Fanatic Climbing has made an interview with Nicolas Moineau, who has sent his first 8a, Los Tacos de los dos rigolos in delete, which is 40 m long, although he can not see. The 46-year-old won the World Champion in 2012 and has since he retired from the competition scene focused on outdoors and last year he did his first 7c+.

"The things specific to my blindness here were tickmarks in the first section up to the 4th QD precisely. I marked three micro-feet for the belayer/guide. I ended up finding them almost without help but it reassured me that someone could tell me I was really putting my foot in the right place."

Can you tell us how you memorized all the moves and how many there are?
I just did it again and again for one year, until the route was a part of me. I can count 87 moves with the hands. I did not count the moves of the feet.

"What reassures me about my mental health is that boulderers spend several months adjusting two movements on extreme lines. You can always find someone more neurotic than you in the end."

Zander Waller has skipped two grades by repeating James Webb’s Sleepwalker 8C+ in Black Velvet Canyon. ”Really cool new beta, unfortunately it’s easier now, hoping for hard stuff in the future!”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and your thoughts about the grade?
I managed the ascent in three sessions this trip, plus one short session last trip when it was really hot and I could not do any of the moves. The beta I used skips the intermediate bump hold and goes to the sloper from the better undercling, effectively making the start of the boulder V13 instead of hard V14 or 15. I’m about 6ft [183 cm] with a +4 or 5 wingspan, so my beta is probably only feasible for a few guys. I think Benn Wheeler, Ethan Freudenheim, Simon Hibbeller, and a few other people would do really well with this beta, and I’m curious to see what other people think.

Concerning the grade, I’ve talked with a bunch of people and feel like V15 is how it felt for me. This beta was such a step down from the other methods, and there is no way that it can warrant V16. During my second session, I was really struggling with the old beta. I randomly stumbled upon this new method, and I was able to do the moves within 5 tries and ended up sending it fourth try from the ground.

Of course, this is just a suggestion, but I have a feeling that if other people can execute the same beta then it will get downgraded.

How's the 9A sit start?
I tried the sit for about an hour yesterday. It’s really hard! It will take a lot more training before I can even do all the moves, let alone send the boulder.

Alex Barrows has completed Autoengaño (9a) in . The 36-year-old has done nine 9a's, out of which three in 2023.

Alex describes this line and his ascent as, "Spinning around on jugs and knees through the middle of a big roof... very me! Nice to feel good on it today after punting the end last weekend falling out of a kneebar like a moron. Finished on the jug on the lip of the roof, not by clipping the chains from the kneebar before (back around anyone who did that ;) ) Must be very squishy for the grade, but it's very cool."

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I worked it for 4 days, fell off the end (out of a kneebar, like an idiot) on the fifth day and managed to not be quite so stupid on the sixth day. Obviously, not all in a row, I'm too old to not rest a lot 😂

Eliáš Kysela has repeated Adam Ondra’s Procesor (9a/+) in Višňové. “Happy to finally send this climb. Procesor is power endurance route without a single super hard move. It fit my style very well. I spent around 20 sessions on it much more than I expected because route is quite often wet.”

Greta di Biase has sent Steini Christmas (8A) in Gottardo / Gotthardpass. Her first 8A, Scary Christmas (8A), the 10-year-old sent in July being 130 cm tall.

How do you approach climbing?
I love being outdoors and I don't particularly like gyms but I still go to them on rainy weekends or if I have to prepare for competitions. During the week I train at home with dad on our panel in the garage; all the gyms are too far away and there is too much traffic to go there. I'm not very strong on plastic especially if I look at the international level; that's my point of reference and I'm always motivated to compare myself to understand my weak points. I have been climbing boulders on rock since I could stand on my feet, and there I learned and am learning to climb, together with my whole family. At the moment I don't like lead I have a lot of fears and I'm nowhere near climbing to my limit.

