Matty Hong in Spain from Petzl-sport on Vimeo.

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.

Prilep in Macedonia, with 1 404 ascents in the 8a database, is said to be the best bouldering area in Eastern Europe. In this moment there are 700 boulders from 5A to 8C but that is just 30% of the total potential. Here you can buy the topo. The route climbing potential is like 500 climbs from 15 to 150 meters length out of which half has been developed. The quality if the rock is granite conglomerate​. The picture from Luka Fonda shows an amazing 8c+ project that was established by Dani Andrada during a Petzl Climbing Festival. More detailed info from Vladimir Trpovski, who has put up some 100 routes in Macedonia, at his webiste. Climb-Macedonia

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.

Waltus Burger has done his first 8c+, Livin AstroGlide in Rumney and as he commented, "Makes the 3am start before class worth it." We followed up and got an amazing dedication story culmination after some 50 days, including five hours driving/studying. "I got up at 3am, left about 3:15, stopped in Rumney at the local coffee shop, then 25 min approach up to the cliff. After I sent on my second try at 8pm I supported my buddy Michael on his 8a project and he absolutely crushed it! Then I cruised 2.5 hours back to Portland for a nursing exam in older adult health, than celebrated with ice cream and cookies! Normally I do the drive solo. I'll listen to podcasts for school and books on tape to help me study, so it works out well. That's my most productive study time, haha. I'm all about the last minute study cram. Its worked so far, so I'm not gonna change anything yet. My time schedule is super heinous. I'm in a full time accelerated nursing program, so I'm currently taking 20 credits this fall, and work about 10-20 hours a week at the Salt Pump Climbing gym as the head coach--which leaves basically no time for training. I get up most mornings at 5:30 to do homework and squeeze in any training I can before school--mostly just campusing and bouldering, nothing structured."

Davide Picco jumps from 8c to 9a by doing Thunder Ribes in Arco. Interesting is that he has only been climbing for six years and that he is training in a very small gym. "I began trying Thunder Ribes at the end of August. The route is a connection of three lines. It is a really nice endurance route with a bouldery section just before the end of the roof and a rather tricky final part. I live an hour and a half away from Arco. As for training sessions I do them my way but I also follow the advice of the owner of the gym, Bernardino Lagni (world lead champion in 1999). I always try mixing various exercises of both boulder and endurance.. Let's say this year I was particularly committed."

James Webb has done his 14th 8C by the FA of The Outher Limits in Donner Summit. "Yesssss! What a stunning line.. 17 moves of power endurance climbing lands you at the headwall at around 18ft. After a 7B+ lip encounter you tackle another 20 feet of moderate climbing to the top. Feels good to finish this one off. Absolutely loving Tahoe!" In the 8a ranking game, also including one 8C+ he is back on top again. (c) From his Insta.

Japanese males got five guys in the Top-8 in the qualification in the Lead World up in Xiamen. Among the Top-9, seven guys from Asia! Among the females, we saw 13 double tops. (c)Eddie Fowke - The Circuit Climbing. Complete results. Kokoro Fujii on the picture, who won the first Boulder Cup in 2017, won the qualification ahead of Tomoa Narasaki and Yoshiyuki Ogata, all from Japan. (c) Eddie Fowke - The Cicuit Climbing