Michela Kiersch has done Wovenhand (8B) in Magic Wood. In just the last year, the Doctor of occupational therapy, has done some 35 boulders 8A and harder out of which some just the last few days, also in MW.

Can you tell us more about the send and the number of sessions needed?
It took about 3 sessions for me - on the second session I tried 15 times and had to take two rest days afterwards, oops! The style is very challenging for me- very powerful sequences with large moves and compression. Proud of this one!

How does the warming up routine look like and which are your favourite boulders in MW?
An important part of my routine here in Magic Wood is starting the climbing day with a joyful moment — something which sharply juxtaposes the longer and arduous projecting sessions. Favorite boulders of the trip are jack the chipper (7C), blue sky of mine (6A+), Man of a cow (7C) and U-Boot (6C).

Théo Blass did his first 8c at age 10 and last September he sent Trip tik tonik (9a) at age 12. His father Vladimir Arnaoudov, has previously explained his son's climbing background and we asked him what they have been up to this spring.

"He started the year tired and weakened after catching the flu a couple of times. He had to start training gently and building up the volume and intensity very slowly. In April he was in decent shape to start trying harder stuff. He usually likes working on hard projects but this year he decided to focus on routes that he could send quickly, mostly in our local area. He sent Elzevir (8b+), a classic fingery testpiece in Claret, Biotpo (8b+) a magnificent 8m roof with great compression moves in Claret (famously onsighted by Chris Sharma and flashed by Adam Ondra), Panonoramix (8b+/8c) short and bouldery route in St Leger, La theorie des cordes (8c) a classic stamina route in St Leger and Crazy world (8c) a sustained 30 m route with a few hard cruxes near Aniane.

He's got his eyes set on a few harder routes in the 9th degree, but he is a bit too short for them now. He can do practically all the moves of his harder projects, but using different sequences and sometimes higher feet, which makes them even harder, so he decided to be patient and while he is waiting to grow he will continue to focus on easier routes where he has more fun."

Nathan Musson (12) and Maël Musson (17) have, respectively, done La théorie des cordes (8c) in St Léger and La proue debridée (8c+) in Roche de rame.

Their mother Christelle comments, "Nathan started climbing as a child, mainly on the cliffs at first. He immediately got hooked on the activity and progressed very quickly, which enabled him to do his first routes in the eighth degree at the age of 10. He then did his first 8b+ in Rodellar last summer and his first 8c at 12 years old this week."

Big brother Maël comments, "My brother has been my climbing partner since we were little. Our parents quickly trusted us and as soon as he was 6 or 7 years old we immediately started to belay and climb together. When I was his age I was already climbing in the 8th degree but I was far from having the ease that he has. I was doing 8a or 8b at most.

Can you also tell us more about your 8c+ ascent?
The route is divided into 3 sections. The first part of 5 quickdraws is very bouldery and technical. It is followed by a second resistant part of about fifteen moves which ends with some very intense moves which make the crux of the route. Finally, there is a last section of a 7c slab with a last random move. I started working on it during the February holidays. I quickly managed to master the first part which made me want to come back to try the climb. I went back every weekend in March. The route being south facing it was impossible to try it before 5 pm which did not allow me to do many climbs per session. I passed the start but fell at the last hard moves of the crux. Being not very tall, I couldn't do the traditional method. Then I couldn't go for a few weekends and I thought that it would soon be too hot and that I didn't have much time left for this year.

A fortnight ago, when I came back, I found a new method for the crux that suited me better and I was able to do the route a few tries later. I was so happy when I clipped the belay! During all the weekends we spent in Saint Léger, we often met the same climbers! The atmosphere was really nice! It was a great adventure!

Marcello Bombardi, who won the Lead WC in Chamonix in 2017, has made the FA of El puma (9a) in Chesod. "Old line bolted by Hervé Barmasse years ago and never tried seriously by other climbers. Completely natural and on crazy and unique rock. The moves turned out to be amazing. Difficult to grade for me, proposed 9a." (c) Photografem

Can you tell us more about the ascent? It looks very steep?
I needed around 6 days spread over different years. During the first couple of sessions, I struggled to find a good beta. The rock on that wall is unique, it features a series of awesome cracks which are often too flared and bad oriented to hold on to. I then found a way to climb the few meters of the hard section, using different holds I didn’t consider before, keeping the tension with the feet and a very difficult (for me) heel hook to prevent to swing until the last moment. It’s been great to experience the finding of the right beta and the tries for climbing it.

