Návrh zoznamu najlepších lezcov roku 2016. Komentáre a názory sú žiadané a vítané! Tak ako predchádzajúce roky, aj tento rok je zoznam založený na výkonoch v športovom lezení, pričom väčší kredit dostali tí, ktorí robili viac prvovýstupov (FA) a boli úspešní vo viacerých disciplínach. 1. Adam Ondra CZE 2. Janja Garnbret SLO 3. Ashima Shiraishi USA 4. Domen Skofic SLO 5. Alex Megos GER 6. Anak Verhoeven BEL 7. Nalle Hukkataival 8. Jain Kim 9. Jakob Schubert 10. Jernej Kruder, Jongwon Chon, Tomoa Narasaki, Sean McColl, Stefano Ghisolfi, Alex Puccio, Megan Mascarenas, Melissa Le Neve, James Webb, Alexey Rubtsov, Ramon Julian Puigblanque, Dave Graham, Daniel Woods, Laura Rogara, Jonathan Siegrist, Ryuichi Murai, Paul Robinson, Shauna Coxsey, Seb Bouin, Chris Sharma, Karoline Sinnhuber, Isabelle Faus, Romain Desgranges, Dani Andrada, Margo Hayes, Edu Marin, Sebastian Halenke, Jessica Pilz, Kokoro Fujii, Petra Klingler, Piotr Schab, Jan Hojer, David Firnenburg, Christof Rauch, Gabri Moroni, Katharina Saurwein, Martin Stranik, Miho Nonaka, Akiyo Noguchi, Gauthier Supper, Daniel Fuertes, Mathieu Bouyoud, Toshi Takeuchi, Michaela Kiersch, Carlo Traversi, Angela Eiter, Nina Caprez

Black Diamond has made an interview with Adam Ondra's belayer and photographer, Pavel Blazek, who had never tried a multi-pitch before the Dawn Wall. "Any scary moments on the wall? Oh yeah. One was maybe pitch 10, and he started climbing, and the protection is not awesome. Actually it’s pretty sketchy. And he’s maybe 10 or 15 meters above me and five or six meters runout, and suddenly three copperheads pop out. Ping, ping, ping! I was thinking, if he falls he’s going to be flying way below me. And it was dark. I didn’t even tell him though, and he got through it."

As he writes on his Instagram, Patxi Usobiaga has sent Seta Total 9a in Cuenca. In total Patxi has sent some 20 routes graded 9a or harder and including his extraordinary competition results, he is one of the best climbers ever. Patxi had to stop climbing for several years due to a serious injury in his neck. Now he's back with full strength and shares a nice video of the send.

Jain Kim reports on Instagram that she has flashed China Climb 8c in Yangshuo. "I had watched just one time and after that I did climb to solve the moves but I really didn't expect that I make topped off! It felt really really psyched even I can't remember how I climb." During the last six years, Jain has been one of the best competition climbers in the world, having won the World Cup three times, and the World Championship 2014.

Seb Bouin dropped one shoe and repeated a 9a and calling it an 8c+. It is somehow logical that if a climb is easier without shoes, the grade should go down. When Charles Albert, who has been climbing barefoot for the last years, repeated an 8C (+) in Font he said it was 8B+ for him, even though he did a much more difficult direct line (9A or harder with shoes). Now the 20-year-old has done an 8C FA barefoot in Font which he thinks is harder with shoes. Once this barefoot trend grows bigger, we might see some downgradings. On the other hand, as the grades are supposed to reflect the difficulty, Charles's latest 8C FA might be considered an 8C+ or even 9A in the future. Charles has developed an amazing skill pulling with his big toes for four years, contrary to the standing stability strength all climbers with shoes train. Even if the best boulderer tried the 8C FA shoeless, it could take years before they would develop the big toe pulling strength needed. In other words, the best boulderers in the world might consider the 8C FA and the direct 8B+ mentioned above equally hard to repeat as Hukkataival's recent 9A. Furthermore, in the future the most difficult route and boulders to repeat might be climbs where you actually need to take the shoes off and put them back on while climbing, as you approach different cruxes.

