Alex Totkova, who did her first 9a this spring, has done Napred 8c in Karlukovo, after working it for almost ten sessions. Last year she was runner-up after Oriane Bertone in the Combined Youth Worlds and as a matter of a fact, the 15-year-old Bulgarian was the only one to beat Oriane in a Youth comp in 2019.

Karoline Sinnhuber has done her eleventh 8A+ during the last year, Jack's broken heart in Magic Wood. In the ranking game, the 25-year-old former competition climber from Austria is #5. (c) Fabian Leu

"It is a pity that we couldn‘t go to ZA. I don't like the summer in Austria and Europe cause I can‘t handle those temps. I kinda have two weeks of holiday now after my exams. The plan is one week in swiss (if the weather is fine) and one week frankenjura afterwards. Afterwards I have to work and I think I just train in the gym and get fit for autumn and better temps."

Dani Andrada reports on Insta that he during a 22 day trip to Rodellar did; Apocalípto" 8c+/9a, Donatelo 8c+, two link-up 8c/+ FA's, two 8b+/8c FA's and bolted another five routes. The 45-year-old did only have four rest days and chatting with him you understand "El Maestro" has the exact same drive as 20 years ago. In totalhe has now put up 846 routes and if we are talking hard routes, he is the superior #1 in the world. As a matter of a fact, "La Maquina" has made Lleida and the surranding area including Siurana, Santa Linya, Sant Llorenç de Montgai, Terradetts and Oliana etc the hard core epicentrum in the world. The last years, he has spent some 800 Euro annually for bolts etc. In total, "animal" has done more than 70 routes 8c+/9a and harder which is third most in the world after Ondra and Megos.

Which is the best climbing area?
todos...y blokar o morir... (All...and lock-off or die...)

How can you explain your ”a muerte” expression. What does it mean to you? A muerte IS a muerte!

Here is story from Said Belhaj that possibly could give a more detailed explanation what "A muerte" means.
"After five days climbing and bolting in a row I was pleased to hear the rain in the morning laying in my bed. - Wake up! We are leaving in 30 minutes, Andrada shouts as the morning rooster. I look out and actually see sleet. OK, if the boss is calling, I'd better prepare myself for some belaying. - I know a place that is dry! 90 minutes later, driving in a snowy landscape, we look up in the overhang and Andrada starts to point out the grades from the left. - 8b, 8a, 8c+, projector, 7c, 9a, 8a+, where do you want to begin?"

The second picture is from five years ago when he did Chilam Balam 9a+ (b). The bleeding eyebrow comes from a broken hold. (c) Henning Wang

Drew Ruana,#13 in the Combined World Championship in Hachioji, reports on Insta that he has done the second ascent of Daniel Woods' Box Therapy 8C+ in RMNP. It is a sit start to a Tommy Caldwell 8A creating 18 moves on a 50 degree overhanging granite face. Drew only needed four sessions which includes a 2 hours uphill approach. (c) Alton Richardsson

If Drew would have been #12 in Hachioji, he would have qualified to Tokyo. As a matter of a fact, the 20-year-old was #10 after the qualification. In 2018 and 2019, he did 35 IFSC comps in total but in 2020 he stopped focusing on comps and did not do the Continental Olympic qualification. In January he did his first 8C+, Sleepwalker and now he says, "No more comps, just outdoors."

When it comes to training, it is mainly just bouldering and once in a while some weeks of structured training. "Lots of strength training in the weight room after sessions. Lots of limit bouldering and power endurance exercises. I campus boulders. I don’t campus board of hangboard. I know what works for my body and mind at this point."

Including also a handful 8C's and more than a dozen 8B+’s since October the last year as well as being #8 in the Boulder World Champion, he is a contender for currently being the best boulderer in the world. When it comes to routes, he started to make 8a headlines at age 16 doing his first 9a.

Marie Dorsaz, who started climbing at age 22, has done her second 8A+, Masochist in Plex, after some 15 sessions. The 36-year-old did her first 7C at age 30 and her first 8A at age 34. "FFA!! So happy to have climbed this mythical line opened by Reto Hartmann in 2006. It’s a beautiful line with very small and painful crimps. I’m very happy because there has been only three or four repetitions over the 14 past years and I did the first female ascent."

How much and how do you train?
I boulder three times a week (two outside and one in a gym or moonboard). I don’t train specifically except by doing Moonboard.

The schedule for the Tokyo Olympics has been released and Sport Climbing will take place August 3 - August 6, 2021. The qualification for the male will start 3/8 at 5pm local time which would mean midday in Europe and early in the morning for the Americans. The following three days there will be the qualification for the female and the two days of the Top-8 finals.

Théo Blass, who did an 8c in June, has done Ixeia 8b+ in Rodellar. The 137 cm tall and 29 kilo needed 6-7 sessions to send it and here a video from the lower part. (Three pre-clipped in order to avoid risk for ground fall.) Picture by his mother Aurelia Blass. His father Vladimir Arnaoudov gives us the story.

"Theo spotted the line last year and was dreaming about it ever since. He knew that it was possible for kids as Naile Meignan had done it when she was about his age. In the beginning progress was slow (Theo was not in great shape and the Spanish habit of going to bed very late took some getting used to) but after 6-7 sessions Theo sent it, climbing completely a muerte and skipping the last clip (which is quite unusual for him as he is still a bit scared to lead). Theo would like to thank his friend Izi Martinez (who sent the route on the next day) for the belaying and the encouragement and Dave Graham for being a great role model and staying so positive (even after suffering a knee injury and being bitten by a dog)."

How are you able to give him soft falls while belaying?
To give him a soft belay I use a Petzl grigri, give a lot of slack and hold the rope between the grigri and the climber with one hand (let's call it the shock absorbing hand) with the elbow flexed (while my other hand is holding the rope on the other side of the grigri, as recommended by Petzl) such that the slack stays between my shock absorbing hand and the grigri (there is no slack between my shock absorbing hand and the climber) - if he falls my shock absorbing hand acts like a brake/ shock absorber i.e. I try to soften the fall by extending my elbow before the grigri stops it (so the grigri acts like a fallback). As he is quite light this works quite well and as long as I pay attention the falls are very soft (even falls close to the ground). We will have to rethink the system when he gets heavier (and/or I get weaker).

Brooke Raboutou and Natalia Grossman have done a very fast team send of The Shining 8B (A+) in RMNP. In the last month 8a ranking game Natalia, in the picture, has only seven male in front of her and Brooke eight.

Brooke: ”Warmed up by learning the beta and did all the moves very fast. First attempt from the bottom I fell near the top and then managed to send on my second go! This climb felt very my style, but still doesn't seem like 8B. PS. Beware of the growing puddle/mini lake."

Natalia: Did the moves somewhat quickly and decided that this boulder was possible. Due to the pond I knew if I wanted to send it had to be soon. My first attempt went well but then after that I fell at the bottom for hours. Finally something clicked and I was on the last holds... but with my feet. I couldn’t make room to match with my hands and after fighting for 30 seconds I fell in the pond. I don’t think I have ever been so frustrated. After letting everything dry I gave it one more go and sent!"

Alex Puccio has done her fifth 8B during the last two months, Doppelganger Poltergeist in RMNP. Video on her Insta. The 31-year-old is #1 in the ranking game, which she has been more or less the last ten years in spite of having had some bad luck with some injuries. "Really nice line. A bit harder finish than the Shining. Glad I decided to check out this boulder literally before it was over a full pond! Lol"