Rok Klancik has done the third? repeat of Klem Loskot's Bügeleisen in Malatal from giving it a personal upgrade to 8C. "I think this problem is much, much harder then most 8B+'s. Perfect line! Sit start is now a big project." More info at SloClimbing Bügeleisen was put up in 2001, in the start of the grade inflation era, and it seems to be the hardest boulder back then and possibly also the first 8C in the world. Rok has previously done From Dirt Grows the Flowers, a super nice 8C in Chironico which Graham, Zangerl, Hukkataival, Page, Soucek and Ondra have done.

James Webb, the best flash boulderer in the world, has done it again by Riverbed 8B in Magic Woods. During the last year he has flashed 39 8A and harder including five 8B's. "SO pumped on the finish! Always wanted to this thing. It looks amazing and climbs even better. Perfect day in the forest!" James also did Mystic Stylez 8B+ in 30 minutes meaning that he has done nine 8B+ and harder the last month!

IFSC has three times changed the dates for the Youth World Championship in New Caledonia and the current dates are Sepember 20 - 24. During the Plenary Assembly March 1, it was also decided that the Europeans should try travel together in order to save money. An Internet link where National Federations can find all the information to book travels for their competitors, team officials and accompanying people will be available soon." So far, no info is available and some Euro national federations have started to complain and in fact, the german federation has said that they will not go to the Youth World Championship.

Over the past few months Chris Schulte has been developing new proud boulders in an area previously known only as a crack climbing destination. In this new video he shows some of his new lines and tells about this special area. More info here.

Comparing the hardest reported male grades the last year with the hardest reported 8a news ten years ago, it has actually been a decline. In 2003, we reported the first 9b+, Chilam Balam and several 8C+ boulders; Koyamada (2), Calibani and Nicole. All these great ascents have been down graded. In this period, also several 9a+ and 8C were reported which when it comes to boulders, almost all have been down graded. When it comes to juniors, still the 2004 ascents are more impressive than the todays standard. Daniel Woods (15) did the FA of Echale 8B+ and Adam Ondra (11) onsighted eleven 8a+ and here is Adam's first interview.

Isabelle Faus has done Partage 8A+ in Fontainebleau considered by many as one of the very best aretes in the world. Very few female has previously done 8A+ in the famous forest. Isabelle, who did her first 8A when she was 16, is #3 in the world ranking game. "I did one session to figure out the beta, and got up pretty high, but couldn't figure out the top… Then I watched some videos of short people climbing it, went back, and did it the first try of my second day trying it.

Christian Bindhammer, who has done several 9a's and who has been #2 in three WC's, has done Prinzip Hoffnung 8b+ after five days projecting. The 38 year old has never tried trad climbing before and luckily he did it without any fall. "For me really something new, actually I wasn't sure how I'll climb if there is no bolt, but I was really surprised that I was very focused and absolute not nervous will trying from below. Climbing itself like toprope, the route is maybe 8b, but of course putting the gear it needs much more power and time, this makes the route around a grade more difficult. But sure you need a strong head for it... Or just to be more young and don't think to much what could happen

Hazel Findlay, one of the most talented female trad and big wall climbers in the world, has done her first 8c, Fish Eye in Oliana after seven days of projecting. (c) Walker Emerson Blog focusing on her adventures. "Although I don't focus on sport climbing so much I spend about 6 weeks each year sport climbing in Spain, mostly as training for something in particular such as a single pitch or multi-pitch trad route. This year I was supposed to be training for Freerider in a day (so mileage) but I got sucked in to trying Fish Eye.

Ramon Julian has set up El Desentreno Mental in La Cova de l'Ocell which is his 37th 9a and harder out of which twelve FAs. Ramonet, 159 cm, did his first 9a in 2002, the same year he won his first Lead World Cup out of twenty victories. As he also has been the world champion two times it is easy to say that he has been the best sport climber in the world counting the last twelve years. (c) M.alba