David Firnenburg, #3 in the Combined World Championship in 2016, has done three 8c+; La ley innata and Llamps i trons in Margalef and Jungle Speed in Siurana. "Escaping the wetness in Margalef. Some years ago I couldn't even do the gaston move. Today less than 2 hours (5 tries). Ascend with head lamp in the darkness. 8c+ for me although a hold broke (as far as I know)." "My thoughts on my Olympic ambition: Well, I want to qualify for the Games in 2020 and I specifically train the combined format for it. Next year 2019 is going to be a tough season of selection. Only the best athletes and the ones who can perform at the right time in comps will make it. I am confident of myself that I have the mental and physical strengths and abilities to make it to Tokyo. I am a good allrounder, never specialized on one certain discipline in the past. I commit to hard gym training this winter with a well balanced mix of rock climbing besides as well to be well prepared for the first World Cups in April/May 2019. Though, the biggest focus is on the World Champs in Toyko because that's the first chance to get the ticket to the Games in Toyko. If you already make it there you won't have the pressure throughout the whole season and can better and earlier focus on your trainings for the "real" games in 2020. I am curious how next season will go for me and how I'll handle the stresses and strains of a very packed schedule. I put all in and give my best. That's all I can do. And in the end I have a clear result if it was enough or not. Overall I see it as a great challenge and an occasion to get better in my personal climbing. And that's the most important thing for me. 2019 is going to be exciting!"

Keenan Takahashi reports on Insta that he has done Nalle Hukkataival's Kintsugi 8C in Red Rocks. "Possibly the best boulder I’ve ever done... exhilarated, adrenalized, and psyched beyond belief!!!" (c) Killa Kev This was Mr "Ario's" second 8C in 2018 when he also has done 5 8B+ and 16 8B's out of which two flashes.

Cathy Wagner has added another three 8a's to her ticklist out of which one in Virignin and two in Blavet. This means that the 53 year old has done 64 routes 8a to 8b in 2018. In total, Cathy has done 699 routes 8a to 8b which just might be most in the world among the female.

For the third time, we have run the Poll, "What skill do you lack the most?". As for the 2013, 2015 and 2018 poll, only some 8 % pick Technique. In practice, the results have been more or less the same, beside the 2015 poll, where Finger strength got 31 %, instead of 26 % in both 2013 and 2018. Further more, Flexibility have increased in importance during the three polls and is now ranked #3. As Flexibility is kind of easy to improve and is something you can train back home, this increase is kind of strange. Possibly it relates to the frequently published pics of celebs like Adam Ondra in extreme positions. One of his trainers Klaus Isele has previously on 8a said; "What I still monitor is that some climbers believe that it is enough to stretch for 40 seconds in order to get “longer” = forget it. You need to hold a stretching position for two minutes (I often recommend three times the same position with that holding time). That works! To really gain length you have to repeat it every day. Your results will be visible after approximately 14 days."

Silvio Reffo, who previoulsy has done two 9a+ has done his 12th 9a, Pure Dreaming in Arco. " I have tried the route just few times in the last three months because of the bad weather. Today, after a very fast warm up, I have quickly send Pure Dreaming. My first 9a like a father!!! I hope for more hard routes in the next months!!"

Babsi Zangerl reports on Insta that she has done Jonathan Siegrist's Atonement 8c in VRG in just five tries. (c) Andy Earl The next plan is skiing and training back home in the Alpes together with her partner Jacopo Larcher who's hardest tick in USA was Necessary Evil 8c+. ”Our main goal was to climb on the Nose but winter came in too early....so we moved east too VRG....we climbed there for about 10 days....a lot of cool routes from easy to hard...maybe one of the best limestone areas in the US ... The climbing is perfect there, but I wished there wouldn't be the highway right next to it which is pretty annoying.”

Outdoor climbing has a very small impact on the environment in comparison to other sports where you almost always need to build and maintain an arena. Bouldering and DWS are quite unique and fulfills best the Tyroldeclaration, "We strive to leave no trace". Trad climbers leave environmental trace due to all cams and nuts needed meanwhile sport climbers need less gear but bolts. Moving out people from practicing sports indoor into rock climbing outdoors will in the long run mean less impact on the environment, as less arenas are constructed and required. Getting exposed to the outdoor makes it possibly the former arena sport-persons will develop into ambassadors for the planet's nature. They might also personally reduce their environmental impact and possibly adapt to the low budget/less impact outdoor climber style. By strengthen the local community, which in reality means that more boulders and routes graded 3 - 5 should be developed, the number of rock climbers will increase. More climbs in your neighborhood will also mean travelling will be reduced. Disclaimer - Surely, more climbers could to some extent have a negative impact for the local climbing community in regards respectful behavior and access etc. However, in regards saving the planet, each arena person we could get out in the nature becoming an eco-ambassador the better on a global perspective. The Access Fund is working hard and just published - Climbing Areas Loved to Death and clearly this has a lot to do with access education. We do all need to interact on the scene...not just posting negative comments in forums.

Spanish Pol Roca has done La Teoría del Todo in Albarracín suggesting a personal grade of 8B+. The boulder was put up by Beto Rocasolano as an 8C+ and Rubén Díaz repeated it suggesting it as 8C. Last week Pol also put up Boulder Blaster 8C FA in La Comarca. (c) Francis Guillén It is your first 8C, how many sessions on it? Can you compare with others? Yes, it is my first 8C. I found it two years ago but I didn't try it in 7 months due to an injury. It took me around 30-40 days. I can compare it with others 8B+ FA that I've done and Boulder Blaster is harder... but I think it's really hard to compare with others because the style is really hard to find. Do you think it could be one of the hardest problems in Spain? I don't think so cause it hasn't many moves but it is pure strength and without doubt is the hardest move I've ever tried. Which is your next goal? I have some problems to try and I can't say one specifically but there's one in La Comarca, not very aesthetic line but easy to see. Is the link up of an 8 moves 8B and an 8 moves 8B+. That will be the next hard line in La Comarca .

Giorgia Tesio, who just won the Italian Bouldering Championship, reports on Insta that she has done her first 8B, Fortunadrago in Varazze. The 18 year old did her first 8a six years ago and it was actually a flash. Later she has been an active competition climbers having won three Euro Championships. "I don’t exactly know how it was possible to top it in a day and an half of tries: when I tried it for the first time it seemed quite impossible for me, until I found out a new beta which fit perfectly for me: using the heel hooks in both of the two hard sections makes it less about strength and allows me to stick the hard move every time. So the second day I knew I could do it, and I was so excited and anxious that I almost missed the opportunity to get my first 8b done, but fortunately I had my friends there to support me! It seems that every in the last two years I ends my projects faster than before, such as it happened for Hyena, this means that I have to try something harder! So in 2019 I’ll look for new projects on rock, maybe near home so I can try them even during comp season; but next year is very important for me because it is my last year in young competitions! So I’ll try my best for making this year memorable, challenging my self in World Cup as well." (c) Fabio Fin