Iker Pou, one of the best multi-discipline climbers in the world, who did Action Direct 9a in 2000 and a 9a+ FA last year, reports on Instagram. "THE ARROITA TRAVERSE 8C+/9A TRAV. (Hard 9a+ route). Very happy for send this old project that always had in mind since more than 15 years. First ascent by @dani_andrada_climb. Thanks @arroitajauregi for the futuristic visión!!Never stop dreaming! Foto @blomuandonisiempreamuerte."

Alex Puccio has done her 54th 8A+, Right Martini in Hueco Tanks. "The BIG move was hard to stick from the start. Long Boulder! Psyched to be getting fitter and stronger! :) I LOVE BIG moves!" (c) John Bishop In 2014, Alex was runner-up in the world championship but both in June 2015 and 2016, she badly injured herself in World Cups and had to undergo knee and spinal surgeries. In a Climbing interview she said, “Everyone thinks I heal abnormally fast, but the reality is I don’t give up during an injury," she said. "Some people get injured and sit around waiting to heal. I find ways to work around my injury so I can stay fit and come back sooner than expected.“

As published by one of the most important newsletters in Spain, the bouldering area of Alcañiz keeps increasing month after month. With more than a thousand lines existing nowadays and its fast development, it will probably become one of the best spots in the future. Some of the best boulderers such as Chris Sharma and Paul Robinson visited Alcañiz (500+ ascents in 8a data base) last year and got impressed with the quality and quantity of the problems. You can see a nice video here. Alcañiz is 2 h north east of Albarracín and 3 h south west of Barcelona. Image copyright Chris Sharma

Podľa článku vydaného jedným z najväčších španielskych newsletterov sa bouldrová oblasť Alcañiz každým mesiacom. S viac ako tisíckou už existujúcich línií a vďaka rýchlemu tvoreniu nových problémov má Alcañiz potenciál byť v budúcnosti veľmi kvalitnou bouldrovou oblasťou. Svetoznámi lezci ako Chris Sharma a Paul Robinson navštívili Alcañiz (500+ prelezov v 8a databáze) minulý rok a boli prekvapení z kvality a množstva bouldrov. Pekné video dostupné video tu. Oblasť sa nachádza 2h severo-východne od Albarracínu a 3h na juh od Barcelony. Foto kredit Chris Sharma

Príkladom toho je Seb Bouin, ktorý vďaka vyzutiu lezečky zopakoval 9a a zhodil ho na 8c+. Je celkom logické, že ak je cesta ľahšia bez použitia lezečiek, tak by mala klesnúť jej celková obtiažnosť. Alebo? Keď Charles Albert, ktorý lezie bez lezečiek už po niekoľko rokov, zopakoval 8C (+) vo Fontainebleau, povedal, že preňho je boulder 8B+, aj keď vyliezol jeho priamejšiu a ťažšiu variantu (možné 9A s lezečkami). Nedávno preliezol svoj projekt vo Fontainebleau a ohodnotil ho na 8C naboso, pričom s lezečkami by to bolo pravdepodobne ťažšie. Ak sa lezenie naboso stane trendom, je možné, že v budúcnosti uvidíme častejšie zhadzovanie ciest. Na druhú stranu sa Charlesove 8C môže stať 8C+ alebo 9A, ak bude prelezené v lezečkách. Charles počas štyroch rokov lezenia naboso natrénoval úžasnú vlastnosť zaberať prstami na nohách, čo je presný opak stability, ktorú trénujú a dosahujú lezci v lezečkách. Aj keby sa najlepší bouldristi pokúšali preliezť Charlesove 8C naboso, pravdepodobne by trvalo roky, kým by získali potrebnú silu a techniku prstov na nohách. Inak povedané, aj najlepší lezci môžu považovať spomínané 8B+ a 8C za omnoho ťažšie pri použití lezečiek, možno zrovnateľné s nedávnym 9A od Nalleho Hukkataivala. Naviac je možné, že v budúcnosti budú najťažšie cesty práve tie, v ktorých si lezec musí vyzúvať a obúvať lezečku pri tom, ako prelieza rozličné pasáže cesty.