Petzl comes with more safety instructions for belaying. Can anybody explain why you are not allowed to give out slack and take in with the same method?

Four days ago, an article in regards Santa Linya was published in a Spanish newspaper. Some archaeologists say that they have found new things in the cave and they want to ban climbers from climbing. Although no climbers have been contacted, a petition have been set up asking climbers to sign up.

Andrea Gennari Daneri from Pareti Magazine reports that Alfredo Webber has done his first 9a, Thunder Ribes in Arco. Last year the 159 cm tall did his first 8c+ and he commented. (c) Stefano Ghisolfi "I’m close to 50 years old and now I work full time in a quarry, five days a week, 8 hrs a day. I wake up at 7am, breakfast, then 20 kms drive to the quarry. Back home at 6pm. Two days a week I have training on my wall at home. It’s a 1h 30’ work, basically long sequences, with intervals of some harder moves; then some hangs on crimps. When I’m projecting something hard for Sunday I have to rest on Friday and Saturday, otherwise I get weak. I’m less powerful than 20 years ago, but now I know myself better and I manage better my energies."

Petzl has put together some nice guidelines how to spot and belay in the beginning of a route. Strangely the rightmost picture does not at all correspond to what is written. "The belayer must be close enough to the wall to minimize the amount of rope between him/her and the climber." It should be mentioned that there is another picture included that shows that you should stand to the side. What could also be mentioned is that a light climber should stand leaning a bit backwards in order to better control the fall of a heavier climber especially in the beginning.

Climb Magazine has made an interview with Shauna Coxsey who has started to train Lead and will try out the Kranj World Cup as a preparation for the Olympic qualifications.

Caroline Sinno, who is the owner of Crimp Oil, has done her second 8A+ in 2017, Les feux d'Azeroth in Branson. "I needed several sessions over the years because the crack is often wet. Actually I didn't need that many when the crack was in condition and when the crack wasn't in conditions I still had a good time climbing in the other areas in Valais."

The biggest sensations in the semifinal in Wujiang were that the #1 and #2 in the Bouldering World Cup, Jongwon Chon and Tomoa Narasaki made it to the finals as #5 and #6. When they both last tried a Lead WC in 2014 and 2013, they ended #23 and #24. In fact, another three Asians qualified to the Top-8 semifinal which might be the first indicating that the Asians will take over the show also in Lead. Add to that is Narasaki's 7.85 in the Speed qualifications although he has just tried it out for a couple sessions during some months. Among the female, no big surprises and we saw Janja Garnbret topping out in a good style followed by Anak Verhoeven as normally, followed by Jain Kim and Akiyo Noguchi. Complete results The Live-streaming from the final starts 18.50 GMT+8, which means 12.50 European time.