Tyler Thompson, with two 9a+’ under his belt, has made the first ascent of Chicos Superlujuriosos (9a) in Jilotepec. (c) Cameron Maier

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
The route was an obvious linkup between the super classic “las chicas superpoderosas” and “Lujuria” both 14c [8c+] routes recommended to me by Bruno Garcia B.. You do the lower boulder problem crux of Las Chicas and link into the super pumpy headwall of Lujuria, traversing in above the knee bar rest of that one. It was a great endurance challenge and the most fun route on the wall for me! Jstar followed my ascent about 10 minutes after.

Jonathan Siegrist also sent four 8c+’ and onsighted three 8b’s during the three weeks trip. The 40-year-old is having his best year ever having also done three 9a+’ and one 9b in 2025 and he is #4 in the ranking game.

Can you tell us more about the trip?
We came here to Jilotepec, Mexico for an Arc’teryx Climb Team trip and it has been just so amazing. The community here is so welcoming, and the climbing is really fun. I started as team captain early in 2024 and since then I really wanted to build an adventure with the Arc’teryx climbers. I’m so grateful for everyone coming along and dedicating so much energy and time to be here together. As for the climbing we’ve been trying all of the hard ones in Jilo. They are rad! And some more cool projects for the future trip!

With the help of an incredible local climber (and super super strong crusher!) Bruno Garcia B. we were able to organize a big rebolting effort as well.

Jonathan finished the trip by sending Constructor de Sueños (9a) meaning he is approaching 100 routes graded 9a and beyond. ” Last day last try! I knew if I got through the bottom boulder I maybe would have a chance... Very hard low crux on horrible little crimps to a long, pumpy and risky finish. What a perfect ending to such a memorable trip. Grateful!”

Iker Pou, who sent Action Directe (9a) 25 years ago, has repeated Tom Bolger’s Witch hunter (9a) in Margalef.

“I’m very happy. I’ve gone through two very complicated personal years that didn’t allow me to perform at my best, but now I can proudly say I’m back. When you’re young, it’s easy to focus 100% on climbing, whereas as you grow older and responsibilities and problems multiply, it becomes much harder to stay up there. But I’ve fought for it, and I feel I’m returning, and that’s very important to

If you stay strong in sport climbing and you’re able to transfer that first to big walls and then to big mountains, you’ll become a great alpinist. However, if you begin to slip in this discipline, it becomes very difficult to maintain a good level to keep achieving major ascents up there… ”

Giorgio Tomatis has done the first ascent of The Watchtower (9a). It was bolted by Ruben Beckers and Giorgio needed 15 sessions to take it down. (c) Gabriele Porcu

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
On the first try on this route, it feels really hard to me; then, try after try, I came to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and the opportunity to send it became more realistic. Every try, I fell one move higher!

The day I sent it was crazy🤯. The days before we struggled a lot with humidity but that day the conditions were much better and after a good first try, on the second attempt I pushed my body to the limit and managed to send it with an incredible fight🔥 which Andrea [Lostia di Santa Sofia] described as a magical run🪄

This route is just so beautiful and so hard, and I think 9a is definitely its grade, the hardest 9a I’ve ever sent, in my opinion!

I have to say a huge thank you to Andrea for bringing me to try out this magical line, for working on the route together as a team as always! All this is pure motivation🔥 I hope you will be the first to repeat this route, you deserve it🔥

David Bermudez Carbonell, who previously has sent six 9a’s, has completed El carnicero de rostov (9a) in Cuenca.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I started trying this route almost a year ago but there were some moves thats were very reachy and I did them at the límit. I was more or less close to send it last winter but I could not. The last year I was like 8 cm smaller, now I am like 163 cm.

How does a normal climbing week look like?
I usually train hard two or three days and rock climbing during the weekend.

What are your winter plans?
I would like to spend the Christmas holidays with my family in Cataluña, maybe Siurana or Margalef.

Austin Hoyt, with four 8C’s under his belt, has sent The Process (8C+) in Buttermilks. ” 5th ascent! Incredible experience. I have the poster of Daniel [Woods] on the FA over my bed, I basically look at it every single day of my life. For me, this is the dopest climb I have ever done. I’m not sure it could get much doper.”

Can you tell us more about your ascent?
I immediately started trying the process after doing Lucid Dreaming last season. The first time I ever climbed through social distortion, which is the bottom half, I made it to the last move. Instantly, I was sucked right back into another project. I spent the majority of that season trying it, getting to the last move, and not being able to fully commit. In the end, my trip was cut short due to conditions and I wasn’t able to complete it.

Coming back this year, I knew it was a mental thing. I told myself I will only try the last move off of a ladder, not on a rope, so I could get over the fear of falling. The session before I sent I did the big link twice in a row and felt ready. Showing up for my third session, I felt confident and extremely psyched. With all the pads ready and cameras on, I pulled on, climbed to the last move and held on this time.

