Niki Rusev, who did his first 9a at age 14, has made the FA of Burzum (9a) in Lakatnik. (c) Alex Totkova

”Pushed harder than I thought possible, and the sense of finally sending this route at the top was unreal. The route was freshly bolted by Faza, I think in early 2024. A massive 180° roof, 20 meters wide and there is only one line where it’s actually possible for climbing but still very hard. I decided to climb this one as a side project because for the main one better conditions are needed.

Regarding the grade, I’ve been thinking a lot and making the right choice is always hard, mostly because I don’t want to lie to myself 🤔. At first I definitely thought it’s a 9 but later some beta came up, I also adjusted more to the holds and the kneebars and it seemed to be easier but then an important step broke and made the whole section almost impossible. Luckily I found new beta that’s something in the middle in terms of difficulty. After sending it in good shape, also perfect conditions and skin I still felt it quite hard for 8c+😆. Anyway it would be great to hear second opinion. If I had to grade every single crux it would be hard: 8B boulder medium rest 7B+/7C boulder good rest 7c route.”

What is next and what about comps in 2025?
I already checked my three years project and the weather seems to be okay, last year I was quite close to do it and now I did all the moves and also good links again. The body memory is there for sure.

I can’t wait to start training for 2025 competition circuit, this time I can put a lot of work in the new Balkan climbing gym, where it gives more possibilities to train harder.

Karoline Sinnhuber has had a great day in in Zillertal sending Slapshot (8A) and Camorra (8A+) . (c) Luki Mayerhofer

Can you tell us more about Camorra and Gangster mentioned on Instagram?
The big startjug broke several years ago so this boulder was unclimbable. Luckily this year the hold got glued on again and made climbing this kingline possible 😍 It‘s pretty much everything about the nasty left heel, finding the bodyposition and grabbing the weird incut crimp-pinch.

‚American Gangster‘ is the right exit, which is 8B+. Not sure if it suits my style, but it‘s definitely worth a try next time to check it out 😉

Domen Škofic, the overall Lead World Cup winner in 2016, has done Chilam Balam (9b) in Villanueva del Rosario after some 20 sessions during two trips. The 30-year-old has previously sent 25 routes 9a and beyond. (c) David Munilla

"This thing was on top of my wish list since I heard about it. This year I finally got the opportunity to meet face to face with this 80+ meter beast. I like to believe that I was made for this route, I enjoyed every single move one it but the journey to success was far from easy. It’s probably my hardest route to date but my opinion is that this route doesn’t even need a grade because it’s so legendary. I believe that every climber who did and will conquer this monster in the future will feel something incredible. The last slab is a killer but that’s why the whole journey is so special, nothing is granted until the very end. I admit I was very proud on myself when I clipped the chain and looked back from where I came from. Epic!"

Prudence Morgan-Wood, with three 8b+’ under her belt, has done Espacio tiempo (8c) in Sella. The 30-year-old has been on a roadrip in Spain since April and her long time goal is to send a 9a. (c) David Zarco Vila

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Espacio Tiempo was recommended to me by a friend so when we arrived in Sella (on the 25th of October) I decided to jump on the route and check out the moves. A local climber already had his draws in it and we were able to share beta. I immediately knew that the route suited me. Its steep thin tufas and crimps are perfect for smaller hands. There are no really long moves which was great, it meant finding beta that worked for me was pretty quick.

The day before the send I broke a foothold and had to change my beta through what I found to be the hardest section of the route. The next day I highpointed to the last kneebar rest and the final crux was all that was left to execute. I recently started Mental training and so I was feeling prepared and confident. My go hadn’t been perfect and the conditions were pretty hot and slippy but I have been working on improving my strategy for trying harder routes as well as techniques for calming my sending jitters. So after what felt like hours resting, I took a deep breath and I climbed through the final crux first time from the ground and clipped the chains of my first 8c ! I think I spent 8 days working on the route but I’m really not sure(!) and as for what’s next my goal is to send 9a one day but one climb at a time! Currently I’m travelling around Spain rock climbing and discovering different crags and places to climb. Enjoying life!

Isabelle Faus, with a dozen 8B+' under her belt, sent Mirta (8B+) in August. "First tried it in 2016, got close, but didn’t really get a good chance to try again till this trip. Took three sessions this time. Really psyched to have done this iconic line!"

Alizee Blass has sent Periodismo (8b) in Villanueva del Rosario. She did her first 8a at age 9, on the same day as her brother, Theo, sent a 9a being 12 years old. Her father Vlad Arn reports.

