Before the last, or actually the second last as Kranj is "Provisional", it is very much an open affair among the Top-4 male. If Adam Ondra wins in China, Gauthier has to be #4, Jakob Schubert #2 and Romain Desgranges 1. Gauthier Supper 357 - Mina Markovic 420 2. Jakob Schubert 327 - Jessica Pilz 345 3. Romain Desgranges 307 - Jain Kim 334 4. Adam Ondra 290 - Anak Verhoeven 290 5. Domen Skofic 282 - Helene Janicot 227 Among the female, Mina Markovic has already secured the title if there will be no WC in Kranja and otherwise, all Top-4 could challenge her. In theroy, this could mean the Slovenians are less interested to organize the last event in Kranj. On the other side, if Domen wins in China, he will have good chances to get the overall title and pleasing his home crowd in Kranj.

Alex Puccio has done Irreversible 8B (+) in RMNP and what makes it even more impressive is that only three months ago she had a knee surgery. In 2014, the 8a ranking game leader for five straight years, was #2 in the world championship. (c) Joel Zerr "FFA. I think 3rd ascent in total. Daniel (Woods) put it up last year and said it was 8B/+ and Dave (Graham) did after and said 8B+. My opinion is 8B, but I do think it is a bit harder than Freaks of the Industry. Nice line, this was my second day trying it, but I have climbed on a lot of the holds because of Freaks. I climbed it basically 2 times today. I was on the V1 top out and I got really pumped and cold so I climbed down since I still can't fall yet. Finished off a few tries later!!! 😄 It's been just about 3 months since my surgery. Happy to be climbing!! Thanks crew for all the help and support and Mike for the heel hook beta!

1. Sean McColl - Megan Mascarenas 2. Rei Sugimoto - Akiyo Noguchi 3. Jernej Kruder - Janja Garnbret What a great show! Megan Mascarenas won all three rounds, which happens extremely seldom, and then also the super final. In the final she actually did all four tops and Akiyo just two. Among the male, Sean McColl won as last year after having been #9, #5 and #1 in the final. Complete results Janja Garnbret on the great picture by E Holzknecht.

The fifth stage of the Lead World Cup takes place in Puurs, Belgium and there are 108 athletes registered to compete, which can be compared to 91 two years ago. For both male and female there is an open race for the title even if it has not been decided if this will be the second or the third last as Kranj is marked "provisional". Live streaming starts on Sunday at 10.00 with the semifinal, and the finals start at 5.00 pm.

jose luis palao has done his fourth 9a during the last 15 weeks, Leire in Cuenca. The 31-year-old did his first 8c 11 years ago and his first 8c+ in 2009, and in 2012 he did El Intento 9a. How can you explain doing four 9a's so quick and what about specific training? Everything flows in my body now I'm more focused in climbing. I'm more of a rock climber, I have plenty of time and I prefer rock climbing when I can not climb the rock, I train four days a week 3 or 4 hours per day. I only work three months a year in a hospital in the summer, work settings also route in climbing competitions. © Javi Pec

Muriel Sarkany, one of the best competition climbers in the history, who did her first 9a when she was 39, has onsighted Paideia 8a+ in Rodellar. The picture by Kaori is from Florida 8a+, which she did one day later. Between 1997 and 2004, Muriel won the Overall WC 5 times and in the remaining 3 years she was the runner-up! The 153 cm tall stopped competing in 2010 and has since done some great progress peaking so far being 39 years old.

This friday, the fifth annual Adidas Rockstar starts in Stuggart where some 65 athletes will compete for Euro 20 000. During the qually and the semi it is more or less the normal IFSC boulder format meanwhile the final is done with an elimination format with a super final. Several athletes have said that this is the high light of the year and in fact Sachi Amma is participating, a well as Sean McColl, Jan Hojer, Janja Garnbret and Akiyo Noguchi. The Livestream starts at Saturday 26 September 20:15 PM CEST! (c) E Holzknecht

Mammut has developed an interesting belay chain by connecting six rings in two different sizes which will be available in 2016. "The Belay Chain 12.0 offers downright innumerable options for connecting fixed points at the belay position to each other. The sling is at the same time used for self-securing and belay positions can be set up very quickly; the utmost safety is ensured at all times, since every single ring has a tensile strength of 22 kN. This enormous breaking strength is achieved by an innovative round coiling procedure for which a patent has been filed: a coiled Dyneema® core is enclosed in an abrasion-proof sheath."

Nasz Chleb has done five 8b+ and Spanish Caravane 8c during two weeks in Verdon, which is remarkable as she had previously done just two 8b+ and one 8c. Part of the explanation is that she took one year off from University studies last year. ""The route traverses through the middle of the impressive overhanging cave of "La Ramirole", giving a 50m long good endurance test piece. I liked the route from the beginning, because there are no lottery moves... For trying the route I was encouraged by my friend Marv, who told that this 8c more likely to send then "La feu occulte" 8b+ on which I was working on this time. By the end of climbing day, I went on "Spanish caravanne", I did all moves, so I decided, that in case of sending 8b+ fast, I will make a gift to myself and get familiar with 8c...I will prepare project for next holidays...I was not thinking, that I manage to send it that fast."

Adam Ondra continues to explore new rock and during his last trip to Arco he made six new onsights 8a+ to 8c in the new sector Padaro. Later he tried his luck in Pal Picolla, where he did one 8c FA onsight and one 8c+ FA, near the Austrian border. Video (c) Gemona Cittá dello Sport - Padaro is a new cliff in Arco that has been published in the new guidebook. Besides many pitches on slightly overhanging walls on tufas and crimps with most of the routes in between 7b and 8b, there is one sector on the far left side which has only three routes so far, but they are some of the best that Arco has to offer. Two 8c's and one 8b+ and space to bolt more. Thank you Paolo Benvenutti for letting me freeing two of these amazing routes. The other interesting area is in Friuli, close to the towns Gemona and Tolmezzo, close to the Austrian border. I was invited there for the annual meeting "Find Your Way", which was focused this time on the area Pal Piccollo and bolting and freeing new routes. The area has mostly solid grey limestone and vertical or slightly overhanging walls in the best alpine landscape. The routes are oldschool and technical, but very high quality. During the meeting, I have redpointed several new projects with Team Vision 8c+ being the absolute highlight and one of the best routes you can imagine in this style. 55meters of perfect rock and the second half being very resistant on perfect crimps and sidepulls. Besides high end routes and potential for even harder ones there are routes of all grades and they included in the guidebook "Sul confine" from Versante sud.