Alex Honnold is in Sweden for the Nobel Week Dialogue talking about his Freesolo documentary and the risk involved. The film producers finished their great presentation by saying Honnold's girlfriend thought it was 30 % that he would fall before the subject was raised. 8a met up Honnold with an interview. "I think we are talking less than 1 % risk and it relates mainly to a mental issue. Climbing on a 7c you just don't fall when giving it 100 % and you climb at your best." During the first attempt, Alex stopped in a "blink" as he did not have a great feeling. He is talking about walking up to the crag very early in the morning and it is really cold and dark when you start. "I made it up to the slabs but I couldn't feel my feet. The shoes were too tight and in a moment it was too much. The second time was better although feeling nervous. I know it was as prepared as I would. It was that moment or never. I was able to go into robot mode. I did not need to think about anything. I could just perform. There have been tons of situations where he says being scary needing to take a deep breath and carry on. Once a hold broke and he actually did fall two meters into a tree fully covered of snow on a ledge. So do you think you will come in a situation like this again? Over time I am probably losing the appetite of it a little bit. Part of it is the classic, it is a little bit of a young man's game to prove himself. At a certain point you do not want to push as hard. We will see. You now the last year has been crazy with traveling and working nonstop so I have been tired. I have soloed all the best routes in the Western US. El Cap always represented the end of a very long road. On the other hand, Alex finishes our risk assessment talk by comparing his free solos with the risks the astronauts take. "If it was once in a lifetime for the one achievement that would mean the most to you for your entire life. If I had a 3 % risk for death I still might go for it. You only have one life anyway. It is what matters the most and you are uniquely capable of doing it. I am sure the astronauts are probably throwing around numbers near 3 %."

Toni Lamprecht, one of the best climbers in the world since the mid 90'ies, tells us his story about his latest 8C FA and adding a possibly 8A+ extension. "Of course you can have the story about "Real Absurdistan". It is a part of the so called "Stoamatz-Project", which I am trying since more than 2 years. "Real Absurdistan" is the lowest start of the roof part. It is 17 moves long, moves that afford besides maximum span a lot of body tension and good coordination. I tried it at least 60 to 70 days. This spring 20-30 and another 15 sessions this autumn/winter. The full "Stoamatz-project" would ad another FB 8A+ traverse with very tricky moves on slopers that need good conditions. That would be a nerve reckin' extension, 33 moves in total. Sisyphus was a guy in the greek mythology. He spends his time rolling up a stone to the top of a mountain, but the stone never stayed there. It rolled down on the other side and he had to roll it up again ad again. The philosophical aspect of the Sisyphus tale is whether he was unhappy with the result (never reaching the goal, that the rock is staying on top) or he was just happy by rolling itself. I think we climber have a very Sisyphus-sense of doing what we love. It is kind of a strange fate to try a route over and over again and even if we reach the top we go on to the next route or boulder. Are we unhappy never climbing THE route or is it just being happy to try something? Absurdistan is total in that dilemma because I climbed a higher version in spring and could have stopped, but there was the lower start and now there still would be an extension and so on and on. AS long as I keep projecting I seem to be happy even if I never climb the route of my life. But maybe that's not even important. Not to Sisyphus nor to us climbers..." So how can you still be going for progress beeing 48-years-old? Not getting injured might be the main key. As long as you can do sessions with a high intensity for the muscles you can have progress. Maybe not a progress powerwise but in combination with the maturity. However, I definitly need longer rests and have less good days with 100 % of power. It takes much longer to progress. Stay healthy and happy is the secret. How have you been training lately? Usually 3-4 days per week or 2 days and one hard training boulder or board in between. bouldering 1-2 hours with only little breaks in between moves. In the board it is mainly hanging, 10 and 5 seconds break hanging again and again until I get sort of trashed. Reapeats by 20 times.

Alex Garriga has done an old Dani Andrada link up project, Climbing obsession 9a in Cuenca. You start with an 8c+ then traverse some 12 meters, "which ends with a hard and strange block where you have to hang on the insteps and downclimbing" continuring with another 8c+. On the pic by (c) Darek Kaluza, the Building Engineering University student is doing Volando Voy 8c. "This season I have returned to training but I try to climb everything I can in rock. I climb like 6 days and one day rest."

Alex Puccio has done her 8B #30, Epochalypse in Flagstaff, which is the sitstart Trice 8A+, from 1975. It took 32 years before it got it's first repeat by Carlo Traversi in 2007. (c) Bodyenroute "First real send outside after ACL knee surgery! :) I repeated the stand, Trice, several times the other day and the day I sent this climb, then did the sit quickly after. Toe beta, no heel. 4.5 months Post Op right now! Starting to feel like myself again!!! :) Still can't really fall until March-ish so low balls and sport climbing for me! :)"

karoline sinnhuber has done her tenth 8A+ in 2019, Knocking on heavens door in Zillertal. video " I was thinking about that highball already a few years ago and already checked it out twice on the rope, but I was just too weak for the hard crux part at the beginning. The crimps are really small and you have bad footholds. This time I found a different beta for the start and as I could do all the moves on the rope I decided to give it a go. I'm glad for not making the experience of dropping down from the "point of no return". massive line!

Toni Lamprecht, one of the best climbers in the world since the mid 90-ies, has done another 8C FA in Kochel, Real Absurdistan. The video shows that in the end it was a night head lamp send. In total the 49-year-old, who is having one of his best years, has put up some 60 climbs graded 8c and 8B respectively. More info to come.

Hannes Huch has presented an article saying he thinks Said Belhaj did lie about his ascent of Action Directe 9a last year. The German journalist previously working together with Cafe Craft, describes that several circumstances, like Said not beeing cooperative, have made him come to this conclusion. However, Hannes does not present any evidence what so ever. I think that the media could ask for details and some kind of cooperation with the media in regards "world records" like when Bernabe Fernandez did the FA of Chilam Balam in 2003, calling it 9b+. When we talk world-class ascents, a grade pyramid is good enough as a backup. Going further down the list talking 9a's, I do not think the media should start asking for proof etc. We have to respect the freedom of climbing. Talking about Said Belhaj, I do think Hannes Huch is pushing it to far. Belhaj age 37 has been a the top climber for at least 15 years regularly climbing with the best climbers out there. He has done several 9a's, the latest last month, and Papichula 9a+.