Tereza Širůčková has been on a trip to Margalef where she redpointed Aitzol 8b+/c and onsighted El Fustigador (8a+). Last year, the 22-year-old opened the World Cup season with 14th- and 16-place finishes, and over the summer she sent her second 8c+.

Can you tell us more about the trip and the routes you tried?
I went to Margalef for my first time with a pretty clear plan – I wanted to push my grade on rock. I really like pockets, it was clear to me that this place could suit me well. I was really excited. I worked out the moves on my 9a project quite quickly and went for the first attempt thinking I might just try some good links. But suddenly I realized I was only two moves away from the top. Total surprise. Huge motivation, but also that classic feeling of “wow, that was really close.”

Then the weather got worse. And that’s when the sentence was born that followed me for the rest of the trip: “It will be dry in two days.” In the end, I didn’t come back to the project, and choosing routes started to look something like this: “Hey, this one is dry… so maybe we’ll try this.”

Eventually, I managed to climb my first 8a+ onsight. I have to say I was pretty lucky there. I read the route well, everything came together, and suddenly I was clipping the chains. Then came Aitzol. That was a different story. I didn’t have that much luck there. The route wasn’t in condition at all and was quite damp. When I climbed through the main boulder and reached the “rest,” I realized the headwall was more like a stream of water. At that moment, I thought it was unclimbable.

But I tried anyway. I catch the first pocket, which was more like a pool than a hold. Luckily, two slightly better ones followed, where it didn’t bother me as much that they were wet. From there, I chalked up the footholds properly so I could at least stand on them, and just hoped I wouldn’t slip. And somehow, it worked. Honestly, in those conditions the route felt insanely hard, and I feel like I probably had more luck than sense.

Hayley McKinney sent Night's Watch (7c+) last summer. ”13a – my first 5.13!! After four big back-to-back injuries and many, many months off, it felt SO damn good to clip the chains on this thing. Thoroughly enjoyed figuring out all the pieces of the (very intricate) puzzle. Took nine sessions in total, including two on TR solo. Sent fourth redpoint go, on a perfect – and rare – cold and windy July day.”

Can you tell us more about your climbing background and the video?
I started climbing when I was 28. Back then, I didn’t think sending 5.13 was something I’d ever experience (or 5.12, for that matter). But seven years later, I managed to do just that: send 5.13. And it felt… really big. But maybe not in the ways you’d expect. It wasn’t the send, or the grade, or even the route: it was all the things I learned along the way. So I made this video essay to try and capture a small piece of that. I hope it’s inspiring. Turns out passion, persistence, and hard work can actually take you pretty far – even without exceptional genetics or an early start.

Domen Škofic, overall World Cup winner in 2016 and famous for climbing around the wings of a flying airplane with a parachute, just dropped a video of his send of Boj za užitek (8c+).

”3rd ascent in total and 1st ascent after almost 20 years. I don’t get it because the route is one of the best routes I ever climbed :) First ascended by Srečo Rehberger in 1990 and graded as 8b+. I spoke with many climbers that tried the route and apparently the main crux hold broke. The first and the only repeat happened after the breakage by Klemen Bečan in 2007. He said that 8b+ is ok for this route :)

I respect Klemen that he basically doesn’t give a sh.t about the grades. We both agree that this route is an absolute gem but I think we at least need to get the climbers with the right level to try this route to really start appreciating it. Of course it’s hard to grade it since it’s a slightly overhanging slab but I believe it ranges somewhere between 8c and 9a.

It took me two days to figure out a good sequence before starting good tries. Now with the video and beta I believe it will be much easier on the first day but still… Let’s see, I’m curious what the next climbers will say. Just for the reference most of Srečo’s routes got upgraded for more than two grades (example from 7b to 8a) and with no apparent breakages ;)”

Katherine Choong, with seven routes 8c+ and 9a’s under her belt, has climbed Guère d'usure (8c) in Claret. (c) Severin Domela

The 34-year-old, who is considered one of the best female multi-pitch climbers, became the Youth World Champion in 2009 and competed actively until 2021.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Guère d’usure 8c in Claret, a classic French route on a stunning prow bolted by Hugues Beauzile and Pierre Rouzo. It’s one of those climbs that goes from “this is impossible” to total flow once every tiny detail clicks. I actually came here ten years ago and didn’t really appreciate it, but coming back with a fresh mindset, great vibes, and supportive climbers at the base completely changed my experience. Nothing crazy grade-wise these days, but it was a send that filled me with pure joy.

What are your 2026 plans?
For 2026, I’m planning to hit a few projects I’m excited about:
• Yeah man! (8b+) (300m)
• A return to Esclatamasters (9a) at Peres, if the route dries

World Climbing, formerly known as IFSC, has revealed the qualification system for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Climbers can qualify through the following events:

European Games, Istanbul, Turkey – June 2027
Pan American Games, Lima, Peru – July 2027
World Climbing Championship, Brno, Czechia – August 2027
World Climbing Africa Qualifier
World Climbing Asia Qualifier
World Climbing Oceania Qualifier

Winners of these events earn an Olympic spot. Additional spots (at least four) will come from the Olympic Qualifier Series in 2028.

If let us say Janja Garnbret wins in both Lead and Boulder in both the European Games and the World Championships, the Olympic spots from the latter will go to the next highest-ranked athlete.

