Moritz Welt has made the FA of Straight Flush (8B+) and done the first repeat of Low Life (8C), both in Frankenjura. The 23-year-old has previously done some 20 boulders 8B+ and harder as well as over 20 routes 9a or 9a+. (c) Tobias Iding

Can you tell us more about those two ascents?
'Straight Flush' is a linkup of two existing Boulders, the first half of Royal Flush (8B+), which I did the FA of in 2019, second half is the classic Hips don't lie (8B). After doing 'Royal Flush' I wasn't very motivated to come back and do the remaining link, but then a friend convinced me to join him on a session there. Refreshed the moves a bit and did it in a few tries.

'Low Life' was my main project last winter. It is a 4-move sitstart addition to the classic 'Forget about life for a while' 8A+/B. The start itself could be 8B and the whole thing is probably one of the hardest boulders in Frankenjura. Moritz Perwitzschky did the impressive FA in 2021 and since then nobody else could do it. This season, to my surprise, it took me only one more session. About one hour of relearning all the moves and 2 ground attempts.

Matilda Söderlund sent Niemisis (9a) last year after projecting it for some 50 days at the site. "I built a replica of the route at my gym. I set the two start boulders on the boulder wall and the crux on the moon board (divided into 3 boulders). I also did intervals on the moon board on boulders close to my max level. I’m satisfied with the results of the training 😊 I also feel much stronger in general now than when I first tried the route in 2021."

Michaela Kiersch, who two weeks ago completed Dreamtime (8C), has done La Pelle 8A/+ and The Dagger (8B+) in Cresciano. The Doctor in hand therapy broke her pinky in July. Since then, she has done some 20 boulders 8A and beyond. (c) Kevin McNally

Can you tell us more about The Dagger and what about the 8C sit start?
This boulder was extremely hard for me — my complete anti style. It took everything in my body to stay on and I think I held my breath the whole time. I’ll be sore for days. I couldn’t do the moves on my first trip here 2 years ago so it’s cool to come back and send it. I'd love to try the sit!

Hyeong Cheol Kim, with two 8c’s under his belt, has done Underground (9a) in Arco.

Can you tell us more about doing your first 9a?
I was born in 1986 in Korea and I started climbing after I was discharged from the military in 2008. It's late to start, but I want to achieve many dream lines. I am the father of two daughters now.

A few years ago, I wanted to try the dream lines that I had seen on YouTube and I went to one or two places every year, including Kalymnos, Rodellar, Margalef, Santa Linya, Ceuse, and this winter, Arco. I just saw and touched the dream lines. This was the first time that I actually tried and succeeded with the goal.

My goal was always 9a or 9a+ but I didn't do well. I felt that I got better and better through many trips and I felt that my skills got better this year.

Underground is one of my dream lines. When I first saw Tomas Mrazek on YouTube, I really wanted to do it, and it became a reality. In a very short time. I was first time Arco and I only had a week. I just wanted to check the moves, but it was my style and I quickly finished it Unbelievable! Luckily!

How does a normal training week look like?
I work out on the spray wall on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and I do outdoor climbing on Sundays. Two sessions a day, 2-3 hours per session.

Matjaz Zorko, who in 2022 sent three 9a’s, has after some 20 sessions, completed Xaxid hostel (9a) in Mišja Peč. (c) Peter Kocjan

”I’ve started projecting Xaxid this year in spring, but unfortunately I’ve run out of time to finish it before summer. This endurance masterpiece suits me quite well even though it has a quite hard boulder in the lower part. I was falling there for the last few sessions, every time one move further. Once I passed the crux I managed to remain focused and clip the chains without extra drama in the top part. For sure it’s my hardest route so far. Now I can finally focus on other project in Istria without being a slave of Misja pec. :D”

How come was this your first hard route in 2024?
Well last year I sent Človek ne jezi se L2 (8c+), which was my nemesis for three seasons because the style really doesn’t suit me😅 and now I have only really hard routes left to send in Slovenia, which will take some time to project and finnish :)

Alex Johnson has sent Social Distortion / Blood Meridian (8B) in Buttermilks. Eighteen months ago, she tore her ACL during a basketball game. Prior to that, she had completed 21 boulders graded 8A+ or 8B. Between 2008 and 2010, she claimed victory in two World Cups and finished as runner-up twice. (c) Bobby Sorich

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
This was one of the things I was most excited about in returning to Bishop. In part because it’s a crimp test piece, and honestly also because it’s a drop off. I’ve been having mental blocks with trying hard even a little bit off the ground since my ACL surgery, having had a lot of complications and setbacks.

It felt amazing to feel like myself again, and completely check into the present of only focusing on grabbing holds and doing moves as opposed to being distracted by thinking about falling. I needed this as a reminder that I can still climb hard! Onward from here.

