Quinn Mason, with five 8b+’ under her belt and who was 25th in the SLC Boulder World Cup in May, has done Spirit Quest (9a)
in Squamish. ”I love granite. I love tech. This wall is truly paradise for me.” (c) Don Mason

What is your climbing background?
My parents are climbers, so I have been climbing my whole life. I grew up competing and taking climbing trips with my family during school breaks. While I compete, I’ve dedicated more time to climbing outside in the last year and it’s been really great.

How did you come up with the idea going for a 9a?
When trying Spirit Quest, I wasn’t thinking about the fact that I was skipping from 8b+ to 9a. Over the last year, I’ve climbed several 8b+ routes, and they felt like a fun challenge that I could complete relatively fast. I had known for a while that I wanted to try Spirit Quest because the line is stunning, and Squamish is becoming a bit of a home crag for me, so my time on the route wouldn’t be as limited as on previous trips.

How was the process taking it down and how many sessions were needed?
I would guess that I spent maybe 15 or fewer sessions on Spirit Quest. The initial process of trying the route was very peaceful; I spent most sessions just doing the moves and taking breaks between attempts without trying to make any links. I wanted to be patient, and I didn’t have much intention of doing the route this season because I didn’t think I’d have too many days on it. But two weeks before I sent, and a few days before I almost left Squamish, I linked from the fifth bolt to the top, which is all of the hard climbing. Once I realized I could do it, the nerves really set in, but I was able to rearrange plans, and learning how to relax on the route again was really rewarding.

Lucy Drury, who did her first 8A at age 13, has completed Mind Stream (8A+) in Smugglers' Notch. The 18-year-old started out as a competition climber but the last two years her focus has shifted more into outdoors also doing sport routes up to 8b+ and trad up to 8a.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I had projected Mindstream last fall, getting really close. About a year ago, I fell on the heel hook move from the ground. This summer, I was able to refine my beta slightly, which definitely helped me put everything together. On Friday, I was planning to have my first serious session on it in about a year, but I ended up doing it the first go of the day! I think it was fall '23 that I figured out the high foot start beta, which is the only way I can do the shoulder move. I think ever since Maddie's send with the beta I've seen it done this way more frequently.

This climb is infamous for multiple reasons. First, different people start the same boulder in different positions (high foot vs low foot). Also, now the start hold is glued. The glue job is pretty good, and it has no effect. Mindstream is notoriously soft and at the same time hard to grade. I say soft V12 (V8 from Julie Clark is not just stiff, it's a professional sandbag). In all, none of these things detracts from one's personal experience on the boulder, and it still deserves all the stars.

Beckett Hsin, who sent his first 8C in 2023, has repeated Daniel Woods Defying Gravity (8C) in South Platte. The 16-year-old, who is 159 cm tall with an ape index of +8 cm, needed only one session for the send. (c) Samuel Hsin

Can you tell us more about the quick send?
Defying Gravity has been a dream of mine for quite a while. It’s a striking, tall, overhanging face that revolves around a difficult jump move between two crimp rails. Despite it being relatively close to my house and fitting my style I had never tried it until recently. When I first tried it I didn’t have any expectations, I was just psyched to be trying such an amazing line. But after working out my beta, which ended up being a close right heel hook, I was able to stick the crux move pretty fast into the the session, and realized it was much more possible than I thought. But the second “much easier” jump move posed another challenge as I was too short to reach it. At first I tried to find a way to work around the big move, but eventually decided it was best to full commit to the jump. After missing the jump a few more times from the bottom, I managed to stick the move for the first time and take it all the way to the top!

Did you take any bad falls, like from the position in the picture?
Luckily I never took any bad falls. On my send attempt I stuck the second jump one handed and held a crazy swing, which felt super cool but was also pretty scary. I think if I had fallen there I would’ve swung off the landing onto some logs. The top out was spooky too since I’d never tried it before and didn’t have any beta. But I managed to keep my composure and work my way through it.

