Babsi Zangerl, who one year ago did Meltdown (8c+) trad, has sent Magic Line (8c+) also in Yosemite (CA). Including a couple of 8c’s on gear she has one of the most impressive trad tick lists out there.

The 36-year-old made her first 8a/VL headline sending an 8A+ Boulder in 2005. During a couple of years she was one of the leading female boulderers but due to a back problem she had to stop and started focusing more on rope climbing. With achievements that include 9a routes, 8c+ trad, 8c multipitches, and 8b+ big walls, she is the world’s top female climber in multipitch disciplines, matched by only a few male climbers. (c) Jacopo Larcher

”This one means a lot to me. What a stunning line! I’ve never climbed something this insecure before. Firstly, it took me a while to find out the perfect beta for all the hard sequences and my initial goal was simply to link everything together on toprope, which is a still a world away from getting to the next level where you place the gear on lead. The gear makes everything a lot more uncomfortable and the placements are all very small and fiddly. On this route, it felt like I could potentially fall at any given moment.

Hard, stiff shoes felt great on the lower crux but then totally useless for the upper one. After 3 days on the climb my shoes were too soft and the crux then felt impossible. From my La Sportiva Katana laces back and forth to Skwamas and the other way around, it took a while to find the best formula.

Last Autumn, Magic Line already felt possible, after Lara Neumeier and I spent some days on it. I had climbed the whole thing on top-rope and made a couple of lead tries but just couldn’t get past the crux on lead. Then a key moment came during that process when a foothold on the top crux broke, followed by a really crucial foothold in the lower crux. After this, I really wasn’t sure if it was still possible for me, or if I had enough power to move through that lower section in a different way. There was still something left to stand on but it was probably only half of what had already been a very tiny foothold, previously.

With just 2 days left of that trip, I wasn’t able to find the right solution to send the route. Despite this set- back, motivation was still high and I was excited to return again this year. Jacopo was psyched to try Magic line as well, we had a great reason to come back.

This year, I had no expectations at all because I was really not sure how it would feel, with that broken foothold. I had to change my beta to get over the crux sequence but, after some days on top-rope again, I started to make lead attempts. The crux shut me down multiple times on that first lead day. After a rest day, I came back, warmed up and somehow managed to stick the crux move. The middle part of the line which is actually the easiest, felt so hard and pumpy that I was surprised after every move that I was still on the wall. I reached the final no-hand rest for the very first time on lead. I was so nervous because I know everyone who climbed Magic line fell up there at least once and, at the same time, the huge runout from the last cam placement to the anchors added an additonal layer of tension to the final section. It was really stressful. I didn’t want to fail up there. I told myself it can’t get any more exciting than this, so I should enjoy that moment and try not to freak out. I knew I was lucky to have made it this far and had to simply take it move-by-move and try not to think about anything else. A few moments later I had a big jug in my hands. All I had to do now was to follow those big holds to the final anchor. Pulling through those last easy moves I could finally relax and appreciate what I’d just done and why I love climbing so much! You never now what’s possible until you try…very hard.”

Karoline Sinnhuber has completed Libre Original (8B) in Felbertal. The Austrian has previously sent 55 boulders 8A+ or 8B, and this was her first climb of that grade in 2024. (c) Dietmar Sinnhuber

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the reason why this is your first hard boulder in 2024?
Well, at the beginning of the year I had twice a golfer ellbow and therefore I concentrated more on doing routes. [She has done her first three 8C’s.] Also I don‘t like the warm temps, which were brutal this year. So I‘m super happy that it finally cooled down and I can crimp hard again ;)

The original start of Libre is all about getting your ass off the ground with these 2 little nasty undercling crimps. I am really bad at underclings, which made me even more surprised, that I could lift my ass off the ground quite well and stick the first move pretty fast. Afterwards you‘re in the standstart of Libre and you just have to keep it together 😉

Solomon Kemball, who previously has logged three 8C’s and one 8C+, has completed Foundations Edge (8C) in Fionnay. “Boxed out my mind, quickest I have done 8C but had to fight.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the number of sessions needed?
It took me four sessions over the last week. The boulder is a Dave Graham masterpiece with lots of nuisances and tricks. It has an easy intro into 6 hard moves the first few seemingly powerful but very body position dependent. Into some feet above your head action where you are trying to take as much weight off the fingers with your legs as possible. Finishing with a high juggy top out that gets the forearms well and truly pumped. I worked the top from stacked pads going from the crimp rail to the jug as a warm up and topping it out once before the send go on the day to make sure I knew what to do.

Eva Hammelmüller, who last week sent Hades (9a), has done Paint it black (8c+) in Zillertal. ”Wow, what a beautiful line! Perfect rock quality, amazing place, nice moves! Never sent an 8c+ in a day, so maybe on the softer side or more like 8c? Either way, great climb and thanks for the psyche boys🥹”

Two days later she onsighted Zaachling (8b) in Obere Nasenwand. “HOW?? 6th day of climbing, I only planned to do it as a warm-up, as the first part is relatively easy. However, I just continued climbing and sent the route!! my forearms were on fire afterwards :D.” (c) Felix Mast

How does it feel to be in the best shape of your life?
Feels pretty amazing🤯🤪 Honestly, I can’t quite believe how well everything works out right now. I think I manage to climb without pressure and expectations, which allows me to fight hard on every route and give my very best. I am just incredibly psyched for rock climbing at the moment, and I look forward to trying new projects!

