Measuring the number of hardcore ascents, 2020 has not started well due to the Covid-19 crises. However, during the last few days, we have seen that especially the competition climbers have started to send hard. With all the comp cancellations, the uncertainty of the remaining, and that most gyms are still closed it just might be that the competitors will focus and send hard outdoors. One limiting factor could be travel restrictions but as most countries have plenty of at least 8c's to 9a's, it is expected that 2020 will be a record year for the competition climbers. Another limiting factor could be that "old-school" grades in central Europe are harder in comparison to the more modern routes in Spain :)

Vita Lukan, #2 in the Bouldering Euro Championship last year, reports on Insta about five 8b and harder during three climbing days in Slovenia. Most impressive, the 8c's Rigor Mortis and Strelovod done on her third try, especially since her previous best was 8b. An explanation for this is that in the earlier years, she has just climbed outdoors max five days per year. The pic by Martin Zorko is from Mumindol 8b, which she did two weeks ago. How have you been able to train during the lockdown staying in good shape? What is next? Actually, I adopted the training on the board due to a knee injury so the quarantine didn't change my training schedule :) but since the middle of April, I was able to do some training alone on the private wall. Well, I don't have any specific plans for the future :) I have lots of cool routes to try in Slovenia so I think I won't get bored without competitions."

Alex Puccio has done her sixth 8B+, Super Low Chimichanga Right in Coal Creek. "Adds a 4 move V8-9 into the V13. Chimichanga is really my style to a T so not too sure of the grade. The super low is definitely harder the shorter you are. You have to do more moves and get really spread out!" The 30-year-old has also recorded four 8B's which means she has done a total of 36. In spite of having several injuries during the last year, she has more or less been the #1 ranked female for seven years straight. In 2009, Alex won the second WC she entered and in 2018, she won the last she did. In between, she made it to the podium twelve times including getting the silver in the World Championship in 2014.

Stefano Ghisolfi is out from his strict quarantine showing great form directly doing two 8c+' in Arco, X-Large and Zauberfee. "We spent 2 months at home and to start climbing outside was great! A bit weird tough, but I got the feeling again immediately. I'm not surprised because I trained hard and I know my garage is very good to train strength and endurance. In the next few weeks I hope it will be the same as these days. There are very few people at the crag and we can climb safely." On his Insta the Italian has shared some more thoughts on how we all can be safer at the crags.

Some climbers just like to climb hard and to make progress. At the same time, almost all the very best climbers truly enjoy climbing no matter of the grade, meaning they have a very wide and solid base of their grade pyramid. Getting out of a lockdown is a perfect period to just climb more easy routes than normal. If you still want to set goals, try to do as many routes on a day or fill up the base of your pyramid with 15 6a's or 7a 's etc. A simple rule is that the factor of the pyramid should be around 3 - 4 for each grade, before adding one more level. Here is an example of a solid pyramid between 7b to 8a ready to start projecting an 8a+. 8a = 3, 7c+ = 9, 7c = 27, 7b+ = 81, 7b = 243 Another way of seeing when going for 8a+ it is based on Time Comparison Grading. 8a = 5 days, 7c+ = 1 day, 7c = second go, 7b+ = onsight

Over 20 000 climbers have answered the Vertical-Life, "Restart Climbing Survey". Overall, 95 percent of the climbers would like to climb at the gym again, for 60 percent specific measures are a prerequisite for this. Only 5 percent would not feel safe. The majority of climbers would agree with the proposed measures. There is a high willingness to adhere to hand hygiene measures (98%), to have body temperature measured at the entrance (91%), to refrain from using changing rooms (88%) and showers (75%), and to agree to fewer routes and boulders (81%). A large proportion would also be willing to wear a mask (65%). However, only half of all climbers would want to climb in a restricted, assigned area.