For several years, we have ranked the best winter destinations in Europe and last year we said Leonidio is #1. The weather statistics from he last 10 years show rather stable weather with around 10 degrees with many sunny days and few rainy days, even if January 2017 was pretty bad. Climbing wise, there are 1 300 routes divided in some 60 sectors including many multi-pitches. We stayed at Troumpas close to the see who also is a farmer. Climb in Leonidio (c) Sam Bié As Leonidio is like 3.5 hours from the airport, I very nice option is to stop at Nafplio halfways with great climbing mainly up to 7a in great scenary. The picturesque city and the old fortress makes the visit even better. 45 min south of Leonidio, you will find Kapsala with an amazing red wall packed with high quality routes around 7a. If you continue 30 minutes more you reach Kyparissi which is a beautiful village by the see surrounded with walls with just a couple of minutes approach. Hotel Paraliako is 150 metres from the small harbour and 500 meters from a nice sector with 30 routes in the sixth grade. They try to become the center of climbing and plans to build a warming up wall etc. In Kyparissi, you also have Babala which is the best hard core sector in Greece and in reality a future world class wall 7c and above. Kyparissi (876 ascents) is #1 in the world's trend crag rating followed by Leonidio (6 405 ascents).

Obed Hardmeier, who the last five years did just one 8c, has stepped up in 2017 with an 8c+ and a 9a, Jungfraumarathon in Gimmelwald. "It took me more sessions than expected: around 10 days. Two days before I linked it up, I slipped on the last move. I'm not sure about the reason for the progress but the climbing style in Gimmelwald certainly suits me quite well and I loved spending time in one of Swizerland`s best spots!"

Christof Rauch has had two weeks off from his full time work and finished it off by doing two 8C's last Saturday; Zunami (c) Norbert Grugger and Sound of Silence which he gave a personal 8B+ grade. In total, the working class hero who just got his first first free shoes and crash pad, did make a total of 20 boulders 8A and harder during 13 days. Overall, Christof has done 501 boulders 8A and harder out of which more than 400 the last four years. Imagine if he could take one year off from work! "Yesterday I had my best climbing day ever! At first I went to Loferer Alm together with @nogrugger to try my unfinished business "Sound of Silence" (8B+). The first highlight of the day was to meet Klem Loskot and try hard together with him. After a few failed attemps I could eventually sent my project! Still had some power left and decided to drive to the legendary "Zunami" (8C) and give it a go. The upper moves felt really solid and so I gave it some tries from the start. As I stuck the first move I felt like climbing in a dream, I hit every hold perfectly. When i kept on the wall at the last hard dyno it was a surreal moment for me! Couldn't be more happy! Big thanks to @nogrugger for the support and the photo.

Thomas Dauser has done his first 9a, Elder Statesman in Frankenjura. In fact, last month he did his first 8c+ through The Last Rites Last after five days trying and then he needed to link it to a three moves 8A to get the 9a. Here is the video and the picture was taken by (c) Julian Söhnlein "While 9a is certainly a magical grade (still) in climbing, it was more about the mental and physical challenge, getting to the point where I realized I am able to climb it, and then to actually send it. I am sure I could have climbed 8c+ already last year, I was just never into so much projecting and also grades. To me, it is always a question of how much time you want to invest in one route."

Evgeny Krivosheytsev, four times Ice World Champion and also Speed World Champion as well as twice #2 in a Lead World Cup, won the Vertical-Life climbing marathon in Leonidio. During three days he climbed 2 714 m, divided on almost 80 different routes up to 8a+. Complete results The Ukrainian did drive down 2 000 km from Odessa to enjoy Leonidio during two weeks. The day before the marathon, the 48 year old onsighted two 8a's and overall he did not fall once. Today he had a well deserved rest day and tomorrow he might try some harder routes. - Climbing, rocks and atmosphere where much better then I expected! For sure I will come back again for climbing and festival. Organization was good, very friendly and nice people. After 10 days in Leonidio it feel like home. I hope the festival next year will be even better. It was big pleasure to use the Vertical-life app. Very easy to find the routes and mark them, plus a lot of interesting information.

Christof Rauch has done three 8B+'; Dark Matter in Magic Wood, Alpha Boulder in Val Calenca in just one session and Entlinge in Murgtal went down also very fast. Christof, who is working full time, is #2 in the ranking game but when it comes to having done the most 8A and harder the last years, he is #1. Just the last 12 months he has done 115, out of which 12 boulder 8B+ and 8C. (c) Thomas Lindinger/Dark Matters

Having climbed in Nafpoli, Kyparissi, and Leonidio for a week with my family, we are very impressed. These places are probably the best winter destinations in Europe. At the same time, we have never seen so much grade inconsistency. We have climbed some 6b+ routes that are harder than the 7a at the same sector. We have both climbed some of the hardest and easiest 6a we have ever tried. If you would like to warm up on a 6a or a 6b+, only to find that they are in practice three grades harder, you can get super pumped which may ruin your day. It is not easy for the topo authors to check all the grades that are given and often holds break, but thankfully there are digital topos like the Vertical-Life (VL) one that can correct them. Giving grade comments on databases like 8a or VL etc could help your friends have a better climbing experience.

One week ago, Adam Ondra published on his Instagram that he had problems doing Maurizio Zanolla, aka Manolo's Eternit 9a and said it is possibly 9a+. "one of the hardest vertical face climbs in the world for sure." In the aftermath of this we have received many comments explaining that actually most of Manolo's hard core routes have been altered since the FAs was done. Jolly Lamberti published the picture on his Instagram, showing the status of Eternit.

Andre Neres has done his second 9a, Peixe Porco in Sagres, which is the only 9a in Portugal.

Peixe Porco 9a by André Neres from Hands Up Creations on Vimeo.