Charles Albert, who has been Bouldering barefoot in Fontainebleau for the last four years, has done the FA of The Wagon Wheel in Petit Bois, after five sessions of projecting. Previously, "Mowgli" has done a couple of 8B+'s, including the FA of Le Pied à Coulisse - Direct, which actually is not possible with your shoes on. "I really don't know if it's easier with shoes because the main foothold is a non existent sloopy thing so it's hard to imagine the friction of the rubber with the shape of the shoe. I should try it with shoes compare in details but I'm too lazy for that." Interested in getting a shoe sponsor and what are you planning next? No, the only thing I could do with them would be to sell it on Ebay. I have some other lines to open and then Melloblocco and maybe some repeats.

Michaela Kiersch has had an amazing weekend in Red River Gorge, where she started up with the ascent of her first 8c, Thanatopsis and later did Pure Imagination 8c+, which originally was a 9a. (c) Kevin McNally "I am really excited. I had tried Pure Imagination a few times before this season, but never really dedicated myself to it for the send. Really happy to get it with my second weekend of work. I'm honestly a bit surprised that I had this much success so fast in the season, so now I can have a bit of fun and climb a whole bunch of new routes to look for a project! Maybe Lucifer, maybe 50 words for pump... Maybe the Golden Ticket!!! Then I am competing in the vail World Cup in June" How have you been training lately? Mainly climbing outside on the weekends and gym sessions in the week. I have been doing a bit of campusing and one arm dead hangs.

Fedir Samoilov who last year won one Euro Youth Cup in Lead and who in 2016, has done his first two 8c+', steps up one more grade by doing Martin Krpan 9a in Osp/Misja Pec. "It was the third day of climbing and I did not have a lot of power. I barely were able to get through it and it was good warm weather. Many thanks to my trainer Artur Pechii. I still have a 9a project in Santa Linya and we are planning also to go to Arco in the near future. Picture from Ucrclimbing who says this is the first Ukrainian 9a.

Mateusz Haładaj continues to progress and goes to #8 in the 8a ranking game with his second 9a+ done during the last year, First Ley in Margalef. "HELL YES! The best sequence I’ve tried on rock. Was dreaming about this awkward tufas since I saw Chris on it several years ago. First Ley goes left just before the last crux of FRFM 9b, now psyched to try the original finish in winter!"

Hernan Garcia, who started climbing in 2004 when he was 22 years old, has done his first 9a, Fuck the system in Santa Linya. (c) Henning Wang "I started to try the route one year ago after I had sent Digital System but not seriously. It was in January 2016 that it got seriously and thanks to the advises from Diego Marsella that I could link all the moves. It was a nice experience when I saw a few strong climbers like Domen Skofic send the route very fast and I got extra motivation. Finally yesterday I was able to send it on my second go despite the hot conditions, Now the motivation is high to try some new project in the Santa Linya cave."

Stefano Ghisolfi, who did a 9b FA last year as well as being #9 in the Led World Cup has done Goldrake 9a+ in Cornalba. "Had some problem with the top slab, but did it in 4 days! Really nice route, sharp for the skin." © Enrico Veronese So what is your plan, ambition for 2016 and how do you prepare for this? I think I'm going to try some projects in Italy and then compete in lead world cups. My ambition is always the podium. But I'd like to be more regularly. My trainer Roberto Bagnoli trains me with a strict program, power, power endurance and endurance in the last months. But my passion for rock is too strong that I need to climb outside once a week at least.

Fontainebleau • Extra Five from Eliot Stephens on Vimeo.

Bouldering Puerto Rico // Yabucoa from Cold House Media on Vimeo.