Lara Trinkl, who previously in 2025 has sent a dozen boulders 8A or 8A+, has completed Crusher sit (8B) in Mixnitz.

Can you tell us more about doing your first 8B?
I tried the stand start a few times in the last one or two years but a few weeks ago decided to just go for the sit, even though I never did the stand. In my opinion it is a better line that just adds one hard move that fit me really well. I was so nervous on the day I sent it because it really felt like I could do it. I am really happy about the send and it means a lot to me.

What are your winter plans?
I just want to spend as much time bouldering outdoors as possible and hopefully try as many good boulders as I can, so no concrete new projects yet 😊

Christopher Cosser, who placed 16th in the Tokyo Olympics, has done Ace of Spades (9a+) in Poptire Cave. The South African did his first two 8C boulders last year, after he retired from the competition scene. Ten weeks ago he sent Creature From the Black Lagoon (8C+) and in September Moonshine (9a). (c) Finn Stack

Can you tell us more about doing your first 9a+?
The process on Ace of Spades started for me in 2021 when I first came to the US. It was actually the first route I got on in the States. Ive tried the route a few days every season, but never invested enough time to see the process through until now. Competition climbing and training for comps kept me preoccupied. Earlier this year I got my Green Card, moved to Colorado, and decided to fully commit myself to climbing outside instead of competing. I fairly quickly was able to put together Creature From the Black Lagoon, and then set my sights on routes. Returning back to Ace was a pretty easy learning curve. Unfortunately since the last time I’d been on it, a couple of key holds had broken, one of them being a crucial foot in the first boulder and the other being a resting hold before the final boulder. Fortunately those breaks didn’t prevent me from doing the route, but made it constantly harder.

Doing Ace of Spades and Creature makes me the first South African to have climbed 5.15a, as well as the first to have climbed v16. I couldn’t have done it without the resources available to me in the US. I’m incredibly proud of where I’m from, and I hope that this can inspire my community back home, who are pushing the local level higher and higher. I’m now back in Colorado, with my eyes set on some stellar routes and boulders nearby.

At the European Cup in Toulouse, France secured all three medals in the men’s category, with Camille Pouget impressively winning each of the three rounds. In the junior events, Italy delivered best results followed by France.

Seniors: Leo Avezou FRA - Camille Pouget FRA
U-19: Gianluca Vighetti ITA - Matilda Moar ITA
U-17: Andrea Chelleris ITA - Rafael Kazbekova UKR
Complete results

Celine Mehouas has sent Cosi Fan Tutte (8c+) in Rodellar. The 34-year-old did her first 8c just 18 months ago.

Can you tell us more about doing your first 8c+?
My awesome friend Caro Minvielle motivated me to come and see her big project with her: Cosi at the Piscineta sector in Rodellar. This superb route is a 55m pitch on a steep overhang above the water; the setting is fabulous. I was immediately hooked, especially since it’s more fun with a partner—we motivate each other! So there I was, off to try the route, which was practically handed to me on a silver platter with all the most optimized techniques Caro had discovered!

I went for the first time during a two-week stay, but it wasn’t long enough to absorb all the effort and techniques needed to send it. A short two-week break followed, due to work and specific training. Back to Rodellar for the All Saints’ Day holidays to climb with friends and return to the route. After a short week of working on the route with Félix, I was finally dialed in perfectly and had rested the day before. Caro and I motivated each other to go up the route together. We thought it was the last day of trials for the season because the conditions were starting to get too wet and cold for me, but on the last attempt of the day, the magic of climbing worked. I felt relaxed and fit, and everything went perfectly all the way to the belay in such an unexpected and magical way that it’s in moments like these that you know why you climb, to achieve these dreamlike sensations!

How can you best explain your great progress the last two years?
I think that in recent years I’ve simply done more cliffs and a little less paragliding, skiing, and other activities. And that my friends motivated me to try harder routes.

Mejdi Schalck, who won silver at last month’s World Championship, has flashed Casavino (8B+) at Brione. The 21-year-old posted a great uncut video of the ascent on his Instagram. Mejdi has previously climbed multiple 8C boulders and 9a routes, including Es Pontas (9a+).

How did you betawise prepare for the flash.
I didn’t prepare that much haha. A friend gave me the beta and I tried. He sent it in front of me.

What are your winter plans and will you focus on comps also in 2026?
Yes, but I will do a lot of outdoors too this year! Winter plans is a trip to US!

Laura Rogora has during some rainy and wet days in Saint Léger managed to onsight Le concept (8b+) and send Supercrackinette (9a+), L'enfumette (8c+), 3rd go, and Le Cadafist (9a). Today she also sent La castagne (9a+). (c) Jan Novak

Can you tell us more about your 9a ascents?
My first days in Saint-Léger were quite rainy and the only climbable route was Super Crackinette. On the first day, I checked out the moves, but the next day the first part was wet, so I reached the crux with wet hands and couldn’t really try. On my third day on the route, it was finally dry but during my first attempt, I made a small mistake at the crux. I sent it on my second try of the day.