Do you know why the boulder has two names?
The climb was FA’d by Matt Birch who called it Social Distortion 8B. Later someone else repeated it, maybe not knowing Matt had already done it first, and called it Blood Meridian 8B.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo sent Move (9b) in September, two weeks after completing Change (9b+). "Dream line and my favourite in the cave. I will never forget this battle, 17 days of work in 2 months where I struggled with the condition, state of my skin and even more with all my emotions, to control all this and putting everything together feels like one of my biggest fights. Thanks Move for teaching me a lot and thanks to all the people that was part of this process, without their help this would have been impossible."

Gio Placci, who was #12 in the Briancon World Cup, has repeated Stefano Ghisolfi’s Erebor (9b) in Arco. ”Hardest climb of my life ! The moves and holds are so sick, such a fun climb!” (c) Crimp-Films

Earlier in 2024, the Italian has done three 8C’s and Erbor was actually his first 9a or beyond since 2022.

How come you have focused on boulders during the last two years?
I was injured for nine months in 2023 so after I decided to focus on bouldering just for improve my strength. I’m a rope climber for sure.

Can you tell us more about the Erebor?
After I finished the comp season I wanted to try something hard so I decided to focus on La Rage d'Adam (9b+) and Erebor. La Rage was unlucky wet so I focused on Erebor. The process was about ten days. I feel it is a lot of my style.

What is next and what is the ambition for 2025?
Don't know exactly but probably I'll check Pic Saint Loup. I'm still mainly a competition climber. I want to make a Lead World Cup final.

Annie Sanders, who last year sent her first 8c+, has done Pure Imagination (8c+) in Red River Gorge (KY). The 17-year-old is primarily a competition climber who 2024 participated in seven Boulder and Lead World Cups, with her lowest finish being 7th place. At the final event in Seoul, she claimed victory in Boulder and earned a bronze medal in Lead. (c) Steven Hu

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I tried Pure Imagination 3 years ago, but it was at the end of a long climbing day and I was nowhere near the level that was required to send it. I don’t think I even got past the first crux and lowered down pretty early on the route. Fast forward to this year, I only had 3 days to try and send it. On my first go, I did all the moves with relative ease and was pretty confident that I could send it. On my second go, I messed up a couple foot sequences, but by then I had all the moves pretty much dialled. On my 3rd go, I ended up executing my beta perfectly, resulting in the send! I’m super psyched to have put this one down in one day, and I’m already looking forward to going back for my other project.

What project would that be?
I only had 2 days to try Golden Ticket (8c+). I did all the moves but the dyno, 2 days wasn’t enough, I was pretty tired on day 3. Hopefully, I’ll be able to go back next year.

How was winning your first World Cup?
It felt very special, I put a lot of effort into the training this year and it definitely paid off. And just a lot of fun during all the rounds, something about Korea, I really like competing there!

How does a normal training week look like and how many hours are we talking?
Depends on the season, if I’m training for bouldering or lead comps but during the season the training load is not as high as during the offseason, I usually try to focus on a lot of onsighting and mental preparation. 5 days a week, 4-5 hours, I always take 2 days off before the comp.

What do you like the most about climbing?
I like that it’s never the same moves, boulders, routes, and that I always have something to improve. There are endless possibilities, whether it’s indoors or outdoors.

Laura Rogora has repeated Gabri Moroni’s Trofeo dell'Adriatico (9a+) in Arco. Over the past ten weeks, after securing double gold at the European Championship, the Italian climber has redpointed five routes graded 9a or harder and onsighted an 8c. In doing so, she is about to set a new standard for female climbers. (c) Giulio Diener

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
I tried Trofeo dell’Adriatico for the first time two years ago. However, before the crux, there was a section with a very long move. At the time, I might have managed to do the single move, but it felt really tough, especially because it was part of a not-so-extreme section before the harder boulder problem. So, I never went back to it.

Last week, after climbing Bombardino the day before, I returned to Bus della stria and decided to try Trofeo again because it’s such a beautiful line, and I really wanted to climb it. I found a method for the long move that was still hard, but felt more doable. After that move, there was also a knee-bar rest that many climbers use, but I couldn’t reach it, so even resting there was a bit uncomfortable.

I wasn’t sure I’d be able to climb the route quickly, even though I managed to figure out the single moves. But I loved the line so much that I went quite often in the last week. Today, on my fifth day on the route, I managed to send it. Already on Sunday, even though I was a bit tired from climbing on Saturday, I had some good tries that made me realize it was possible. Today, I felt good, but on my first attempt, I made a mistake. On my second try of the day, however, I succeeded in completing the route.