Stefan Scherz, who won the Lead and Combined Euro Champ and was runner-up in Boulder last year, has done Don Pedro 8c+ in Niederthai in just two sessions.

So three 8c+'s and your first 9a since the lockdown, how was that possible?
During the lockdown, I tried to focus on doing some power and strength exercises, which helped a lot to stay fit or even become fitter. When the lockdown ended and the gym was still closed, I only had the chance to go climb outside. Since then, every time I went rock climbing I felt better and better. I’ve been rock climbing pretty much every day except 2 rest days, for 1 month straight.

What about indoors and competition training?
My first day back in the gym was at the end of May. Since then, I’ve been training a lot indoors with the national team. Yet, I try to spend as much time as I can outdoors on the rock. The first national competitions are at the beginning of June with speed and bouldering, later in August, there will be a lead comp, where I’m already looking forward to.

Maria Davies Sandbu, who also has done 16 boulders 8A and 8A+, has done her third 8c, Nordic Flower in Flatanger. (c) Martin Mobråten

"Me and my husband Martin were supposed to have 5 months of travelling (before i start my internship as a junior doctor). We were in Spain when the corona-situation really escalated and traveled back to Norway quickly. We built a home-wall in my parent's garage which came very useful as the winter turned out to be very long. In late April we started going to Flatanger for climbing, but it was super cold in the beginning. I was quite hesitant to try hard stuff, and it was only 2 weeks ago I started trying Nordic Flower extension. It turned out to go down quite quickly. I did the first line 2 years ago, and "Nordic Plumber" last year which shares the same start. So I knew the beginning really well. I think I worked the extension part for 3 or 4 days before I started having goes from the start, and then it went down 3.go."

Caroline Sinno, who has done four 8B Traverses in Fontainebleu, has done her second 8B boulder there, Mysterio. "Always in love with nature and beautiful boulders in the forest of Fontainebleau. With lots of passion and attachment to this proud line « Mysterio » I took advantage of the last « conditions » of the year and climbed it. It is a short and intense line graded 8B with only 4 hard movements opened by Olivier Lebreton. It goes crescendo with a tricky last dynamic movement. It is very remote in the forest and I really enjoyed the scenery there. I have done another movement from the initial version so makes it a harder version?"

How were you able to train during the lockdown and what are your summer plans?
Not a lot of training. I was a bit depressed at first. I train very little physically, instead lots of stretching and proprioception and also some elastic bands. Summer plans: climb in Font on some easier climbs and maybe a hard traverse until July and then in august Rodellar.

What is proprioception?
On a Swiss ball, eyes closed, repeating the movements in my mind. A bit like Adam Ondra and elastic bands for resistance.

Seb Bouin has done the 19th ascent of Chris Sharma's classical 9a+ test-piece in Céüse, Biographie. Impressively, this was his first "real" trip to the mecca not including some weekends several years ago. (c) Sam Bié

With a total of 45 routes 9a to 9b+, out of which 12 FA's, the French is among the best climbers in the world. More info to come...

Théo Blass has done Souvenirs du pic 8c in Saint Guilhem le Desertin. Last summer Theo toproped a variation of the route (combining an easier start with the second half) graded 8b. This year he worked on the lower section for about 7-8 sessions. The not yet 140 cm tall is the youngest climber ever to have reached 8c. Picture by his father Vladimir Arnaoudov who gives us the amazing story.

"Theo started climbing more regularly when he was 8 (he was climbing before, but quite irregularly). His progression was quite interesting: it took him a few months of projecting to send his first 6b+ (on top rope) and then he progressed from 6b+ to 8b in less than a year and a half. His training is a bit chaotic and highly dependent on motivation, time of the year and availability of other more fun activities (such as mountain biking, skiing or building a shack in the garden). At the beginning of the lockdown he trained a lot at our small home bouldering wall but then he lost motivation and did not train for a month.

From the dad's perspective, there are two key takeaways from the experience of belaying, watching, encouraging, counseling, supporting and occasionally arguing with Theo about beta: (1) adult grades are a bit of a nonsense when it comes to kids - two of the hardest moves on the route for Theo are among the easiest for adults - so not worth getting too excited about grades (especially when you are under 1m40); (2) even if fear, frustration and failure are part of the game, climbing kids of the world, enjoy every moment of climbing, projecting, trying hard, sending and try to have fun, and confidence - the future belongs to you."

Roland Hemetzberger, who previously has sent five routes 9a and 9a+, reports on Insta that he has done Stefan Fürst 1996 test-piece Qui near Innsbruck, which only Adam Ondra has repeated. It begins with an 8c/+ route followed with a five moves 8A boulder where Roland failed 45 times before sending. "It was physically and mentally one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had." (c) Fabian Hagenauer

"I grew up in Kufstein and moved three years ago to Innsbruck. I remember myself a few years ago saying, "I am not able to send Wagnis Orange", the lower 8c. I was simply psyched from Adam Ondra‘s video and ascent. Next is a multi-pitch project at Wilder Kaiser. It will be harder than WOGÜ which I sent two years ago." (WOGÜ is Ondra's FA with seven pitches including two 8c's, considered as one of the hardest in the world.)

Sienna Kopf, #9 in the Youth World's last year, has done her first 8A+, Log Cabins in St. Vrain after projecting it for 4-5 sessions. The picture is from Wake of the Flood.

"Each session I tried to focus on learning something. Placing the heel just right one session, finding just the right place to crimp in the seam another, learning how to keep my core tight on the crux move yet another. The last session before the session I sent I was painstakingly close, reaching the final slap to the sloper at the lip.

It was tricky to manage my skin during this process. The right hand crimp at the end of the boulder problem was very sharp, and pretty much every time I stuck that move, I ended up puncturing the skin on my pointer finger. I quickly learned to pre-tape in order to give myself the best chance of sending!

When I sent the boulder, I felt like I was floating. I executed the moves perfectly and before I knew it I was over the top of the boulder! It honestly felt easy when I did it HA! It was very exciting not only because it was my first of the grade, but also because it convinced me that I can do so much more!"