Boulder and Lead will feature at least 12 men and 12 women each, while Speed is capped at 14 per gender. This can be compared with the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, where there were 20 men and 20 women competing in Combined. Each country can enter up to two climbers per gender and discipline, with a total athlete limit of 76 across all climbing events.

A host country spot is reserved if no U.S. athlete qualifies, and one universality spot per gender is available for athletes from underrepresented countries who meet the ranking criteria.

In practice, probably five or six Olympic spots will come from the 2028 Qualifier Series. How climbers qualify for that series will likely depend on 2027 World Cup results. The exact allocation of the 13th or even the 14th spots in any discipline, if athletes qualify in multiple disciplines, has not yet been finalized.

Pietro Vidi, who finished 2025 by doing an 8b big wall and two 8c+ trad routes in Yosemite, has repeated Dave Graham’s From Dirt Grows The Flowers (8C) in Chironico. ”One of the best, mantle felt desperate at first but somehow managed to never drop there!”

Clément Lechaptois has repeated Dave Graham’s classic The Story Of 2 Worlds (8C) in Cresciano. The name of the Boulder comes from the intense grade inflation back in 2005, which actually basically stopped after Dave’s article on 8a.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Tried the boulder on and off from time to time over the seasons and I often felt close but never finished it off. I am here in Ticino for a while and the weather isn't great for now, this one is probably the first one to get dry after the rain so I took my chance the other day and it ended up well I guess! I climbed it from Dave's OG start and with kneepad.

What is coming up next?
I am here in Ticino for at least one more month, super psyched to enjoy the tons of boulders the area has to offer and maybe try some projects. I had a look at Story of 3 worlds and it's really fun, so I might try again as it's gonna rain again 😅 I have some stuff in mind but for know the plan is to not make too much plans and get in good shape.

Nicolai Užnik, who the last year has sent nine boulders 8C to 9A, has done the first ascent of Full Gem (8C+) in Chironico. The 25-year-old Austrian has spent twelve years on the competition circuit, capping off last World Cup season with a strong eighth-place finish in Innsbruck. (c) Vladek Zumr

Can you tell us more about the first ascent?
Well, it’s the sit start to Forgotten Gem (8C), which I climbed last year around this time on my second go. It adds a couple of quite basic but hard moves into the stand, which makes the whole line significantly harder. It took me around six or seven sessions, I think, to finish. One of the best moments I’ve had was when it clicked and I topped out. Such a pure line!
What is coming up next?
I’m probably going to just mainly train at home the next 2-3 weeks since I’m going to Burden of Dreams (9A) end of February! I might have one or two sessions on the replica but otherwise just gonna train normally.

What about comp preperation?
i‘m starting my world cup season in bern end of may so there‘s still some time, probably going to slowly shift my focus towards comps after finland tho.

Tyler Thompson, with 14 9a’s and beyond under his belt, has completed Bachelor Party (9a) in Mount Potosi. ”Totally desperate end of day effort. Pure power endurance test. No knees for the history!”

Can you tell us more about the experience with the ascent?
I checked out Bachelor party last week after doing Hold Your Fire (8c) that shares the initial hard climbing. Pretty quickly I was climbing to the final roof and falling off the long mono pull crux. A few more days of inching up my highpoint and I managed to send on my 3rd go of the day, after having 4 the previous day. It was one of those rare experiences where you have no expectations and that let me climb better than I had been able to previously!

The route is pretty interesting. It was bolted and set by Joe Brooks and established in 2002 by Francois Legrand. It was one of the first 9a’s in the states and in full 90’s style, nearly entirely on manufactured holds. It’s obviously different ethics than we have nowadays but it still stands as a historic testpiece and has surprisingly few repeats, myself being the 4th.

What is next?
Heading out now to have one more session on Necessary Evil (8c+) and will have some days climbing slightly easier routes in the Clear light.

Leaving for Spain on Tuesday! Hoping to try La Rambla if weather permits! Planning on 8 weeks right now.

Iris Bielli has done Il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio (8c+) in Sasso Pelo. The 21-year-old Italian is a versatile climber, excelling across disciplines and sending 8b climbs in multi-pitch, trad, and bouldering.

Can you tell us more about doing your first 8c+?
The route features an intense start that culminates with a fourteenth move that I found particularly challenging. This is followed by some tiring moves, a short rest, then a second crux focused on body positioning, and finally some other pumpy moves all the way to the anchor. I tried the route for the first time in November. I managed to solve all the moves already on my first try and, on the fourth day working on it, I climbed the route with just one rest at the fourteenth move, but I had never managed to pass the first crux in continuity. I then decided not to try the route for three weeks due to a pain in my left middle finger. I returned in January with my finger healed and renewed motivation. After a first day to remind my muscles of body positioning, the day of the ascent arrived.

That day, I changed my beta for the first crux and, on the next go, I passed through the fourteenth move for the first time, then crossed the second crux and had a real fight against the pump to climb the last moves to reach the chain. Happy to have kept my cool and not let my emotions get the better of me in the second part of the route. It took seven days to send it.

What is your climbing background?
I started climbing at the age of 14 after practising artistic gymnastics for several years. Initially, I only used to go climbing at the crag and in the gym, but then, after three years, I discovered multi-pitch climbing and became passionate about it. I like visiting new places and experiencing the feeling of freedom and emptiness under my feet while climbing big walls.