”Alizee chose to try Periodismo on the advice of Spanish climbing legend Andrea Cartas whom we met at the crag. The route was well suited to shorter climbers. Progress was quick and she needed 4 sessions to send it. The route was originally graded 8b/8b+ but is now considered an 8b because of new crux beta. On the next day Alizee did an 8a+ at the same crag after two tries. She has a couple of harder projects at our home crag and is looking forward to the cooler winter conditions to give them a serious push. She also enjoys competitions although she prefers climbing on real rock.”

Patrick Vonbrül has, after some 15 sessions, repeated Fred Nicole’s Le boa (8C) in Ziegelbrücke. ”The boulder took me two years to climb. It is very difficult to find the best time to climb it as it is wet most of the time. The best time is autumn or spring and the last days were very good, no rain and little bit cold 😊 I am super happy to have climbed this one.”

What is next?
I will be a father soon 😊 and I hope for good times this winter in Tessin where there are a lot of projects waiting for me.

The Vertical-Life Gran Canaria App features over 1,200 climbing routes across various crags scattered around the island. With winter temperatures rarely falling below 18°C, high-quality basalt rock, well-maintained bolts, and crags that are mostly easy to access, Gran Canaria is an ideal winter climbing destination. The island also offers more than 500 bouldering problems and ample opportunities for exploration on rest days.

Given these advantages, it’s surprising that Gran Canaria isn’t a more popular climbing spot, with under 13,000 recorded ascents in the Vertical-Life database. This may be due to the lack of an international climbing festival or the limited number of challenging routes that attract media attention, as most routes are graded between 6a and 7a. Additionally, the crags are somewhat remote, often requiring a 45-minute drive, and there’s no centralized climbing hub with lodging etc.

Andrea Chelleris has done the 40 meter long Mandanga total (9a) in Villanueva del Rosario. The 15-year-old has the last month onsighted three 8b’s and repointed three 8c+’ and he is #1 in the VL monthly world ranking game.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
The plan was to do Mangarbo (9a) but when I got to the last part my kneepad were sliding off😅 so I decided to go on Mandanga. The last part is easier for me. On Mangarbo I already fell three times on the last tufa very close to the jug.

What is your next plan?
I want to send mangarbo and onsight an 8b+.

Caroline Ciavaldini, who last year did her first 8b+ trad, has done the third female ascent of Greenspit (8b) in Valle del Orco. Between 2002 and 2011, Caro competed in 66 Lead World Cups, finishing in the Top 12 in 58 of them.

"At the end of September I started trying Greenspit again, after a couple of earlier sessions in May of this year, when I actually tore my hamstring trying the route. Coming back this Autumn was almost like starting again, as I’d forgotten most of my beta. This was my fourth session back on the route this season and it was the same game as every time, I didn’t think I was going to do it today. I felt under pressure, I felt grumpy, I warmed-up and it didn’t feel great. I didn’t think I was ready. I realised I had to change my mindset and just enjoy the climbing and appreciate I had James and the kids there with me.

On my first go, I managed to make a new high point before falling. I’ve never had two good tries in one day before on Greenspit, so I wasn’t that optimistic about my second go. It’s my first real route of this type and it was so nice to feel almost like a beginner again. I loved the process of trying to improve on these jams and I used visualisation a lot for this route, especially for the first section (up to the rest), which should actually be relatively straightforward but which I found particularly hard. I really had to take it move by move, only focussing on the current jam and not thinking beyond that. Not even really thinking about doing the whole route, but just getting through the next move.

On my second go of the day, I made it through the first section, to the rest. Something I’d never done twice in one day before now. At the rest, I was able to clear my mind, I knew the second section like the back of my hand, as I’d spent many recent nights visualising how I’d climb it. So, I just let my body do what it knew how to do. I still had the main cruxes ahead of me but I just went at it with nothing really in my mind and the next thing I know I’ve arrived at the rest after the last crux. Just a couple of movements left do do and I didn’t want to fluff it. Now I started to feel a bit of pressure. I had made a choice to protect myself with just a single ‘friend’ for this last section, which I’d placed rather hurridly. Images of this piece ripping and me taking a ground-fall infront of my young kids flashed through my mind momentarily. I managed to block it out and make those last few moves. I’d done it! Overall, it’s been a really cool journey. The process of building my ‘crack-machine’ (with the help of my neighbours), training on it, perfecting my technique and working through the pain barrier to learn something new and climb this iconic route, with my whole family watching, has been pretty amazing!"