16 July 2017
Dani Andrada: "It is harder to climb a 9a+ than boulder an 8C"
After a conversation with Dani a few days ago climbing together, he told us his concerns about the fast hatching of the boulderers and the late blooming for route climbers. First of all this is only an evaluation without acrimony, simply extracted from a personal conversation with him. (C) Talo Martรญn - Muรฉrdago Films
"How many climbers can, in their first years of climbing, get to do the maximum grade in bouldering? I think quite a few. And now, how many people who in less than 4 years can climb a 9a+? They almost don't exist.
In bouldering I see that it is increasingly unnecessary to have a certain experience and in routes is totally the opposite. You need tenacity, psychology, baggage.. For me, it is easier to climb routes than bouldering. It may also be because of the age, but if I find a problem that suits me, that's it.
The real strength is up to about 32 years old. There are many people who have started to climb and have quickly reached to the highest level in bouldering but not in routes. For bouldering you don't have to climb very well if you have pure strength. There are some of the high-level boulderers who have problems to climb a 8a route.
Which is even more impressive is that almost the highest grade in bouldering has been climbed barefoot many times by Charles Albert during the last years, even downgrading a 8C+ proposal in Fontainebleau or the last repeat to Monkey Wedding 8C in Rocklands, and nevertheless on routes, just a few have done 8c barefoot. I have tried at least 8 times an 8c+ in Rodellar that I fell on the last bolts barefoot."
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Jorge Diaz-Rullo reports on Instagram that he has made the first ascent of Cafe Colombia in Margalef. At 27, heโs already stacked four 9b+ sends and now heโs adโฆ
16 March 2026
Ondra flashes 3*8C in two weeks
โI stopped focusing on competition bouldering after last yearโs World Cup in Prague, partly because I can already feel it on my body, especially in my shoulders. The modern competition style, with a lot of jumping from one hold to another, is very demanding for the shoulders.
Outdoor bouldering isโฆ
Favorites
8 June 2026
Janja Garnbret does Bibliographie (9b+)
Janja Garnbret has added another milestone to her remarkable climbing career by becoming the first woman to climb Bibliographie (9b+) in Cรฉรผse, one of the hardeโฆ
Jorge Diaz-Rullo reports on Instagram that he has made the first ascent of Cafe Colombia in Margalef. At 27, heโs already stacked four 9b+ sends and now heโs adโฆ
16 March 2026
Ondra flashes 3*8C in two weeks
โI stopped focusing on competition bouldering after last yearโs World Cup in Prague, partly because I can already feel it on my body, especially in my shoulders. The modern competition style, with a lot of jumping from one hold to another, is very demanding for the shoulders.
Outdoor bouldering isโฆ