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

Matty Hong and Ben Spannuth have done the third and fourth ascent of Joe Kinder's Bone Tomahawk in Fynn Cave both suggesting a personal grade of 9a. First Matty did it, (c) Jon Cardwell and a couple later Matty was shooting pictures of Ben doing it.

Kids sports are becoming less competitive in Sweden. You are not supposed to say who won a tournament in football or say who won the league before they are around 11 years. Instead it is all about including and let everyone "compete" in as many matches etc as possible. Further more, parents and even coaches are not supposed to interfere shouting out tactical instructions. It is believed that a focus on playing rather than being competitive is better for the kids even in team sports. Climbing being an individual sports, clearly the winning and failure focus could create even more negative pressure. Further more, coaches and parents instructing the kids in a too detailed way replace the fun playing challenge focus, with only aiming for winning. Possibly we should set up competition formats without finals or with finals for everyone. As it stands, often the gyms just copy the IFSC format and just let the Top-6, or so, 10 year old's challenge themselves in the final with great exposure. Sure many young kids like and can deal with the pressure in a competition but what is not fair is that if you are not among the best, you are not allowed to challenge yourself on all climbs.

Matty Hong and Ben Spannuth have done the third and fourth ascent of Joe Kinder's Bone Tomahawk in Fynn Cave both suggesting a personal grade of 9a. First Matty did it, (c) Jon Cardwell and a couple later Matty was shooting pictures of Ben doing it. This is how Kinder describes his route, "Crux in the beginning, very resistant with bizarre to-hooks and roof tricks. Then very continuous, muscly, and athletic. It’s not so finger intensive as it is full body intensive. It’s like being in the boxing ring and fighting to the end of utter fatigue. Then there is an extension. I’ve done all moves and believe it’s an additional 9 bolts of 8c+. It will be significantly difficult. No rests after the glory jug on Bone T. Seems loco to me but has me very excited to see what my old ass can do on it. I’m heading down there tomorrow to try a bit. So excited."

One big downside with climbing the 12 - 18 m long gym routes, slightly progressively harder, is that most of us get so pumped that we need to rest at least 15 min. In other words, you seldom climb more than 100 m during your normal session. If you instead would divide your training on 6 - 8 m routes you would only need to rest a couple min in between and you could end up with double as much training. Further more, such training could be defined as power-endurance training which normally is the strength we are all looking for outdoors. Surely, it is just up to you and me to stop midways up the route but it is not so easy to be the first to implement such training in the gym. In general, it is the hardest routes in the gym that gets the less traffic but possibly the 7c might just be 7a up to 7 meters etc. From the kids and the beginners perspective, it is just very natural that before you start climbing the 12 m routes, you progress meter by meter.