Elisa Lauretano, who sent her first 8B in July, has completed Fortunadrago (8B) in Varazze. ”First “hard” block after the injury… It feels like a dream to be back climbing like before! Definitely not the perfect season to do it with over 20 degrees, but in the end it worked. Super happy 😊”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
Last July, due to a silly accident, I almost completely tore my right arm’s biceps. Three months of forced rest were followed by a long rehab, with physiotherapists predicting it would take at least a year to return to my previous level.

Since January, when I finally came back to the rock, the feelings have been surprisingly positive. As the weeks went by, my confidence grew along with the difficulty of the lines I was tackling. That’s how the idea of trying one of the most iconic boulders in Varazze was born: Fortunadrago (8B), a historic line fred by Christian Core. Despite the rising temperatures, I felt good on the moves right from the start. After a couple of sessions working the sequences and figuring out the right beta, I incredibly found myself on top of the boulder. Sending this line felt like a personal vindication and the perfect culmination of my recovery journey.

Was the accident climbing related?
I was swimming behind the SUP, my boyfriend dove from it and its fin hit my arm 🥲

Mattéo Soulé has repeated Wolfgang Gullich’s Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura. It was put up in 1991 as the first 9a in the world and has been repeated at least 33 times. The 19-year-old has previously done six routes 9a and beyond.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
This route had always made me dream because it is a part of the history of rockclimbing, and i really like the one and two finger pocket. I decided to try it this year with my friend Justin and we came for 2 weeks with this project. Unfortunately he got hurt and couldn’t continue trying with me. At my first climb i did all the movement expect the first that i didn’t try and on the next one i flashed this one. After that i directly put try where i fell halfway the route.

After all the other attempts I was just falling for this random movement. Then I made a hole in my skin at the first movement and I stopped trying it a little and focused on the end. Until sending from the second movement. The next day I put on a cold test because I felt good and I fell again at the same movement. I then put back a test but and I managed to pass the movement that caused me a problem and after that I forced more than I needed but it allowed me to fight and get to the top. It wasn’t my best attempt because I lost my feet several times but I felt super good and relaxed. I was so happy when I got to the top and even now I have trouble realizing.

Luca Bacer, with two 9a’s under his belt, has completed Halupca 1979 (9a) in Osp/Misja Pec. Uncut video on Youtube.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I was feeling in good shape, so a few weeks ago I decided to give this route a more serious go after some sporadic attempts over the past years. Good conditions allowed me to put in some solid tries and send it before summer. It felt easier than the other 9a’s I’ve climbed, but still harder than the 8c+ routes I’ve tried.

You can now explore Vertical-Life Premium gyms directly in your browser, check out routes and boulders and log your indoor ascents in just a few clicks. All your indoor ticks are added to your logbook, so your climbing history stays complete in one place.

Ascent lists and gym rankings are now available on the web as well, making it easier to follow gym activity. Routes and boulders are kept up to date, so what you see reflects exactly what is currently on the wall.

If your local gym is not available yet and you would like to see it on Vertical-Life, feel free to let them know or send us a message. You can explore gyms directly via the map, or take a look at one of the more active gyms on the platform, Kletterzentrum Gaswerk Wädenswil, to get a sense of how routes, topos, and activity are displayed.

Navigation Updates
Alongside this, we’ve made a few adjustments to the navigation to keep things more organized:
- Profile: Now located in the top right corner, where you can access your logbook and subscription.
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Jana Svecova has sent Drift (8C) in Moravský kras, which is a variation of Tokyo Drift (8C) she made the FA of last month. (c) Lukáš Černý


Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
So basically, Drift is a boulder established by Adam Ondra in 2017. At the beginning, I thought this boulder wasn’t for me because I couldn’t reach the footholds that everybody uses. Also, there was the project Tokyo Drift that I was really psyched about, so I went straight for that.

Once I finished Tokyo Drift, I wanted to hop on Terranova and slowly get back into projecting it, and that’s exactly what I did. But after that first session on Terranova, when I felt too tired to continue doing some links, I tried the original line, Drift, just out of curiosity. I started to figure out a beta that might work for me, since I couldn’t reach the big foothold that everybody uses, and I found a solution.

At first, it felt very hard, but suddenly it became possible. It was just a matter of getting it into my muscle memory. Once I passed the first crux, I got into a position I knew from Tokyo, and the rest of the boulder was the same.

So it took me a couple more sessions to finish it. ��This one is special for me because it’s an already established boulder, and the grade is approved by other climbers like Will bosi or Jakub Konečný, who is a local climber and did quite a few other 8C’s there.

What is next?
Well ... once I return from Melloblocco, I will get back on Terranova until the conditions are good - see what needs to be improved and once the conditions are too hot I will train for a fall season and hopefully get some good highpoints or send? 👀

Oriane Bertone, the superior World Cup winner last year, has published a video of her sending Gecko (assis) (8B+), with amazing hip flexibility, and Kheops (8B) in Fontainebleau.

