”I stopped focusing on competition bouldering after last year’s World Cup in Prague, partly because I can already feel it on my body, especially in my shoulders. The modern competition style, with a lot of jumping from one hold to another, is very demanding for the shoulders.

Outdoor bouldering is more conservative climbing, something I’ve been used to since childhood, but I had never fully dedicated myself to it before. I had a short period when I focused on bouldering more intensively, for example in 2011, but otherwise I always treated it as a secondary discipline. On rock I mainly focused on bigger projects. This time I wanted to try something less stressful. That made the return to bouldering even more appealing, to see how far I could push myself in this discipline”.

”This year I managed to climb three additional 8C boulders flash, so I’ve now done it at least four times. I value Emotional Landscapes in Maltatal, Austria the most. It’s a legendary and technically extremely complex line. It has very few ascents, even though many climbers have tried it. Not only is it difficult, it’s also incredibly technical. People who climbed it before had to spend a lot of time working out the complex sequences.”

Now I’ll focus more on rope climbing. I need to build endurance before the competition season and the World Cup events, where success is not only about pure strength but also about stamina. I’ll try to convert this strength into the ideal form so I can present myself in Prague at the beginning of June in the best possible shape.”

Ainhize Belar Barrutia, who sent a 9a+ in 2024, has done Estado critico (9a) in Siurana.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Last autumn I took a couple of trips to Siurana and started trying Estado Crítico. It was a route that motivated me a lot, but I wasn’t in my best shape… At first I struggled to get through the first dynamic move (the crux for me), and then I started falling on the last slab a few times… When the real cold started, I decided to train for a couple of months, and this week, on my first day back here, I was able to do it on my second go (one to put the quickdraws in and another to send)!!

I’m so happy to have done this mythical line and so motivated to try other things around here in the coming weeks!

Piotr Schab, with 32 routes from 9a to 9b to his name, has been on a one-month trip to Spain where he sent Furia de Jabali (9a+), Parecero Igual Guerrero (9a+), and La Bongada (9a), as well as flashing L'odi Social (8c+).

Which was the most memorable ascent?
The most memorable must the flash of L'Odi Social, a classic 8c+ in Siurana. I love the magic of first tries. When something doesn't go according to plan and you start to fight - fight hard as hell. I really liked the process of trying Furia de Jabali. I had to dig into every single move in order to climb that route.

How did you prepare for the flash and who gave you the beta?
Tymon Heród - who sent the route just after me! Best moments. He told me the betas on the ground one day before the try and showed everything on his warm-up during the day.

Campbell Sarinopoulos and Sophia Hoermann have sent Meadowlark Lemon Stand (8A+) in Red Rock (NV). Last week, Hoermann also sent Hungry Hungry Hippos (8A+). ”First go from the bottom today! Had her teed up from december. With aidan, soren, and campbell.”

Can you tell us more about the team send?
We have known each other since we were 10 through youth competitions. Since starting college together at the University of Utah we’ve gone on many outdoor trips together. We’ve watched each other send and we’ve epiced together. We wanted to try Meadowlark Lemon Stand because Sophia got close last year and of course because it’s a beautiful boulder in a gorgeous zone.

We went to the boulder with a big crew pretty late to try to escape the heat. We started trying and even though we have very similar dimensions, we realized pretty quick that we would need to use different beta to send. On Sophia’s send, a little breeze came through as she pulled on and the bottom moves felt really nice and she was able to maintain focus and presence through the top slab. For Campbell’s send, she finally stuck the bump move to the crimp below the blocky hold and held it together (barely) through the top. We celebrated by making margaritas at the end of the day.

Alberto Gines Lopez, Olympic gold medalist from Tokyo, reports on Instagram that he has repeated Chris Sharma’s El Bon Combat (9b) in Cova de l'Ocell. The Spaniard needed only six sessions and comments he thinks 9a+ is the most honest grade. (c) Tactum Studio

”Even though it’s the first route I’ve done above 9a, I don’t really feel like calling it my first 9b. It never felt like something two grades above 9a, and since it had already been downgraded, I think 9a+ is the most honest grade for me.

