead, the climbing community creates and circulates their own Practice & Ethics. Beginners sometimes struggle to understand what "normal" behaviour is, what is allowed and what not. Over time, the general procedure has been modified and in different subcultures different ethics apply. Here is what 8a thinks about Practice and Ethics in Climbing.

V porovnaní s inými športami je v športovom lezení len málo spísaných pravidiel a rozhodcovia sa používajú len pri oficiálnych súťažiach na umelých stenách. Namiesto toho si lezecká komunita sama vytvára pravidlá správania sa a etiku. Začiatočníci však často nevedia, ako sa majú "normálne" správať, čo sa smie a čo nie je dovolené. Postupom času sa pravidlá vyvíjali a v rôznych krajinách a sub-kultúrach sa vyvinuli rozličné spôsoby správania sa pri lezení. Tu je čo si 8a myslí o lezeckej etike. Autor: Jens Larssen

Ruben Firnenburg, #3 in the Combined Youth World Championship, has done Analogica Natural 9a in Santa Linya. (c) Hannes Puman "Actually I chose Analogica to train for Seleccio, but I was suprised by its quality. The style suited me very well and with two hard crimpy cruxes in the first half the sequences were also similar to Seleccio. The big difference to Seleccio is that Analogica has a better rest making it a rather soft 9a."

Djdieifjrj Djdueirur started climbing when he was 27 years old and now, ten years later, he has done his first 8C, Soyuz Low in Zarzalejo. To make the story even more amazing, he only climbs a couple of days a week. " I think the key is motivation. Do not expect results but enjoy each problem. Not being afraid of failure is the best of success. I don't really training. If I'm not too tired from my job, occasionally I go to gym to do dead hangs and propose difficult problems and solve them, I rarely get it."

Jakob Schubert, one of the very best competition climbers of the last five years, reports on Instagram that he has done Joe Mama 9a+ in Oliana. In November he fell on the last move but this trip he just warmed up once and did it on his second try. (c) Elias Holzknecht "I have been doing only bouldering and power training in december and was a little worried about my endurance but once again I saw how much such training even helps on endurance monsters."