What is next?
I’m planning a trip to Joe’s Valley next month, I fell off the top of Pegasus (8C) last spring so I’m hoping to finish it off while I’m there. I’d also be interested in trying No One Mourns the Wicked (9A) I played around on the moves after I sent Defying Gravity and would be psyched to try it more later this year!

How does a normal training week look like and how much do you climb outdoors?
On average I climb 3-4 times a week in the gym, most of that time is spent on the Tension Board or spraywall. I like to keep my gym training flexible to allow for as much time on rock as possible. My older brother Sam writes me training plans and workouts which has been a huge help throughout the past few years!

Usually just once or twice on the weekends. I don’t have my drivers license yet so I mostly climb with my brother or when I can catch rides with my friends. My Dad has also been a big help, driving and supporting me on whatever projects I’m trying!

Giorgio Tomatis, with eight 9a’s to his name, has done the first ascent of Salto del Drago (9a) in Finale. ”It’s pretty short, I think it's 20 meters and for sure 15 on the roof. It was such a beautiful experience to do the FA of the first 9a of Finale, the route is really intense and bouldery in an incredible roof, compared with the other 9a I did I think this is its grade! Congrats to Lore Fornaro for see and bolt this incredible line😍”

Can you tell us more putting up the first 9a in Finale?
I started try this amazing route bolted by lorenzo fornaro last year, I wasn’t able to find all the sequence and I found it really hard🥵 This year I come back stronger, in two days I was able to find all the betas and yesterday I send it It’s such a incredible nice route, really steep and boulder! About the grade I thought a lot and I think it can be for sure 9a comparing myself with the ones I’ve already send.

Yanik Chassain, Lead Youth European Champion in August and with 8b+ as his PB, has done Puro Dreaming (9a) in Arco. ”During my school vacation, I finally found some time for outdoor climbing in Arco, Italy, together with my dad. My friend Andrea (Chelleris) inspired and motivated me to try one of the harder routes in Massone.”

How was the process taking down your first 9a?
When I arrived in Massone, I was immediately drawn to the route Pure Dreaming. It looked like a steep endurance climb without any super hard crux — which turned out to be wrong. There was a really hard crux in the steepest roof section, already high up, after many pumpy moves! On my second go, I had a really good attempt, so I stuck with the same beta for a third try that day, but fell again in the same section. After a rest day (spent belaying my dad), I gave the route four more tries using the same beta. Each time I fell at the same point — so close, but I couldn’t hold the pocket after jumping into it and cutting loose with my feet. It was frustrating, and I started to doubt my approach.

During my third session, I decided to give the heel-hook beta another chance — the one I initially thought wouldn’t work for me. This time, I used a shoe with a more sensitive heel and focused on better footwork. Suddenly, it worked! I could stick the heel and link all the moves through the crux. On my ninth go, I gave everything. I stuck the heel, reached the pocket statically, moved on — but fell again, just two moves away from the final jug. I was really angry and disappointed, but I can be stubborn. I wanted one more try.

And that time, it finally worked! Maybe because I felt less pressure, I flowed through the route. I stuck the heel, easily reached the pocket with my left hand, clipped the draw in the steepest part, grabbed the edge hold, and after the last hard move to the jug on the right, I knew I had it. I stayed calm, avoided any mistakes, and finally clipped the chains — after ten goes in total. I’m super happy to have reached the 9a level, and very thankful for Andrea’s beta videos and for my dad’s endless patience belaying me for hours on that route!

Radek Votocek has repeated Christian Bindhammer’s Kreuzigung (9a) in Allgäu. The 24-year old sent his first 9a in March and now he has completed nine.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
A nicely powerful and technical route on small holds with several possible betas in the crux section. On my fourth session, I fell three times on the final hard move before finally sending it. The line was first climbed by C. Bindhammer and has seen only about four ascents so far, even though it’s located on the popular Jesuswandl wall. I chose a beta with fewer holds but longer and more powerful moves — it felt more direct and suited me better.

