Dani Moreno, who just sent his fifth 9a, El Intento in Cuenca (suggesting 8c+), did Hulk in Rodellar a couple of weeks ago. It was set up in 2006 by a french? guy as an 8c and the first route in the Ali Baba cave. Later it was downgraded to 8b+ but now Dani gave it a personal 8a+ grade, due to all kneebars. It should be mentioned that Reme Arenas called it 8b last week and already in 2018, Julen Alonso, commented, "8b/with the knee pads now, you go from not understanding anything to doing it in... 6 tries."

In regards to the 8c+ Hult extension total, Moreno thinks 8b+ is more appropriate. Noteworthy is that the shorter Hulk extension was put up as an 8c+ but is now considered 8c.

As have been mentioned before in this column, this is just the start of down gradings due to knee pads. Once the community improves technically and new sequences are found, possibly 20 % of all routes and boulders where you can use kneebars will probably get downgraded. These new grades should of course not reflect the performance of the pioneers who had to fight harder with bleeding knees.

Nathan Michel, who did his first out of six 8B+ in 2013, has done his first 8C, Longue promesse in Le Pertuis. (c) Self-Timer "With two flash, a self-timer, an intervalomètre that takes a photo every second, a good camera and above a little bit of luck 😉"

"The story of “Promesse” began in 2015 when I was seeking new rocks to climb (as I always am). After an afternoon spent roaming the forest I stumbled upon this piece of rock. I spent a few sessions with my friend Yann Leray trying to find a way on top of this boulder, but at the time I wasn’t strong enough to climb it. I shelved this project, but made the promise (“promesse”) to come back stronger to make the first ascent…

This summer, I decided to seriously get back into training and to tackle a few dream goals, the first of which was obviously “Promesse”. After six sessions together with Sacha Ribeyron and Antoine Girard, we finally figured out a beta that felt possible for the easier high start (8B+). Though, a lower start seemed possible, so I started working on it and quickly managed to link it to the start of “promesse”. The section adds a short 7C boulder and makes the rest of the climb considerably harder. After that, it took me three more session and perfect conditions to finally free the full line. "

James Pearson, one of the best trad climbers in UK, has made the first repeat of Jacopo Larcher's Tribe in Cadarese. None of them have suggested any grade but as Larcher, who has done La Rambla 9a+, said that with 50+ sessions, "I have never invested so much time in a route before". Here is Larcher's video including comments from Pearso. The media have speculated Tribe to be at least 9a. This would mean that it is the hardest trad route in the world and Pearson confirms this. "Tribe is by far the hardest series of moves I have ever done on a trad-route." Interesting, it seems by Pearson's comment below, that he did it rather fast in comparison to the three years projecting by Larcher. Noteworthy is also that the 34-year-old did his first 9a in July, Condé de Choc. (c) Tristan Hobson

“I’ve known about Tribe, or at least ‘the big project at Cadarese’ for about 10 years. I’ve walked past it many times on the way to the crag, and wondered if it was possible, to climb or protect. But, despite it only taking about two minutes to set up a static rope, I had never bothered to actually look at the thing. I guess deepdown I thought it probably was impossible, like so many other King trad lines I’ve looked at over the years.

I followed Jacopo‘s journey on the route with interest, first of all interested to see if it’s possible, and later to see whether his conviction would stand the test of time and if he would put everything together. Climbing a first ascent is really hard, much much harder than making a repeat, it took a lot of curiosity for Jacopo to originally check out the line, and a lot of courage for him to stick with the process and finish it off.

I’ve been wanting to check out Tribe ever since Jacopo made the first ascent, but since Arthur was born, we’ve not really had the ability/energy/time to get stuck into a project like that. We arrived in Cadarese and everything was really really wet. For the first couple of days I got maybe an hour to an hour and a half to try the route - at the end of each day once the seepage from above and dried enough, and before it started to seep again. The conditions were pretty bad, but I managed most of the moves, by the skin of my teeth, and started to believe that one day I might be able to climb the route. After working the moves for some days, I climbed the route on my seventh lead attempt. I’d fallen pretty close to the top on numerous attempts before that, but the fickle nature of the final boulder problem often spat me off, despite not really knowing why. With lots of rain forecast over the coming days, I’d pretty much given up hope, which is probably exactly what I needed to take all the pressure off and just concentrate on climbing.

