Based on the IFSC provisional calendar 2018 it seems there will be a record number of comps during 2018. In total the senior calendar includes seven Lead and Boulder World Cups plus the World Champion. For the juniors, there will be a total of ten Euro Youth Cups in Lead and Boulder, a World Champion and also Olympic Games. At the same time there are more comps then ever, they are spread out more meaning more travel. For the guys focusing on Tokyo 2020, the schedule is so hectic that it will almost not be possible to do all Boulder and Lead events, without loosing some valuable training time. Boulder 13/4 Meiringen - Switzerland 21/4 Moscow - Russia (Speed) 5/5 Chongqing - China (S) 12/5 Taian - China (S) 2/6 Tokyo - Japan 8/6 Vail - USA 18/8 Munich - Germany Lead 6/7 Villars - Switzerland (S) 12/7 Chamonix - France (S) 20/7 Briancon - France 27/7 Arco - Italy (S) 29/9 Kranj - Slovenia 20/10 Wujiang - China (S) 27/10 Xiamen - China (S) World Championships/Games 6-16/9 Innsbruck - Austria 7-19/7 Central Saanich - Canada: Youth 6-18/10 Buenos Aires - Argentina: Youth A

Although nobody agreed on the Combination format in the Olympics, many of the best have said they will go for it or have started trying the other disciplines. However, with the multiplication format it might be counter-productive to seriously train Speed before the qualifications are over. Most likely, some 20 Speed specialist will try it out, as if you win the Speed and get lucky in Boulder, you just might make it to Tokyo. This means that the very best Speed climber, out of the regular guys focusing on Lead and Boulder, can only get #21 in Speed. On the other hand, training Speed and especially the leg muscles, will most certainly have some negative aspects on Boulder and especially Lead performance. Here is the math showing that it might be counter-productive to seriously train Speed before the qualifications is over. The base of the analysis is that you drop (at least) one position in Lead and Boulder if you seriously train Speed. 21 (Speed) * 3 * 3 = 189, looses to 47 * 2 * 2 = 188 21 (Speed) * 2 * 5 = 210, looses to 52 * 1 * 4 = 208 Training Speed seriously to become #21 in the World Champion qualification should mean at least 5 hours a week. This will make you gain at least 2 - 4 kilos at the same time you will have less time for training Lead and Boulder as well as getting outdoors. In other words, the guys investing in serious Speed training will loose much more than just one position. This means that the "ordinary" results in the World Cup also will deteriorate and if you can not evolve yourself into an Olympic robot, your mental health and strength will be poor when the qualification starts. In fact, Janja Garnbret and Adam Ondra just might have greater chances to win the golds by totally skipping any serious Speed training what so ever. First they will enjoy and have fun winning all the World Cups as many of their competitors will be weaker both physically as well as mentally. The twist of this counter-productive claim is that in Tokyo, where all the Speed specialists that eat Lead and Boulderers as breakfast, have failed to make it. The #21 Speed guy would finally get turn on his investment winning Speed in the first round where 20 competes. Any how, if Ondra walks the Speed track in 20 seconds and then win Boulder and Speed, he will get an multiplicative score of 6 points. Even if the Speed winner remarkably gets #2 and #3 in Lead and Boulder, he is runner up overall. 1 (Speed) * 2 * 3 = 6, looses to 6 * 1 * 1 = 6 on count back

Adam Ondra publishes on his Instagram a new FA in Arco, One Slap 9b. First he climbed Stefano Ghisolfi's One Punch (9a+ suggested by him and more in the 9a+/9b range for Ondra) and then he added with local Mauro Mabboni one more bolt to make a harder route. "After a while, I got to experience the moment when conditions are perfect, my mind is fully aware of it, that influence my state of mind, I climb free and confident, and I have the feeling of ease, flow and joy. First, I ticked off One Punch in Arco, a great first ascent from @steghiso. He gave it 9a+, but 9a+/b is probably closer to reality. It took me a few days over the last months. Then we added one more bolt and I made a first ascent of a harder start, calling it One Slap 9b. What a day!"