How can you explain your extreme progress in 2025?
My progress was definitely helped by the Isele method and dry needling technique. It’s important to avoid stress — even though that doesn’t always posible for me 😅

I discovered this Isele method while treating my fingers, as I had often suffered from tendon injuries in previous years. The needling technique helped me by activating the inflammation using a wooden stick, which was pressed directly onto the injured area. It’s a very painful but effective method. In the case of dry needling, the main focus was on releasing tension in the forearm. The procedure is done with a thin needle and is also quite an intense experience 😆. I underwent both treatments at Fyziogym Cooper in Prague and was very satisfied with the results. 😌

Stefano Carnati has completed Adularia (8C) in Ticino. The 27-year-old has the last two weeks done two 9a’s, two 8C’s and two 8B+’. ”Spare sessions over the summer. Never too motivated, as I couldn’t find a consistent method on the first half. Had to use the short-guy beta for the heel hooks, which for me was much harder than the second part (i.e. “Bonjour Finesse”). But eventually it worked out with crispy autumn conditions!”

Camille Pouget, who was fifth in the Chamonix WC this summer, has flashed Pavillon 36 (8b+) in Saint-Pancrasse.

Can you tell us more about the flash?
In the morning, I went to the gym for a strength session on the Kilterboard, and in the afternoon, I had planned to train lead climbing. But I couldn’t find any partners to climb with. My coach told me they were going to a crag I didn’t know, so I decided to finally join them. At the crag, they were working on an 8b+ — the "best line in the area" — called Pavillon 36. I decided to give it a go, just to “try” the beta with no expectations, and to see what the route was like, planning to work on it after my first fall. At the beginning, I was close to taking a rest because the first crux was hard for me — a big move to a left-hand pinch, then placing a really high toe hook to match on a kind of sloper. It felt a lot like a bouldering comp problem. But in the end, I decided to keep going, move after move, and with the advice from my friends below… I never fell.

That was really unexpected — when I clipped the anchor, I was surprised! It took me a few minutes to realize I had just made my first flash ascent at this grade (even if I know it’s not the hardest route at this level). In the future, I’d love to enjoy more moments at crags like this one, because I’m not used to climbing outside very often. I’m pretty sure that if I worked a route, I could do harder ascents. 😉

Erica Gatland, with two 8A+’ in New Zealand under her belt, has sent Forever More sit (8A+) in Brione.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
It was one of the first boulders I tried in Brione on my first day and I knew right away it was the perfect for me, such an amazing climb! I am good on crimps and coming from Castle Hill the mantle was easy. I figured out all the moves quickly in my first session and managed to send on my third session! The rock in Brione is some of the best I have climbed.

What is your climbing background and what is your next plan?
I am from New Zealand and have been climbing for 18 years now. My home crag is Castle Hill. I quit my job working as a vet and left New Zealand at the end of May this year. Me and my partner moved to the UK and bought a campervan and have been travelling around climbing. We have two more weeks in Brione and then we plan on going to Fontainebleau for all of November and then back to the UK for some grit climbing in December.

Alex Totkova, who sent her first 9a in 2020 at age 15, has completed El Nino Ext. (9a) in Dryanovo Monastery. ”I’m so grateful to have climbed my second 9a! It took me around 8–10 sessions. The route is incredibly beautiful — long, powerful moves, crossing three roofs, and demanding power endurance from start to finish. I might feel a little disappointed for waiting five years to climb in this grade again, but I definitely want much more and I know I have the potential. My coach, Ivaylo Radkov (Fazata), made the first ascent of the ext. nine years ago💪🏼 — the first part was originally climbed by Ivaylo Krastev. Huge thanks to Fazata for believing in me, to my sponsors, and to all the psyched local climbers in Tarnovo! Pps. If someone needs beta soon I will have a video :)”

The Bulgarian has been an active IFSC competition climber since 2019, making the podium in Chamonix in 2021 and winning the World Youth Championship the following year. This year, her best World Cup result was 14th place.

How do you summarize 2025 and what about winter plans?
My comp season was 50/50, next season I want to be 100/100 if you understand me😆😅 My plans for the winter is to do as many hard routes as possible. I will stay mostly in Bulgaria but in November I will go for a week in Ticino for Red Bull camp.