Cy McInto$h, who repeated his first 9a+ in January, has made the first ascent of Fox-like Creature (9a+) in Natural Bridge.

”This routes been f-ing me at a 45 degree angle for the past four months. Fell off the same move almost every try. First it was a skin battle and then head game. Learned a lot. I love all my friends who climbed out here with me this winter. Thanks Tyler Sweeney and Frank Dusl for the bolting and vision. Grading such a cruxy route is stressful but calling this 9a wouldn’t feel right with all the time I spent on it. So fug it 9a+ it is.”

Can you tell us more about the head game respectively physical training behind the ascent?
I didn’t do much specific training for it because it’s so technical I thought climbing on it a lot was the best training. The head game on it was super tough because I was falling on the same move for months which really messed with me. I realized that every go I was so certain that I should send that I was climbing with a fear of failing rather than being open to what could happen. The time I did it my head was so clear. It was a crazy feeling.

Laura Rogora, the number one in the Vertical-Life male/female ranking game, has onsighted Continental (8b+) and redpointed Mascella Serrata (9a) in Arco. In 2025, the 25-year-old onsighted a dozen routes graded between 8b+ and 8c+, a remarkable yearly tally, surpassed only by Adam Ondra in the history of climbing. Last year, the 152 cm-tall Italian also secured a bronze medal at the World Cup. The 2026 Lead season starts next weekend in China.

Can you tell us more about the ascents?
I’d been wanting to try this new route near Arco for a while, but with all the training I never had the chance. A couple of weeks ago I finally got back on rock, and after a first reconnaissance go and a second attempt where I forgot a foot in the starting boulder, I managed to send the route on my third try. Then I also onsighted Continental, a beautiful endurance pitch.

How has your training been in the weeks leading up to the World Cup?
It really depends especially in these weeks. I have been recently in Koper and Innsbruck and I did some Italien comps to prepare for the beginning of the season. I just landed in China, let’s see.

Mattea Pötzi, who made it to the semifinal in all her seven WC’s last year, has completed Resistance (8c) in Schleier Wasserfall. ”Started trying in fall 2024 and struggled a lot with the bottom part (also the very start). Got past the crux move once back then but messed up the middle part...took me 1 1/2 years to return to this beauty today. Conditions were great, everything was dry and after checking the moves again I sent "2nd go" of this year :) Guess I got somewhat stronger :)”

What is next and what about comps this year?
My plan is to do the whole world cup season and fit in some climbing in between, maybe Céüse again this summer.

How does a normal training week look like?
I train 5-6 times a week, often twice a day. Usually I have 2 strength and 2 lead sessions per week and then I do max boulders or longer (15-20 moves) boulders the other sessions.

Yanik Chassain, who last year won the European Youth Championship, has repeated Fred Nicole’s L'isola che non c'è (9a) in Amden. It is a hybrid route where you clip in to a rope halfway up the 34 moves. ”Absolute masterpiece Route! Took some sessions and was also hard mentally but proud of the progress and the process I had on this route!”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind it?
When I first tried the route in January this year, it felt impossible - even the opening 8A boulder problem seemed out of reach. My shape also wasn’t at its best at the time. By my second session, the first 8A boulder section went down easily. In my fourth session, I started making solid links into the 8A+ crux boulder, and at that point I began to believe that I could eventually climb the whole route.

During my fifth session, I gave it two serious send attempts because I felt strong, but I still struggled with a few details that needed adjusting. After a short training camp with the German National Team, I returned one week later - but heavy rain the day before had left everything wet, and even the first 8A section was impossible to climb. Three days later, I was back in the cave. This time everything was dry and conditions were perfect. On my first try, I fell in the 8A+ crux boulder.

After a good rest, I went again. This time I immediately got into the flow: I moved quickly through the first boulder, managed to recover a bit at the heel-toe cam rest in the middle, attacked the 8A+ crux, fought through the hardest moves, and eventually reached the good holds and the lower-off at the end of the route.

With seven sessions in total - though only two of them in truly good and dry conditions - it became my longest project so far. I’m super happy that I managed to stay motivated, trust the process, and keep believing over the past months.

What is next?
What is next? The main focus now is the upcoming lead season, especially the World Climbing Youth Championship Arco this summer. Until then, I’ll hopefully get a few more days outside to enjoy the rock, having fun, and climb some beautiful routes.