”What an incredible morning !! I managed to climb Gecko assis (V14/8B+) on my first attempt of the morning and Khéops right after... just enough time to move to Cuvier Rempart. Two of Font's best lines in one morning. I never would have thought it possible, even though I'd already made good progress on those two boulders.”

Can you tell us more behind the process doing Gecko assis?
The stand already felt incredibly hard when I tried it a few years ago, and I honestly think I wasn’t physically strong enough at the time to really make the movements click.

A few weeks ago, I randomly gave it a try when I came to spot a friend on Les Beaux Quartiers (8A) on the same boulder, and ended up sending the stand in just a few attempts, which was a pretty big surprise. After that, I thought the sit would be a good training goal as well, since it’s quite long, demanding, and physically taxing.

I put two more sessions on it, and sent it yesterday morning on the very first try of the session :))

Lilian Moretti and Mathis Chappe have completed The Big Island (8C) in Fontainebleau.

Moretti: I tried The Big Island for the first time in December 2024 (for 2 hours), and I haven’t been back since. On this trip, it took me three sessions to complete it.

Chappe (pictured): So my first session was in December 2024 but it was short because it was at the end of trip. Then I went back with my dad in February 2025 but the friction were really bad for sending. So we went back with Lilian last week to send the Boulder. It took me 7 sessions for the send.

What is your climbing background?
Moretti: My parents have never climbed in their lives. I started climbing when I was 8 years old at a local club. Until I was 16, I almost exclusively did lead climbing. In December 2024, I went to Ticino for the first time, and since then I’ve fallen in love with outdoor bouldering.

Last summer I had loads of projects in mind, but I was injured for six months, so climbing was impossible. I did a lot of hangboard training and weightlifting. It was really tough mentally, but I’m happy to see that it’s all behind me now and that I’ve never been stronger.

Chappe: I am from Marseille, I started climbing at 11yo and i started doing comp 3 years later. In highschool i went in Briançon because there was a student-athlete class and this is here that i discovered my passion for outdoor climbing. I won multiple French cup and this season i am selected on the U21 French team. Now i am living in Grenoble because it’s one of the best cities in France for climbing and training.

Ai Mori from Japan, the 2023 Lead World Champion, topped all four routes in Lead at the Asia Championship, and in Boulder she flashed all four problems in the final.

Among the men, Suzuki Neo, a World Cup winner in Innsbruck last year, won all three rounds in Lead, and Japan took all three medals. In Boulder, Dohyun Lee from Korea won ahead of Tomoa Narasaki. Complete Results

In the first European Youth Boulder Series in Soure, Portugal, Italy won two golds and one silver. Giovanni Bagnoli won both the qualification and the final, as did Amélie Kägi. A total of 233 teenagers competed. The next European Youth Boulder Series starts on 9/5 in Graz, Austria.

U17: Amelie Kägi SUI - Pietro Franzoni ITA
U19: Jakoba Rauter AUT - Giovanni Bagnoli ITA Complete Results

Sera Gearhart has repeated Chris Sharma’s Spinal Twist (8B) in Little Cottonwood and sent Spirit Walker (8B) in Ogden.

Can you tell us more about the process behind the two ascents?
The boulder [Spinal Twist] itself is really sick and revolves around some tricky technical sequences. I tried this boulder maybe three days in the fall before falling on the easy outro from the bottom, kind of a punt. I wasn’t prepared to get there at all since it was at night and I didn’t have a headlamp on. Lesson learned! I went back another day in the winter and the conditions were horrible so I wrote it off for a few months. I was sick and traveling for awhile so I didn’t go back until it was a bit too warm this year. This spring I went back another 2 or 3 days but was pretty discouraged since it sits in the sun in the afternoon this time of year and it’s hard for me to go in the morning. I wrote it off again for the season. We got a lucky cold day this week and a few friends and I went to go try. When we got there, I was pretty sure it was going to still feel too warm (again in the sun) but my friend Matt convinced me it would be worthwhile (thanks Matt!)

[Spirit Walker] This was a very similar process! I fell at the end in December and thought I was close, then from a variety of reasons I didn’t get to go siege again until March (sickness, travel, injury). When I went back I realized I could do a more standard beta which gave me a minor existential crisis. Luckily Matt Fultz advised me to keep trying my old beta and it worked. Down to the wire since it got super hot there as well.

How does a normal week look like for you?
A normal week for me isn’t too bad! I’m definitely busy but I prioritize climbing over school. I work standard hours Monday through Friday and go to class, and I usually do all my homework and exams for the week one day on the weekend! I’m excited for summer since I won’t have school.

What is your job and what do you study?
Both my work and school are in biomedical informatics, I work for the American heart association where I do work on quality improvement. I just started last fall for the masters degree, I have another year and a half until I graduate.

How much do you climb in a week?
I am able to climb outdoors most evenings if I stay local, I just put off doing my school work until the weekend haha it’s a lot.