On the boulders, however, it's the opposite, even on the high ones I'm comfortable and I feel that that's where I'll be able to climb to my limit. I like to try any hard or easy line that appeals to me, clean new ones for both myself and other kids, especially my little brother. My favorite place is Fontainebleau for the atmosphere, the rock and the pastry shops! I climbed my first 7a there, I was 6 years old. The second is the San Gottardo pass; Here I have currently managed to climb two technical and harder lines: Scary Christmas and Steini Christmas, both 8a. Given my height, the first line I climbed was harder, especially the initial step, the rest of the moves were my style and I solved them quite quickly. I want to become stronger and more complete, both in competition and on rock, set records and become among the best climbers in the world, climbing and discovering new places around the world. All these are dreams, but as long as I can I will work hard to achieve them.

Moritz Welt, who previously has sent 18 routes 9a and 9a+, has done Wolfgang Gullich’s classic Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura. Since the FA in 1991, it has been repeated 30 times.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
The first time I've tried Action was about 5 years ago. As I grew up and started climbing in Frankenjura, this route was obviously one of the main targets I've always wanted to achieve. It always intimidated me more than other hard routes here. I don't know if it's the historical status or just the violent climbing style. However, the first time I properly projected on it was 2 years ago. I basically fell off the last couple moves for a full season, stopped progressing and gave up on it again. Then nothing happened, until this summer when I decided to spend my Frankenjura fall season on finally finishing Action. I still don't really know why, but already on the first session I felt better than ever and surprised myself with an ascent on the second.

It has been a great year for me in Frankenjura, haven't tried many different routes or spent many days here, but with Corona and Action I've finished both of my nemesis routes. And I'm really psyched to start into fall season with a fresh mindset!

Brooke Raboutou reports on Instagram that she and her brother have sent Box Therapy (8C+) in Wild Basin. "Shawn and I managed to do the ultimate dream: sibling send of box therapy, same day, back-to-back tries. To have our parents behind us shuffling pads and videoing was the cherry on top."

She first tried it last year and this year it only took the Olympian a few sessions to send it and her personal grade opinion is 8C. Daniel Woods put it up as an 8C+ and all the three previous repeaters have not commented on the grade. (c) Finn Stack

In the last 12 IFSC competitions Brooke has entered, her worst results was #5. Shawn has previously done two 9A's and overall he has one of the most impressive ticklists in the world.

Their parents are Didier Raboutou, one of the best rock and competition climbers some 30 years ago, and Robyn Erbesfield. She won the first World Cup she entered and in 1995, she won her last and also the world championship. In the 30+ World Cups she entered her worst result was #5 and she won the WC four straight years from 1992. Equally impressive is that she did her first 8c at age 49.

Victor Guillermin, who won the bronze at the Euro Youth Championship last month, has done Condé de choc (9a) in Entraygues. This was the seventh logged ascent in the 8a database since June. "Really cool and bouldery route 🔥🔥 with three big jumps... I was too weak to do the jump at the beginning during the send so I took the crimp🤫"

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I first tried this route this summer and did 2 goes to touch the holds... but it was really hot and I couldn't solve the first part of the route (8A+ crimpy boulder problem). Two weeks ago, I returned to Entraygues, and I managed to find a beta for the first part, and a beta for the second part (8b+ route). This weekend, I felt ready to send the route, but I couldn't pass the first part on Saturday, I was always falling on the last move, a big jump to a crimp (the picture). Then on Sunday, I decided to change my beta to not fall at this move again. Tanguy [Merard] told me to take a small crimp instead of doing the jump: physically it's a bit harder but it's less aleatory. Then I put in a try with this new method, and I was able to pass the boulder problem for the first time! Resting in between the two parts, I knew that I had to climb perfectly not to fall... luckily, I made no mistakes in this second part (with two other jumps) and I was able to send Condé de Choc, one of the coolest 9a I've ever climbed! A perfect day! I just want to say good luck to Tanguy and Lilian who are both working hard routes in Entraygues... be strong dudes!

Andrea Chelleris, who during the last two years has done five 9a's, has sent Sanjski par extension (9a) in Mišja Peč. "The route is so short and bouldery, I tried it after sending Martin krpan for some days last year from November to December but I needed more power to send it. I returned this year and sent it with no such good conditions."

What is your next plan?
I haven't decided yet. Maybe some onsight climbing.