Max Bertone, 16, does Mécanique Élémentaire 8B+ and proposes 8A/8A+

Max Bertone, sibling to Oriane Bertone, has sent Mécanique élémentaire (8B+) in Fontainebleau. Previously he has sent ten 8B's and last summer he did his first two 9a's. Last year, Max won all the three IFSC Euro Youth events he participated in and in 2022 he was the Youth Lead World Champion. "First 8B+ for me... I felt it [seemed] so easy for the grade! I did all the single moves at the warm-up of the first session and I topped at the first try from the bottom. Maybe a trav grade? 8A/+ boulder seems more appropriate to me."

Interestingly, the diagonal athletic boulder was put up as an 8C back in 2005 and then Jan Hojer did the first repeat eight years later suggesting a downgrade. Now it has 38 ascents in the 8a database and several have indicated that it might be a little bit soft or 8B.