Here is a quick draft. Maximum one ascent per climber and traverses are excluded. Please make comments. 1. Burden of Dreams 9A Nalle Hukkataival 2016 2. Monkey Wedding 8C Fred Nicole 2002 3. Horizon 8C Ashima Shiraishi (14) 2016 4. Solaris 8A+ Josune Bereziartu 2003 5.Trice 8A+ Jim Holloway 1975 6. Gioia 8C (+) Christian Core 8C+ 2008 7. Catharsis 8B+ Tomoa Ogawa 2012 8. The Wheel of Life 8B+ (C) Dai Koyamada 2004 9. FA ? 7C John Gill 1959 0. Flash Entlinge 8B (+) Daniel Woods 2011, Flash Jade 8B+ Adam Ondra 2015, The Story of Two World's 8C Dave Graham 2005

2017 has been the greatest year in the history of climbing both measured in breaking new barriers but also on the general level of the best climbers. The record year started with Margo Hayes (19) doing the first female 9a+ by La Rambla in February. In September Adam Ondra did the FA of Silence 9c and now Angy Eiter has done the first female 9b. Until five years ago, there were only some ten guys each year doing a 9a+ and a handful female were doing 8c+ (using modern grading). In 2017, we will possibly see three times as many male 9a+' and female 8c+'. In regards bouldering, it is the same trend showing a record for male 8C+' as well as female 8A+'. Including Ashima Shiraishi's 8C boulder in 2016 when she was 14 years old and a 9a route when she was 13, we can see that the female is catching up. In regards competitions, rumor says that Janja Garnbret tried the male final route in Wujiang and climbing equally high as #3 male.

Angela Eiter, the very best female lead competition climber in the history having won three World Cups overall and four World Championships, has become the first woman to climb 9b. Today, Angy sent La Planta de Shiva 9b in Villanueva del Rosario, Spain. (c) Red Bull Contenpool/E. Holzknecht The route was FA'd by Adam Ondra and Jakob Schubert did the second ascent. It should be noted that in regards the grade, it was Ondra's fifth 9b and he commented on his scorecard, "one of my hardest so far, pure endurance climbing with few rests, continuously hard with minimum of rests". Schubert said it was his hardest route so far when he did last year. She has worked it during several trips the last two years and she has also trained specifically at home in order to do it. The 154 cm tall has previously done four 9a's. Angy's husband, photographer Bernie Ruech, says that they plan to take pictures tomorrow and their plan was to keep silent until then. "It seems someone was faster :) Angy tried the route two years ago. She did the first pitch (8c) on her fourth try. She knew that the second pitch (mainly crimps) which is a pure power endurance route could suite her well. That’s why she tried the moves and after she told me she really loves that style and if there’s a 9b she wanted to try then, this is exactly what she’s looking for." More info to come...

Lukasz Dudek has done his 16th 9a by repeating Adam Ondras's Climb For Life in San Vito lo Capo. Adam named it in order to support Climb For Life - Give Bone Marrow - campaign where Ondra signed up as a potential bone marrow donor.

Tom O'Halloran, who previously has repeated one 8B and two 8c+', has raised the bar by doing The Wheel of Life in Grampians, giving it a personal 8B+ grade. The 65 mover, was put up by Dai Koyamada in 2004 as the world's first 8C+. It should be noted that it is link-up of four boulders out of which all had inflated grades at the time, so Dai used them as the reference. (c) Amanda Watts "So a bout 5 weeks ago I made the 12hr drive down to the Gramps from the Blue Mountains with some friends, with the intention of just working on the Wheel. We only had two days due to work and family life, but it was very worthwhile! I was working it with a friend who is also trying to send the whole thing. He had a lot of beta he was able to unload to me. I did all the individual problems that weekend but felt along way from it being achievable. The 12hr drive home we were all just talking training! Five weeks later I’m back down here with my partner and three year old daughter for the Grampians Boulder Festival. Our first day here we got up to the cave for a quick 1hr session. I redid all the section and did a couple of links of the middle 2 and last 2 problems. Then yesterday I did it from my first ever try from the start. It was a surreal experience."

Tom O'Halloran - The Wheel of Life from Tom O'Halloran on Vimeo.

Matty Hong in Spain from Petzl-sport on Vimeo.

WOW! "Mastermind" is a very impressive mental training book that legend Jerry Moffat, the world's best climber during the 80-ies, has written. It is both very simple and complicated at the same time, combining theory, practical exercises with great stories and thoughts from Ondra, Sharma, Hayes, Megos, Stöhr etc. To get a mastermid you have to train your brain by visualizing, setting goals and reflect. It is not about setting just one quantifiable goal like being #1 or doing 9a. Such goals are just the cherry on the cake. Instead it is about focusing on all the ingredients, how they should be mixed and enjoying the process to also make the best cake in the world, prepared for that #1 cherry on top. This book is one of a kind and it actually puts all top climbers in a different light. They are not just guys who have trained physically hard to become the strongest. You understand that equally much mental training has been done. I am amazed. I have to stop. I have to pick up that very high quality and nice looking book again... You can buy it here.

1. Tomoa Narasaki - Janja Garnbret 2. Adam Ondra - Claire Buhrfeind 3. Yushiyuki Ogata - Ashima Shiraishi 4. Stefano Ghisolfi - Margo Hayes 5. Jan Hojer - Elena Kravsoskaia 6. Jakob Schubert - Jain Kim 7. Sam Avezou - Akiyo Noguchi 8. Filip Schenk - Shauna Coxsey It should be noted that we think male Japanese will dominate the qualifications but only two athletes form each country is said to be allowed to participate.