Sorato Anraku, the Boulder World Cup winner the three last years, got the gold in Keqiao in China. ”I’am very happy, it’s unbelievable. I was so happy to send the final boulder for the win. The crowd was great tonight here in China, it gave me a little extra and I felt powerful hearing them.”

Interestingly, six of the eight finalists were Asian, including two climbers from China for the first time. Moreover, Anraku and Mejdi Schalck were the standout performers in the semifinal bouldering round, as they were the only two to top all four problems, while just two other climbers topped more than one.

Zélia Avezou, who won silver at last year’s World Cup Salt Lake City, claimed her first World Cup gold at Keqiao in China. The 22-year-old scraped into the semifinals after finishing tied for 23rd in qualification as the last climber to advance, then placed sixth in the semifinal. In the final, however, she rose to the occasion, drawing level when it mattered most and securing victory before Janja Garnbret had even started her final boulder. Across the competition, Garnbret topped 10 of the 13 boulders, while Avezou managed five but it was enough to seal a breakthrough win.

“Honestly, I’m just wondering what has happened. I think I will fully realise later maybe. I just took it one boulder at a time. I thought the boulders were pretty easy apart from the first one, and the last would be really important.

I didn’t really think about the win, I just thought that if I got ten points on the final boulder I can get in a good position. Maybe I didn’t think I could top it honestly, but it was nice to do a physical boulder for once in my life.”

Alex Johnson, with 24 boulders 8A+ to 8B+ and two World Cup victories under her belt, has completed Russia (8A+) in San Rafael Swell. ”Intermission taco and modelo assist from the retired ladies off-roading sprinter van club. serendipitous day with Sera.”

Can you elaborate more on that special day with Sera?
I tried this boulder the same day I sent gringo (8A+) in January, and came close but was just too tired. Then I was injured for all of February and March, and was only recently able to get back out.

I went with Sera Gearhart, and she sent second go, she’s really on one right now, especially with her back to back days of climbing V13 and 14. Huge inspo.

A few hours in, I split a tip and debated calling it. At that moment, my dog ran off to a nearby campsite as they were serving dinner, and he could smell it. We chased him down, and when we walked into the campsite we were met by a dozen women with sprinter vans on a women-only camping trip. They immediately handed us plates and beers, and we ate tacos and chatted.

After eating, we went back to the boulder and I guess the break, the taco, and the beer worked, because I found myself topping out. All the ladies cheered. The day was so serendipitous, it was one I’ll never forget.

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Eva Hammelmüller, who the last six months has completed four 9a’s and beyond, has sent Joturna (9a) in Götterwandl. In the VL ranking game, the 26-year-old is runner-up behind Laura Rogora. (c) Felix Mast

”I think I just sent my longest project ever. About 14 sessions, probably more than 40 tries, and I finally stood on top of this undercling-endurance-beast today. So many doubts, nerves, skin parts, and fights went into this route. Thanks to you, Juturna, my biceps grew at least one centimetre, I swear :D I am glad to have shared this journey with so many friends - the Innsbrucklyn climbers are the best!! Definitely felt harder to me than "Hades", maybe I don't qualify as "tall" ;)”

What is next?
I checked out another cool project in Zillertal today, and I also have some smaller projects in Niederthai and Götterwandl. However, I’ll mostly spend the next weeks training, working and studying and try to be as ready as I can for summer trips!!

Debbie Carrasquer, who last year did her first 8A+, has sent No Means No (8A+) in Tahoe (CA). ”FFA? The most finicky project I’ve tackled. With my span and center of gravity 🍑, I had to completely reimagine the beta, adding intermediates and micro-adjustments over 9 sessions. But what really made it was having Lucy there, thanks for bringing the psych and your engineering skills. Thanks Jesse for the FA!”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
Very excited to have accomplished another limit project in less than a year from my first of the grade. This route wasn’t the longest traverse I’ve climbed but definitely the hardest most finicky crux for my body. I had to completely reimagine the beta; adding intermediates to increase the percentage of the moves.

It’s been a real rollercoaster: months of training, the falling of the last tree providing shade, planning sessions around 3 snowstorms and micro beta adjustments to not aggravate a hammie strain caused by the reachy move on the crux. I was close to giving up after falling on the last move for many sessions but I was lucky to have friend’s support who encouraged me to keep trying.

Right after topping out there is always that mix of relieve, excitement, and even nostalgia that, once more, reminds me to enjoy every moment of the process.