The World Games predstavili pätnástich kandidátov na IWGA cenu pre športovca roku 2016 a Marcin Dzieński ako jediný reprezentuje lezeckú komunitu. Minulý rok sa tomuto chalanovi z Poľska podarilo vyhrať svetový pohár aj majstrovstvá sveta v lezení na rýchlosť. Krátke interview pre 8a.

Stefano Carnati has done Jungle Speed in Siurana and the 18-year-old confirms previous personal downgradings to 8c+. The first 8c+ suggestion was made by Gabri Moroni in 2012 and since then 8a has reported it as 9a (8c+). Several years ago, 8a said that there will be many down grades to come in the area based on the fact that so many climbers did their first 9a there or just did it very quickly. Next in line for confirmed downgradings: Era Vella and Esclatamasters?

Alex Khazanov has done Meadowlark Lemon 8B+ in Red Rocks and he reports that it has been chipped. Actually, destroying boulders has happened several times over the last years also in Fontainebleau and in Cresciano. "The hold was chipped and because of that it lost all of its friction. It might be slightly more incut but it is very glassy now. I simply cannot understand why would some body chip such a boulder. The truth is that the rock of that boulder is extremely soft and a over use of a simple brush cab change the boulder. Even the few days me and my friends tried it a foot hold got a little smaller just by stepping while climbing. I my opinion that boulder will not stay tye same in 10 years. As for the grade, the chipped hold didn't change much. Now its just a slik artificial small hold. And still a bad hold. Chipping is unforgivable and I cannot understand why would you do something like that. Saying so, its still one of the most beautiful boulders in the world and its worth climbing while we can. Even with a chipped hold."

Gianluca Piras has published a horror video from a 6b+ in Masua, Lovely Licia. The glue-in bolt was just some ten years old but it breaks in his hands after seconds. Maurizio Oviglia, a Sardinia local, says that the first breakage on the island happened in 2012 and later at least another 20 stainless steel 304 bolts have got broken. The terryfying fact is that bolts which appear to be in quite good shape can break as well due to SCC internal stress corrosion cracks, mainly in marine environment. We have asked the bolt manufacturer Raumer to comment and we will follow up. Here is the UIAA report from 2015, warning against stress corrossion. Oviglia would like to spread the info that bolts are at risk, especially in Biddiriscottai, Casarotto, Millennium and Cala Fuili/Cala Lina. It should also be mentioned that the glue-in bolt should have been placed much deeper so that the ring would have contact with the rock.

The World Games have presented 15 candidates for the IWGA Athlete of 2016 and Marcin Dzieński is the only climber. Last year the Pole won both the Speed World Cup and the World Championship. Short 8a interview.

Alex Khazanov preliezol Meadowlark Lemon 8B+ v Red Rocks v Nevade a nahlásil, že boulder bol priseknutý. Prípady takéhoto ničenia sa za posledné roky objavili napríklad aj vo Fontainebleau či Cresciane. "Chyt bol sekaný a kvôli tomu stratil všetko trenie. Aj keď je na mieste kde bola oblina teraz lišta, je vyšmýkaná a ako zo skla. Jednoducho nerozumiem, prečo by niekto sekal v takomto bouldri. Pravdou ale je, že samotná skala je veľmi náchylná na poškodenie a aj príliš časté používanie kefky môže pozmeniť chyty. Dokonca už počas tých pár dní, kedy sme ho s kamošmi skúšali, sa zmenšil stup len kvôli tomu, že sme ho často stúpali. Podľa mňa tento boulder už o 10 rokov nebude taký ako dnes. Čo sa týka obtiažnosti, sekaný chyt veľa nezmenil. Teraz je tam len malá umelá šmykľavá lišta. Stále je to zlý chyt. Sekanie sa nedá odpustiť a nerozumiem, prečo by to niekto robil. Napriek tomu je Meadowlark Lemon stále jeden z najkrajších bouldrov na svete a určite sa ho oplatí vyliezť, kým je ešte možnosť. Aj napriek sekanému chytu."

Ruben Firnenburg has finished his long term 9a project in Santa Linya, Seleccio natural. Nice projecting video from April by Henning Wang, who also took the picture. "When I got back on Seleccio my expectations were still pretty low but once I made it through the hardest crux in the middle I knew it's on. Sealing the deal on the last big move (same move as Analogica) was a very big relief! This route is certainly the hardest route I've done so far and climbing two 9a's in only four days is the best gift I could have ever made myself before 2017. Speaking of 2017 I am looking forward to go to USA for a boulder trip at the end of January. For the upcoming winter training I will include more bouldering on rock and therefore start off in Norway in a couple of days. Psyche is very high! Talking about competitions the idea is to do more boulder competitions and involve speed training as my brother David and I want to go for the Olympics in 2020. Now that I am out of Youth I can also focus more on the World Cup circuit."

Mind Control in Oliana was put up as an 8c+ by Chris Sharma in 2009 and the high quality route quickly became one of the most repeated 8c+'s in the world, having also some female ascents and Adam Ondra's onsight, who was the first to call it "soft". In early 2012, Gabri Moroni did the route and commented, "Everybody knows it's only 8c...but nobody will ever downgrade it :-P" One year later, Reffo Silvo flashed it and recorded it as an 8c, "Stay a dream send a 8c+ flash...8c is the true". At the same time we started to report it as an 8c (+) and there were some complaints about this meanwhile others sent e-mails confirming what we said but did not want to record it as 8c since they did not want to upset their friends and celebrities. Of the last seven ascents recorded on 8a, all have marked it as an 8c so it is time to drop the 8c (+) grade and call it an 8c. In fact, other media still have created 8c+ headlines for it several times over the last years. It should also be noted that of course it might have been an 8c+ when Sharma put it up in 2009 as some holds might have been broken. Some 15 years ago, 8a was first out to questioning hard core boulder grades mainly in Ticino, in order to present as correct news (gradewise) as possible. Later this was confirmed and the same story has also happened regarding several other crags. The easy way to track grades that are too soft is just to check the percentage personal best that appear in an area, aka Time Comparison Grading, see the picture. Mind control as an 8c+ would mean that in fact most who did it actually made a personal 8c+ best based on grade or invested time. This grading theory article was presented in 2002.