It’s not so steep actually but however you always need to keep the tension on the feet so you don’t cut loose. The hard section consists of nine moves where you cannot find a good position to clip or get chalk.

What are your competition and Olympic plans?
Obviously to qualify for the Olympics would be a big dream. I will compete in the World Cups needed to qualify for the qualification events of next year. It will be hard but I will try hard.

"Last week, hugo parmentier and I [Seb Berthe] completed our Mega-circuit project, one of our biggest projects of this year so far: sending 100 different 7A boulder in Fontainebleau in a day linking them by fair means (biking or running), a huge circuit in the whole forest starting north in Rocher Canon and finishing south in Nemours. This was such an incredible day and intense experience!

The idea is born from a discussion between roommates and was fed by the experience of our Font locals friends. Initially, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first 7A of Fontainebleau, aka “La Joker”, we wanted to complete “only” 70x7a, keeping some bonus in case we would be fast enough to climb some more… After a month and a half of discussion, setting our ethic, our itinerary and the best boulders among the thousands blocks in the forest, we woke up with the early lights on the 14th of May to give a try to our Mega-Circuit.

The idea was to climb only during the daylight as it is forbidden to climb at night in the forest. From waking up at 4h30, starting climbing at 5h30 to finally reaching home at midnight, we biked (70 km), climbed and ran our way through the deepest and most well known parts of the legendary forest of Fontainebleau. Climbing our selection of the most delicate, stunning and classic boulders of the 7a/+ range. In the middle of the day as things were going well and as we were in advance in our schedule, we decided to go hard and add the bonus boulders we had in our list to reach the 100! We laughed, screamed, sweated (a lot), struggled and shared an ultra intense journey. A week later, we are still struggling with fatigue and skin... We hope this “multipich” sort of adventure will give ideas to other climbers to try their own low-CO2-emission projects (close to home)." (c) Jerome Tanon - Montagne en Scène

List of boulders and the time they were sent.

What was most challenging?
The biggest challenge was for sure managing the timing as we wanted to climb exclusively during the daylight (it’s forbidden to climb the night in Font). So we had something like 17h to complete it. As we only pre-checked half of the circuit/boulders it was a bit of a run at the base of the boulders we were discovering for the first time.

How did you feel the next day?
Our bodies were totally wrecked (Hugo couldn’t walk the next day ahah and Seb being an ultra-trailer was totally fine Lol). We can add that the fatigue was deep enough to let us low in energy for around 10 days. But we can now say that we survived!!

Any new ”crazy” ideas that you hope to try?
We have our own projects and goals in our mind for the next months but we already have joked about some other cool endurancy/eco (secret ;-) ) challenges to make together. We do think climbing can be a cool plateform to change the way we approch life in a more sustainable way. Climate is changing fast, we need to act now 🤘

Paige Claassen has done four 9a's and several 8c+' meaning she is one of the Top-10 female climbers. "In June of 2022, she added 'Mom' to her list of titles, and considers motherhood her most difficult and rewarding role to date."

Adrian Houbron, who last year did two 8c+', has repeated Tony Lamiche's Condé de choc (9a) in Entraygues.

Can you tell us more about doing your first 9a?
I discovered Entraygues only last year and I had in mind to try San ku kai (8c+), the king line of the crag. After several sessions on the route, I finally did it and I choose to try La moustache qui fâche (9a+) but to be honest, it was way too hard for me! At the same time, I tried the easier start of Deltaplane man direct (8c+) (start in the classic 7c and finish in the final bow shared with Delataplane Man and Condé de Choc). After two sessions, I managed to link up this combi and I told myself that I had nothing to lose by trying the moves at the bottom of Condé. I quickly managed to do the famous jump on the crimp, but a move just below was a big problem for me to go into a right finger jam. The end of the season was approaching and I still hadn't found a solution for this move, so I left Entraygues with only one idea in mind: come back stronger next year to do it!