[Le Cadafist] I did three attempts one day but the start and a pinch on the first crux was wet, anyway on my third attempt i almost get out the crux but then I slipped because I had wet hands. I took a day of rest hoping it would dry. The pinch stayed wet but I knew that it was possible even like this so I tried anyway and unexpectedly sent it on my first go of the day.

[La Castagne] A few days ago, at the end of the day, I put on the quickdraws and looked a bit at the holds, but the initial boulder felt quite hard to me. Then, the day before yesterday, after doing L’Enfumette—since it was one of the few routes that were quite dry—I decided to get back on it. I did two laps and figured out all the beta. The next day, I did a go to check the movements again, and on the go after that, I came very close but made a mistake at the end of the boulder. I sent it on the next lap.

Matteo Gambaro, who last month sent his seventh 9a, has completed Paranoid Android (8c+) in Val Tanaro. After the 9a he said, ”I can still improve, but I need to rest more and do shorter, more focused power sessions.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I climbed the easier version called Paranoid (8c) last year after a bad back injury. I also tried this more difficult variation, but I was a long way off and still recovering. This summer, I preferred to prepare and try a more ambitious project Prima Classe (9a) which required a lot of effort, but being more intense, allowed me to build a good strength base.

After managing to send it, and being at the end of the season, I tried this line again out of curiosity. Compared to last year, I felt better, and was immediately able to redo the first part of the route and the final section, which, after a rest, consisted of 10 difficult moves. So, after a few days where I fell on the final moves, I finally managed to complete this line.

It was a good test because the final section is shared with another beautiful 9a/+ line that starts further to the right and which I plan to try next season.

Sam Richard, who last month was #15 in the World Championship as well as sent Es Pontas (9a+), has repeated Simon Lorenzi’s Soudain seul (9A) in Fontainebleau. The 169 cm tall 18-year-old placed a book under his kneepad just like the equally tall Lorenzi. (c) Timothée Nitschke

Can you tell us more about the process behind the ascent?
After I sent The Big Island (8C) in seven sessions in April 2023, I started projecting the low start in November of the same year. At that time, I was almost never falling on Big Island, I was doing some good links, but the knee section with the kneepads and the book felt really, really hard, as I only managed to do the crux once during that trip.

I went back to it in autumn 2024, but I had lost the sensations in the upper part. I was only going 1 or 2 days every month, which wasn’t enough to remember all the micro details. Then I realized what I really needed to send was time — time to make it my main focus.

It was kind of by chance that I came back this year, because I had planned to stay in Mallorca until the 23rd of October. But since I sent [Es Pontas] way faster than expected, and still had 3 weeks of holidays left, I thought it was a good idea to try hard on this one. I really felt in shape, and I almost found all the sensations again after just 2 sessions. From session 3, I decided to start going for send tries.

On session 4, I had never felt that strong before — and then I fell at the very last move of the boulder, miserably slipping off the heel. Kind of a glitch in the matrix. The real battle started from that session onward. The pressure was on, as I knew I could send. Session after session, I was getting closer, falling a little higher each time, until yesterday, when everything finally came together. The key moment was when I went back to try one move at the end, just to find a micro-sensation I needed.

I was tired during the send, but I’ve never executed a try that well — surely my proudest achievement so far. In total, it took me 27 sessions (7 for the upper part, 20 for the beginning). I used a kneepad, a book under my kneepad, and I asked a guy to customize my Instincts with a Drago toe hook and Drago heel (like Lorenzi). Absolutely essential.

What are your winter plans?
For now the main focus will be training for the season, and if I have time I gotta finish the job in La force tranquille (8C) and The Understanding (8C) in Magic Wood.

Melina Costanza, who last month got the bronze in the World Championship, has sent The Mantra (8B+) in Little Cottonwood Canyon (UT), in just three sessions. (c) Alex Johnson

Can you tell us more about the quick ascent?
I spent all summer training hard for last month’s world championship, so I felt strong and wanted to get back on the rock. I’ve wanted to try this boulder for a year and only recently got my fingers healthy enough to try something so crimpy. My first day on it was last week, but it was over 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It dropped 20 degrees this week and I was able to put it down quickly!

I think the temperature mattered so much because you do multiple hand moves and multiple foot moves off the same small crimp. You need to stick to the rock perfectly to be able to stay engaged on it for so long.

Tamas Zupan, who sent his first 8C+ this summer, has done Bügeleisen (8C) in Schleierwasserfall. ”One of the best climbing experiences I've ever had. I climbed the standing start six years ago. At the time, I wrote that "the sitting start would be coming soon". Well...this did not happen soon :) Now the last hold and the top were completely wet. I took two fans, a leaf blower, and lot of towels. That way, I managed to dry it out almost completely. Thanks to Attila Radics and the guys for the information and support. And respect to everyone who climbed it, for me it was a very difficult 8C.”