Last year, we wrote about extreme progress in 2016 and it continues in 2017. Until 2015, the progress had been quite slow so the new levels reached by the climbing community is just remarkable. It started with Margo Hayes making the first ever female 9a+, which later also Anak Verhoeven managed to do, and Angela Eiter did the first female 9b, (c) Red Bull Contenpool/E. Holzknecht. Bear in mind that only two guys (Ondra and Sharma) in the history have climbed harder grades. Adam Ondra reached a new level by establishing the first 9c and also Steve McClure's (45) 9b FA is another new level. We can copy what was said in 2016, "More guys than ever have done 9a+ and 9b's routes." And the same goes for the girls doing 8c+ and harder. Charles Albert 8C+ barefoot is also a new standard. The only discipline where we do not see progress is in onsight of routes and flashes of boulders. The top level for onsights are 9a but apart from Ondra, very few 8c onsights in 2016.

Michaela Kiersch arrived to Hueco Tanks ten days ago having done just one 8A three years ago. First she flashed one 8A and did her first 8A+. Yesterday she did Crown of Aragorn 8B. In total she has done seven boulders 8A to 8B and is now #2 in the 8a ranking game. (c) Petzl "I went into my trips to Hueco Tanks with no expectations because I had never been there before and I don't consider myself to be a "boulderer." I have just graduated from university and in 2018 I am looking forward to seeing what happens when I focus more energy into my climbing."

Some ten years ago, at the time when we saw several GriGri accidents, 8a suggested a new method which later Petzl adopted. We also made several of the sponsored athletes how to belay in a safer way. Some year ago, we made Petzl video that had been showed 500 000 times, delete it as it did show wrong technique. The belay mistake in the latest video is not so big but anyhow strange that the it did pass through. Do you see what we mean?

Christof Rauc reports that Florian Schmalzl has during two days flashed Gioia stand 8B, Alphacentaurien 8B and V di Vendetta 8A+. Flo is one of the few top climbers not Active on social media.

Climbers seems to think that doing campus moves as well as doing 10 second dead hangs are the best ways to get more power. Interestingly, Björn Alber suggest that the real power gain mainly comes through muscle growth doing different type of exercises, during 45-60 seconds, instead of just hanging in one finger position. This will also reduce the risk for injury. As the video suggest some exercises hard to do in your gym, here are some climbing moves that Alber thinks also could be done. Start with warming up, followed up with 2 second recruitment moves and 10 second contact strength exercises. Finish of with 45 seconds sequences doing some 8 - 12 moves per hand. Rest as long as you you need to maintain full power. Remember, this should only be done by the advanced climbers and a program should take 45 - 90 minutes and it should involve as many different moves and strengths as possible. The easiest way is to use a system board or hit strips as you want to repeat the same type of moves, challenging; Open-crimp, Open-hand and Sloopers doing also different types of Pinches, Underclings, Gaston and Cross-over moves etc. In practice this means that you challenge different types of muscles until failure. Once you need longer than 5 minutes rest, although going for different types of moves, you should finish your session. Start slowly and take a rest day after a hard session. After some weeks you will feel stronger due to muscle growth in all of your forearm muscles.

Carlos Ruano has done his first 9a, Esperanza in Madrid after 17 days of projcting. ”To do first 9a being 37 can be explained that for a year now I have a climbing school (awesomebouldercenter) and it allows me time and all the means to prepare my projects.”

Climber.co.uk reports about Dani Andrada and Steve McClures onsight trip to Leonidio. Both did onsight pretty much everything they tried up to 8b+ but commented that many routes where very soft graded. Here is the McClure artilce, where he answers, "Is it worth the hype?, with a YES.

Alex Puccio has done her 49th 8A+, Darm Room in Hueco Tanks. "Great consolation prize for the day, but seriously this is a good climb!!! First time ever trying it. I leave tomorrow for a comp and then back at it on Monday!!!" (c) West Mount Media

Sangwon Son reports on Facebook that he has done Demencia Senil 9a+ in Margalef and in total he needed 28 days. Projecting video from last month. The last time he made 8a news was in 2013 when he had done La Rambla. When we asked what was his next plan he answered, - Tomorrow I will try Demencia Senil. The answer of 2017 is, - Tomorrow I will try First Round First Minute. (c) Sangrok Lee The Korean was an active competition climber until 2011 who almost always was Top-15 in Lead and his best Boulder result was #5 in the world championship in 2007.