Whilst I can’t say I’ve checked out every single trad route in the world, I have been on quite a few of them, and I’ve spent a lot of time searching for my own megaproject. For me, Tribe is by far the hardest series of moves I have ever done on a trad-route, and it’s a real miracle that the thing is actually possible on gear. It’s rare to find a piece of rock compact enough to make a series of sustained hard movements, but with just enough decent gear placements. Tribe would already be an awesome sport route, and one I’m sure people would be queueing up to try to climb. What makes it really special however, is that no one needed to place bolts to climb it safely. Mother nature gave us everything that we need, right here... an amazing line, a cool series of holds, and gear placements, right where you need them.”

Fanatic Climbing reports that Anatole Bosio, who ten days ago did Aubade direct 9a+, has done Supercrackinette 9a+. He did it in two days after having projected it also last winter. (c) Jean-Eli Hugon

“I went for the send and I did it: 2 days for sending this King Line. It seemed crazy but I knew it was possible, one day for working the route, one day for sending it, but I had to give my best climb to do a perfect go! I was one fire during the beginning and I gave it all in the last move! When I took the hold of the final crux I understood that I did it! Back to reality!”

Matteo Gambaro has done his fifth 9a, Narcissus in Albenga, which is a 40 meter long link-up. Based on 8a scorecard points, the 45-year-old is on pair with his best years ever. As a matter of a fact, he has scored higher every year after 40+ compared to when he was in his 30s. (c) Klaus Dell' Orto

"Narcissus is the end of a long process born 4 years ago when I had finished all routes in the Erboristeria sector." Then he bolted a new 25-meter line and connected it in a roof with some more bolts into another new exit.

How is it possible to keep progressing at age 45 and have you changed your training?
I don't know... I'm motivated as always to finish my project and I hope I can travel more and try new routes. Must believe everything could be possible and train, try and retry... and sometimes magic still happens. Covid changed our life and I climb more near home. I train for 3 or 4 half days a week.

Simon Carter reports on Facebook that there has been new bans in Arapiles, "And the situation is set to get far far worse." The new closed areas are; - All of Tiger Wall, and Plaque Rock!, - Castle Crag, - Chicken boulder, - Pharos boulders, - All of Lil Lil.

Drew Ruana has set a new world standard by doing three 8C+ and nine 8C's during the last year. As many top climbers, he always brings a fan and a hang board to the crag but how much and the way he uses them is unusual. We are talking a Milwaukee 18v for $250 lasting like ten hours in between charges and a hangboard by his feet. (c) Alton Richardsson

"I cool off holds and hands. Probably 2-3 minutes before every try cooling crux holds. It feels a few degrees colder than the outside air. Below 16 degrees it cools them off so they feel better, especially on slopers. Better on granite, not just slopers but crux holds. "

Interestingly, he says he thinks he had not sent a couple of the boulders if he had not used his fan. It should be mentioned that it was probably Martin Keller who brought in the fans to the climbing scene like five years ago. They have now spread so much so sometimes you will see five guys assisting hardcore boulders. We will get some follow up comments by Keller.

When it comes to warming up, Drew normally just sits down and pulls on his hang board adjusting and counter load with his feet. "I just pull on the hangboard until my fingers feel warm during 10 -15 minutes, whatever my project is."

Alizee Dufraisse, who in September did three 8c+ variations in the Ali Baba cave in Rodellar, has added an 8A+ sit start to one of them repeating Dani Andrada's P con fin mas hulk extension 9a. (c) Josep Malo

How have you improved during the sessions and how much did you need to rest in between tries?
I made only one try a day in order to recover enough. I think I improved both in strength and endurance. Doing the boulder problem was kind of more “easy” even if it was always at my limit (super strength/resistant oriented, 22 moved on crimps, long moves). Thanks to the battle I put in on each try, I was still able to do a hard route after the boulder.

The French, who won the Arco Bouldering Rock Master in 2009 when she also got a podium in a Lead WC, has previously done two 9a's. Including also four 8B's, she must be considered one of the best ever female sport climbers. In 2008, she was the French Championship in Pole vault at 4.35!