This year, we came to Entraygues much earlier. From the first session, I found the sensations in the jump, and I immediately found a solution for the movement which caused me problems! During the second session, I focused on the moves of the second part of the route, but I felt much less good than last year. And to add some spice, the first hold of the route was starting to get wet, so we decided to take a day off, hoping that the hold would not be too wet. I came back a day later, with the knife between the teeth, the hold was not quite dry but we found a way to dry it just before a run. I put in a first try, I managed to catch the finger jam but I fell at the jump, fingers a little cold. I rested for 10 minutes, then I put a run again before I get too cold, I got to the jump again but with much warmer fingers and much more excitement, and I did the jump!

I did the less hard moves to get to the rest, where I stayed for almost 3 minutes, and I go back to the top section that I was a bit more apprehensive about. I passed the top crux and carried by the encouragements of Lilian and Justin, I made the last moves to reach the saving jug, it was an explosion of joy, then I make the final mantle and I clip the chain, without really realising what had just happened.

Cody Roth, who one month ago did the FA of Flipping the Bird (9a), at Arco's Grottosauro, has reported on Insta that he has bolted and sent a new direct finish to it, which he thinks could be a little harder but he is reluctant to up the grade. (c) Francesco Zerbi

"A week after freeing Flipping the Bird, I went back and added a further eight bolts which created an independent finish for this climb. Initially I'd doubted that there was enough there, which is why I went into the neighbouring 8c. Once I completed Flipping the Bird, I was able to zoom out again and I realized there probably was enough there for a direct finish and I couldn't help feeling like I'd taken the easy way out. I didn't expect to climb it as quickly as I did, and claiming another 9a and getting attention for it feels a bit like cheating in this case, which is why I haven't made a big deal out of it; but, if it being known means others might climb it, I'm happy!

I managed to get it done on the evening of May 3rd after work, and just two days before flying to the US for a family visit and work conference, which I just came back from. I think this direct version could be a touch harder, but I'm not entirely sure and I don't feel any pressure to put a plus on it. With both of these climbs I was able to approach them in such an efficient, slow-build way which makes it hard to keep perspective. On top of that, I worked on them alone which gives great feeling of self-reliance, but not such a great feeling of awareness and certainty."

The US women have had a great start to the Boulder World Cup. After three events, Brooke Raboutou and Natalia Grossman, are in pole position and 15-year-old, Anastasia Sanders is ranked #8. The other solid performers thus far are Japan, with four women Top-15, followed by France, with three. Looking back to last year, these three countries were also the strongest in the women's circuit. Janja Garnbret is slated to compete in the upcoming WC in Prague , which will add to the excitement. She missed the first three due to a foot injury. Raboutou and Sanders are not registered for Prague, but they're scheduled to compete the following weekend in Brixen.

Michaela Kiersch reports on Insta with a picture by Vladek Zumr that she has done Unendliche Geschichte 2 (8A) in Magic Wood. Later she also did Sofa Surfer (8A+).

Can you tell us more about those ascents?
Both were the only dry things in the forest at the time so it was logical to try them! I briefly tried SS last year and decided to prioritize other boulders instead, it was cool to come back and send it quickly! UG2 was extremely challenging for me because of the powerful start move so it's been really rewarding to see progress in that style.

How long will you stay in the area and what's next?
Maybe another week or so. Next, I’ll go home - ready for a break! It’s been a very busy and intense spring for me with lots of climbing and projecting.

Are you planning on going to work full-time after your Doctor's exam?

I actually have 2 jobs [currently]! I've been working part-time at 2 hospitals when I'm home. It's very flexible and I can create my own schedule, which has been ideal. Usually, I work on rest days 😉 What are your two jobs?
I am an occupational therapist (what I have my degree in) and I work in inpatient rehabilitation and neurological rehabilitation. My schedule varies every week depending on my training and travelling but I get in as often as I can.

As it stands, the 28-year-old is a contender for having the All-Time High best Combined route and boulder tick list. In just the last year, she has done around 35 boulders 8A to 8B+. In previous years, she was more focused on routes having completed a dozen routes 8c+ and harder. Michaela was #22 in her Boulder World Cup debut in 2010 at age 15 and the next year she was #18 in a Lead World Cup. From there, she put competitions to the side, and chose to focus on rock and University. Michaela did her first 8c and 8c+ at age 21. Interview from last year.