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Alex Khazanov, with five 8C’s under his belt, has done La force tranquille (8C) in Magic Wood. The 29-year-old, who won one World Cup in 2018, has been an active IFSC competition climbers since 2009. (c) Liam Fyfe

How many sessions did it take?
I have tried "la force" for one session back in 2021. I could do all the moves but didn't have another day to come back to it. This trip to Switzerland it was raining so much in ticino so I made the drive to Magic wood. The top out and the first hold were wet so I just did the crux moves once again for about 20 minutes to remind my body and finished the session. Came back few days later when it was dry and finally sent. So two and a half session in total I guess 😅

What are the upcoming plans this winter and for 2025?
I am getting married in May so this the biggest plan 😅😂 But as for the climbing I finally finished my competition career and now I have more time for rock climbing. I will have another short tip to Ticino in December and than a month in March. The goal is to finally do Alphane and some other amazing lines in ticino. In summer I hope to spend some time in Ceuce to try Biographie which is a childhood dream of mine. I also coach Ayala Kerem [#2 in the Euro Championship in 2024] so now that I am not competing I have more time to be a better coach for here 😁

Jonathan Siegrist, who previously has done over 80 routes 9a and beyond, has done the third ascent of Adam Ondra’s L'étrange ivresse des lenteurs (9a+) in Céüse. At 39 years old, he holds the #3 spot in the VL rankings, based on a new all-time high score. “One of the best, most demanding and scariest sport routes I have climbed. Easily 9b for me, quite obviously harder than the other 9a+ here... But I'll keep it a sandbag out of respect for Ceuse.” (c) Ryan White

How many sessions were needed and how cold was it?
Too many sessions to count. I tried the route last year, and had great progress but then fell at essentially the last move near the anchor on the final day before the weather came in. This year it was a big goal of mine to come back and finish the route. Unfortunately on the first day here in September I tore my LCL while trying the route, and needed quite a bit of time to recover before my knee felt strong enough to try some of the moves. Then when I was starting to recover from the injury, some insane weather arrived and a crucial hold in the bottom was wet for 5 weeks straight. I did my best to be patient and stay fit. Yesterday was the first time the hold was dry.

As for the cold, actually it is quite hot right now! The wall is in the sun until 4 or so. You really only have 1 or 2 tries before it's dark. Not the best time for Ceuse but in some ways I prefer the fall. You can be alone in the cliff even on a weekend and the autumn colors are amazing. We have made some great friends here in Gap, it really feels like locals only this time of year.

”Scariest sport routes I have climbed”?
Most of the route has normal Ceuse style run outs but the final 1/3 of the route is totally next level, with 15 meter fall potential still in hard climbing terrain. It’s one of the only times in my life I felt afraid on a sport route. Sylvain Millet had a very special vision for this route when he bolted it! The biggest fall was from the final moves really near the anchor (Megos took this fall also), even in the huge run outs it’s still pretty hard. I fell here last season - it was the last day of that trip. But the most terrifying fall was this year, I was trying to rediscover the moves in the run out sections and I took a massive fall at night with a headlamp.

William Bosi, with four 9A’s under his belt, has flashed Janja SD (8B+) in Moravský kras. (c) Teresa Coimbra

How did you prepare flashing your second 8B+ in a week?
So there is video from Martin Stranik I watched and then copied his beta almost exactly. But nothing else different from my other flashed, just quite a lot of visualisation before going for it. But there’s not too much beta it’s mostly physical this one 😁

Did you have full control all the way?
Through the start yes but it was limit coming round the edge of the cave.

What was the plan returning to Czechia?
I’m back here to try Terranova (8C+) again! However it’s been wet so while waiting for it to dry it’s been fun to check some of the other lines.

How is the feeling possibly being in the best shape of your life?
I’m definitely feeling really good at the moment after hard training this summer, so hopefully I can make progress on Terranova.

Laura Rogora continues to strike, this time in Siurana where she completed Estado critico (9a), Kale borroka (8b+) and Dogma (8b+). All three routes share the first half and the second half of the latter two, were done in onsight style. In the past two months, since winning two gold medals at the European Championship, the Italian climber has red pointed four 9a routes and onsighted an 8c. (c) Marco Dugatto

Can you tell us more about that great sending day?
The plan was to climb in Margalef but the weather was quite bad yesterday and after two days in La finestra my tendons hurted a lot so we moved to Siurana. I wanted to try La Rambla (9a+) but it was wet so I tried Estado Critico and I did it on my 3d go. Then I wanted to climb Kale borroka but the topo was wrong so I climbed Dogma. Then I climbed Kale borroka, I know the first part from Estado but it was my first try on the upper part.

Andrea Chelleris has onsighted La poten (8b) in Villanueva del Rosario, meaning the 15-year-old has now onsighted 15 routes 8a+ or 8b, only in October. When it comes to redpoints, he has the last two weeks done two 8c's and El bushido de shiva (8c+). The Italian is also close to send Mangarbo (9a). During the last few years Andrea has been training together with Domen Skofic, who comments.

“ I had no plan to start coaching, especially at this time in my life because I still haven’t finished coaching myself… Then Andrea showed up in my gym a year and a half ago asking to help him with his training. I couldn’t refuse because I could straight away see the enormous potential in this kid. I said to him quite early that if our training is successful he will climb way better than me in just few years.

When we started I had to make completely separate boulders and routes for him, a year later I had to make only some adjustments and now I basically set the same things for both of us. He tells me his goals and I try to help him achieve it. Andrea has an enormous passion for climbing. He’s smart and super calm, sometimes to calm haha but it’s incredible to see how he approaches things in his unique style. I will definitely learn a lot from him as well. It’s also mind blowing to me that he had so much success doing skiing and climbing at the same time. I’m very happy that I got the opportunity to work with him and I’m very excited for the future :)“