Like the person I look up to most in this sport once told me: “Grades only work if we’re honest.”

Michael Piccolruaz and Jakob Schubert have done Emotional landscapes - sit start (8C) in Maltatal. It was set up in 2002 by Klem Leskot as an 8B+, but pretty much all repeaters have called it 8C, and even 8C+ has been suggested. This makes it the second 8C in the world after Monkey Wedding (8C), put up 10 weeks earlier by Fred Nicole, also originally 8B+. It should be noted that a couple months earlier, Markus Bock made the FA of Gossip, which later was upgraded by him to 8C, but it has had only one repeat before some holds were destroyed.

Piccolruaz: ”Ok this comes as a bit of a surprise. I joined Jakob to come and support him on 'emotional' thinking of probably trying something else. But then I warmed up, played around on the lower moves, flashed the stand start (to the lip only, it was soaking wet) and so I thought well, maybe I should try to actually climb this boulder. The first day I got kind a close making it through the lower part with the central feet, locking off slowly to the first hold, but I would end up having to bail due to fatigue and the increased humidity later on in the day.

The second day we came back and Jakob quickly figured out a way to make the heel toe jam beta work, and we could soon consistently climb into the stand. Some dry fires later, first Jakob got it done well in control, and after almost loosing faith that I could do it too, I pulled out a good beast mode go and managed to complete the team ascent! Mad respect to Klem for climbing this aaaalll those years ago. So surreal and sooo ahead of its time! Crazy!”

Paul Robinson, who did his first 8C, out of 28, in 2008, has completed Unison (8C) in Brione. ”One of the best!”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I tried unison back in November of 2024. I was immediately blown away by its aesthetic and pure difficulty. That trip I was not able to complete it and vowed to return as soon as I could.

This February, I made my way back to Ticino with the goal of climbing Unison. I felt like I was in much better shape than the previous year and began making big links really quickly. It’s been a warm and humid spring so getting good conditions was tough but thankfully, I managed to find a window and send. Looking forward to enjoying my last week here in Europe and getting home back to Freak Show (8C) in Coal creek!

Mona Kellner, with four 8c’s under her belt, has completed Der Schwarze Schwan (8c) in Ötztal.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
It was the first hard route I tried when I moved to Innsbruck October 24. I really enjoyed the route from the first day on. It has two boulders with a good rest in between. The first on follows a narrow crimpy finger crack with wired shoulder move and the second crux are some far moves mit bad high feet. The first time I tried the route, I had a knee injury and couldn’t do one move with a heel in the lower crux. I connected the rest fast but had to give it up for that season. Then in spring before I made it back to the route I had to deal with a inflamed finger for some month. In November I finally felt fit again and got close on my second day on it but the next week the first snow arrived and I had to wait four months to try it again.

This weekend, I took advantage of the early warm spring temperatures and went back there. I knew I can send it fast but the first try didn’t feel so good. In the second attempt I struggled a bit in the first boulder but after the rest, the second boulder felt easy and I was not pumped at all and made it nervously to the top.

What are your plans for the spring?
I have I few routes in mind around Innsbruck but haven’t tried them yet and I wanna go to arco a few times.

Jonathan Siegrist, who is approaching 100 routes 9a and beyond, has done Trofeo dell'Adriatico (9a+) in Arco. ”What a route!!! I tried it on our first trip to Arco and fell in love, but the temps were just too damn cold so I gave up. Been on my mind ever since! Very demanding and intense route overall. Such an awesome fight after sticking the crux. The resting knee didn't work for my shindex so I found a crappy rest slightly below same as Laura.”

Can you tell us more about the process behind the ascent?
It was the first route I tried in Arco on our first trip here at the end of 2024. I totally fell in love - it's a really special route and such a cool, intense style. Unfortunately after a couple days the weather got very cold (this was in late November), and I found it really hard to rest before the crux (the kneebar rest does not work for my size) and was always entering the crux with frozen hands. I gave up and decided to check out some other routes. Since then I have been wanting to try it again so badly! We arrived a week ago and I went to work on it again in much nicer temperatures.

We are here in Arco for another month, and I have so much to do. We just love it here.