Amazing moment in Kranj captured by the one and only Eddie Fowke - The Circuit Climbing. Imagine how millions of spectators will get amazed by our sport in Tokyo when climbers cooperate together in isolation and with the crowd fighting for the gold. Do not miss the great interview, starting 55.45 where a smiling Jakob says it is about getting rid of the pressure and just enjoy what you are doing. Mental training at it's best to listen to Jakob!

Mammut has the great story from when Marcel Remy, born 1923, climbed the 450 meter Miroir de l'Argentine in Western Switzerland. Talking to his son, Claude, one of the most dedicated bolters in the world, he said that the 5b+ grade is a super sand bag. In reality comparing to modern sport climbing it is in fact much harder.

The eight and last stage of the Lead World Cup will take place this weekend in Kranj. Janja Garnbret has already secured the overall title and Romain Desgranges needs to be in Top-15, otherwise Stefao Ghisolfi could get the title. 1. Romain Desgranges 440 - Janja Garnbret 565 2. Stefano Ghisolfi 362 - Jain Kim 445 3. Keiichiro Korenaga 339 - Anak Verhoeven 404 4. Domen Skofic 270 - Jessica Pilz 330 5. Marchello Bombardi 246 - Julia Chanourdie 307 As the Olympics is getting closer, several boulderers will try out Lead; Shauna Coxsey, Stasa Gejo, Jongwon Chon and the Japanese boulderers. Interesting is also that Alex Megos, who won the semi i Arco, will try it again after having prepared himself outdoors in Leonidio. Saturday 11th November 08:00 Men's Lead Qualification - Updated results 13:00 Women's Lead Qualification - Updated results 20:00 Lead Semi-Finals LIVE-STREAMING Sunday 12th November 17:00 Lead Finals (LIVE)

Janja Garnbret put on yet another amazing show winning her ninth World Cup victory in 2017 in Kranj. In total, she won six Lead World Cups and in the remaining two she was third. Jain Kim was second and secured her second position also overall. In total, she was Top-4 in all but one event. Molly Thompson-Smith set a new personal best and she is the without any doubt the biggest surprise on the female scene in 2017. Last year she was mainly doing Youth comps but never better than #7. Including in her preparation for Kranj, she did her first 8b+ in Raven Tor this week! (c) Eddie Fowke - The Circuit Climbing 1. Jakob Schubert AUT - Janja Garnbret SLO 2. Alex Megos GER - Jain Kim KOR 3. Dmitrii Fakiroanov RUS - Molly Thompson-Smith GBR Interesting Jakob, who has just done three Lead WCs in 2017, 1 - 3 - 1, explained that part of his success is that he has done less comps and did not feel any pressure. Further more he said he does not follow a strict training schedule. The same goes, in fact, also for the runner-up Megos who prior to Kranj, climbed eight days in a row and did just have time for one gym sessions before Kranj. For Dmitrii it was his first World Cup in 2017. It should also be mentioned that the commentating with the experience competitions climbers did a great job including great interviews. Complete results

1. Romain Desgranges 477 - Janja Garnbret 665 2. Stefano Ghisolfi 413 - Jain Kim 525 3. Keiichiro Korenaga 373 - Anak Verhoeven 444 4. Domen Skofic 325 - Jessica Pilz 374 5. Marcello Bombardi 289 - Julia Chanourdie 362 6. Jakob Schubert 265 - Mina Markovic 304 Complete results

The Kranj semifinal possibly set a new record when it comes to ties. Nine male came to hold 34 out of which seven got a plus and in the end it was the qualification result that decided whether you made it to the final. Romain Desgranges was ninth but was probably satisfied anyhow with this as that made him secure the overall victory. The biggest surprise was Jan Hojer at #5 but other then that, the boulderers had difficulties at the relatively short wall. Last out was Jakob Schubert, who saved the show, by touching and winning the male semifinal. Among the female, we got four tops and 17 girls on hold 30 or 30,5. When a 0,5 hold is given it normally means that the route setters have missed that a foot hold created an easier sequence. In the end, Akiyo Noguchi was the only one on 30.5+ to make it to the final. The big surprise and very good news was that Shauna Coxsey made it to the final. Complete results (c)Eddie Fowke - The Circuit Climbing