Zach Galla reports on Instagram that he, within a week in Red Rock (NV), has repeated Sean Bailey’s Shaolin (9A) and Daniel Woods’ Return of the Sleepwalker (9A). (c) Finn Stack

The 25-year-old, with four 8C+’ to his name, says that Shaolin was his hardest challenge ever, especially mentally. He fell some 25 times on the final jump last season and then he did it on his fourth session this winter.

”Finishing up Shaolin feels like it took a literal weight off of my shoulders. My mind was finally free and all of my self imposed pressure went away. Return Is always one I tried on the side because the beta I thought I’d need to use felt like it would make the full line out of reach. Coming back this year It felt totally different (and with how soft Vegas sandstone is, it probably is). I was able to use a right hand crimp in the stand that I couldn’t before that allowed me to skip a few undercling shuffle moves and the intermediate holds for the crux move to the sloper. Once I had found my new method, the links came quick.

My process on this one this year was almost the complete opposite of Shaolin. I only had a few sessions before sending Return where I thought I had a real chance of doing it that day. It’s kinda weird because Return felt substantially more physically difficult than shao on the send go, but it came together so much quicker. The style of Return made it far easier to control my outcome, while the accuracy component of Shaolin made it harder to send, but it felt so much easier when it came together.”

Felipe Camargo made the first ascent of Abaporu (9b) in September. ”I bolted this line in 2023 when I did the FA of Auto Retrato (9a+) and Gran Reserva (9a) at the same wall. Just did the moves but did not really focus on it. This year I spent five weeks on it always climbing during the night as it is in the sun all day. After it gets dark it still takes a while for the wall to cool down so I was climbing in between 9 pm to 2 am.”

Alessandro Larcher, who earlier this autumn did the classic multipitch Silbergeier (8b+), has sent Omen Nomen (9a) in Arco. (c) Crimp Films

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
“Omen” is an amazing line bolted by Mauro Mabboni and FA by Stefano Ghisolfi! I tried it for 6 days and then on the 7th I was able to clip the anchor!

I sent my first 9a back in 2019 and a couple of days before I had known I made it into Med school. 2 big goals of mine were achieved in less then a week. It felt like a dream! Now I was able to send my second 9a and it happened in the same week I started working as a Medical Doctor in an hospital near Arco! Again two big dreams were completed!

I spent the 6 years of med school always uncertain if I could maintain my level in climbing and to find the right balance between climbing and studying was never easy.. my goal was to prove myself that with passion and hard work I could well manage both things and in the end even though it wasn’t easy, I feel I became a more complete climber and to my surprise even a stronger one!

What are your next plans, both work- and climbing-wise??
Now the plan is to work for one year and then probably start my specialisation. It is time for some training and for sure I will try some routes in the 9a range near Arco.

Michaela Kiersch, who moved to Innsbruck two months ago to climb full time, has sent Walk The Line (8A+) and Rabbit seduto (8A) in Chironico and I Portici (8A+) in Osogna.

How many sessions were needed for those two 8A+’?
I did Portici in about 20 mins as it really suited my style — crimps and heel hooks. Walk the line took 2 sessions — the first one I worked out the bottom sequence but because it was raining I didn’t do the top out. It went quickly in the second session with dry conditions!

What is next?
I have a few big projects like Arrival of the Birds (9a) and Forgotten Gem (8C) but I love climbing all the classics of an area, especially 8A-8B.

Arlo Rogers, who sent his first 9a in January, has done Seleccion natural left exit (9a) and Direct into your Fabelita (9a), as well as flashed Rollito Sharma (8b+). (c) Kieran Whitehead

Can you tell us more about those ascents?
I first tried this back in April 2024, sleeping in a bivvi tent in the car park, I got really ill and despite my best efforts, many days were written off and I went home with my best go getting me to the tuffas. I later returned a year on to the most rain the area had almost ever received. Despite a good time on that trip training and skating down the hill many goes ended with wet hands and air time.

This time I went to the digital anchor [Seleccio Natural (9a)] on the second day of my trip and then to the top of the crag for the extension on my third.

My friend Josh was then trying direct in to your fabelita which I started trying with him, I was surprised to send it on my 6th session. I did also manage to fall of on the last v1 move 30cm away from the chains the day before the most pumped I have ever been. On the send go through conditions were terrible so the top took me forever.

I went for the flash on my last tie in on the last day of my trip. It’s one i have saved for a good flash go for a while and felt brilliant being carried up by robs beta as the sun was setting. I used a techy knee for the big move in the crux. Maybe this reduces the Grade but obviously hard to tell on the flash, it’s very low percentage and I certainly had to fight for it!

What are your 2026 plans?
This winter I’m back in UK but going to Pitumarca in July in South America with some friends. Hoping to repeat some of the classics and develop some new single pitch and multi pitch routes.