ADVERTORIAL - From 25 to 27 May the sixth edition of the Dolorock Climbing Festival will take place all around the Three Peaks. For three days, there will be climbing, celebrations and discussions at the cross-language and cross-border sports and cultural event. Over time Dolorock has become one of the largest sports climbing events in Europe. Come and be part of it! On Friday, 25/5 at 9:00 pm there will be a drive-in cinema at the Dobbiaco indoor climbing centre. On Saturday, 27/5 it’s time for the Dolorock Red Point Fight. This climbing contest takes place in the climbing crags in Val di Landro. The five best climbed routes per participant are included in the ranking. The rankings are (for each, women and men): professional, amateur (mean value), youth and 50+. At 7:30 pm: awards ceremony with many non-cash prizes. Afterwards celebrations and dancing continue with the group “Cindy & the Rock History”, Zlagboard contest and food and drinks. (free camping). For the perfect start to Sunday a climber’s brunch is served in the Dolorock marquee. At 11:00 am "Yoga with Karin" and “Massage techniques for climbers" and Gamatzn Kids Climbing". ©Rainer Eder

Jonathan Guadalcazar has done his second 9a, Ataxia in Crevillent where he previously has set up four 8c+' "A big marathon trough the lip of the roofs. Climbs Supernova and then from the anchor it is a five routes combo. Hard to grade, it is pretty bouldery with bad rests. To me it seems logical to grade this (9a). It is the 8c+ of Supernova adding an 8b+. A great route really."

Martin Schidlowski has done his first 9a, Kraftplatzl in Berglsteiner See. "it took me 15 sessions, the fist one being in march last year. In winter I focused on power endurance (the route only has 25 moves) and finger strength training. When perseverance, dedication and hard work finally pay off! Got lucky with the conditions after many frustrating tries. Thanks to all my friends for belaying me, especially Valerie for the positive attitude on the sending day! My next plan is to finish my mountain guide education and to find more time for alpine climbing and mountaineering. I will rather focus on longer routes during the summer months instead of starting a new hard project."

Akira Waku started climbing 12 years ago being 35 years. There were no climbing gym in the neighborhood so he decided to build one. His physical background was close to nothing. "I was doing athletics competition in my school days. After that some road bike since I was 30 years old. Climbing training is mainly muscle training and campus board training. I devise my own training and practice it. I do not have coaches, trainers, etc and I do not even go there." In the video Akira does Babel in Shiobara put up as an 8C/+ by Dai Koyamada in 2007 as an 8C/+ and it has been confirmed as an 8C by the four repeaters.

Isabelle Faus has done her fourth 8A+ the last month, Ain't no Heaven for a Thug in RMNP. In total, the 25 year old has done 45 boulders 8A+ to 8B+ and she is #2 in the 8A ranking game. (c) Chad Greedy

Pirmin Bertle has presented an open letter in regards how he grades his FAs as almost all his hardest routes are FAs. In practice, the #2 in the 8a ranking game compares how many tries he needed for the five 9a's and nine 8c+' he has repeated. Further more, Adam Ondra has repeated two of his 9a's and confirmed the grade and suggested 9a+ for Pirmin's 9b as he found a no-hands rest knee-bar. Having two kids he prefers to stay around his neighborhood and actually his first European rope climbing trip since 2011 was done this year to Siurana. He worked on Via de la Capella 9b and was close to send it and says that it just might be 9a+ with the new beta comparing it to the grade standard in Switzerland.

Iris Matamoros Quero, who previously has done 12 8c+', has done another two in Santa Linya; Fabela and Blomu. "For both routes I tried them eight days last year and ten more this, but most of them the routes were wet or to warm... it has not been a good season for climbing in the cave. I am a physical training teacher. I usually get one month off without salary to travel and climb with my wife and my soon. We have now done a two days stop in Albarracin and then we go back home. I have a FA 8c+? project there in Murcia. Starting to work again in two days." Last year, Iris was #3 in the spanish Ninja Warrior and he did take part also this year but he can not tell the result until it is on television 18/5.

Jernej Kruder, who won the first Boulder WC and was runner-up in the second, did spend December by working on his big 30 meter endurance project in Croatia. "I just think it's a solid 9a+."

"Parkour style dynos challenge special skills and promotes strong physically well balanced bodies. The route setter should have great credit for their innovative and ingenious work! This is all good but a drawback is the increased risk of new types of injuries specifically to shoulders, elbows and wrist. When jumping horizontally the stress on these structures is very high and the sudden stop (most often required) will increase the impact. Even higher risk is introduced when the athletes have short recovery times between attempts and this is magnified when rotating 5 minutes with just 5 minutes rest. Even though I personally like the change of style to more physically challenging boulders, it is not a wise move to let too many boulders in a comp have these kind of moves, especially in succession. In the last EYC in Graz, we even saw a dynamic move with elbow overstretching, causing an injury. Björn Alber Md general medicine & sports medicine, MSDT sports physiology Coach & Team Physician Swedish Climbing Team