Martina Demmel has had a great week in Arco sending 30 routes out of which six 8b+ or 8c; Dedi fredi (8b+) , 5 Uve (8c), Elephant man (8b+), Warbeast (8c), Ghost Rider (8b+) and Super Maratona (8b+). (c) Basti Halenke

Can you tell us more about the trip and the most memborable ascents?
There are a few memorable sends from the last few days beause I often surprised myself with how much mental energy I had to keep on fighting when my body already wanted to let go. Especially in "5 uve", it was only possible with the support from my belayer & a lot of will-power. These quick sends now feel extra rewarding because I went through a lot of changes recently and I didn't even believe anymore that I can still push myself and be focused enough on the wall.

What is coming up next?
We're still here in Arco till Sunday but now it's raining non-stop, so we have to see what's dry the next few days⛈️... apart from that I've already decided to finish my comp-season earlier this year (in August) to prioritize my long-term health. Now, I'm feeling kinda recharged to start school & winter training again soon.

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Nina Arthaud, who last month did three 8A+' in Rocklands, has had some great days in Magic Wood ticking Pura Vida (8A+), Foxy Lady (8A) and Jack's broken heart (8A+). The 24-year-old stopped competing in 2021 after reaching the Lead World Cup finals twice.

Can you tell us more about the ascents?
I haven’t had much chance to go to Magic Wood yet, so I planned a 5-day trip there with some friends. The week was rather rainy and we had to be strategic to find the right slots to climb.

I tried ‘Jacks Broken Heart’ on the first day of our trip. I have had this boulder in my head for a long time and I really wanted to try it. I fell into the vertical section at the very top on my first session and managed to link it on the second.

I then tried ‘Foxy lady’. This one is so beautiful. For this boulder we had to go to the boulder at 7am because the rain was supposed to come at 9am. In the end, I managed to climb this one with the final part in the rain. Not the best conditions but for sure a good memory !

Finally, I tried ‘Pura Vida’. At first I thought I’d try the 8b version which is ‘One summer in Paradise’, which starts lower, but I really liked the high heel on the first move of the 8a+ so I changed my plans. I quickly checked the moves and I managed to climb it a few tries later. The top-out was also totally wet but I felt lucky to be able to climb it despite the rain.

Thanks to my friends for their support and good mood during this trip, it’s precious.

What is next?
I’m currently trying some boulders in Valais and Fionnay. Then back to university 😅🥲 [Psychology]. Then Ticino this autumn / winter.

How can you explain your recent great progress?
I’ve trained really hard over the past year for outdoor bouldering, using my experience from years of competition climbing. In fact, it’s only been a year since I started bouldering outside. Before that, I mainly focused on routes and had less time to climb outdoors. Recently, I’ve noticed that I’ve gained more experience and efficiency on rock. Plus, I’m extremely motivated, which helps me push myself during every session.

Part of the background for establishing the 8a scorecard in 2000 was to encourage climbers to try to climb onsight instead of just trying to redpoint one route during a trip. The "bonus points" you get are worth three grades more. During the last years, we have seen that the redpoint level has increased at the same time as the onsight level has decreased. In general, there are few climbers who onsight three grades below their redpoint max.

Wojtek Pełka has onsighted nine routes 8a+ or 8b the last 12 months at the same time he has just redpointed one 8b+ and one 8c. In the onsight ranking game he is #3 although he has had a knee surgery this February. The picture is from his onsight attempt of Photo Shot (8b). (c) Mateusz Haładaj

Can you tell us more about your onsight focus?
I decided to commit to quick sending last year rather than just trying hard RP. I wouldn’t say it’s an onsight focus, but rather my approach for climbing abroad. Since I usually have trips shorter than 3 weeks I would like to climb as much as possible and explore new crags. By onsighting I can try more different routes. I find this style less challenging mentally, as you don’t have to deal with the pressure of time in which you should finish a redpoint project. I like the challenge of reading sequence correctly while having enough strength, endurance and confidence to make it through. Probably I didn’t have a proper project at my limit abroad because I’d never come back for a certain route. But maybe in the future, I will focus more on pushing my redpoint limit as well :).

What are your onsight plans this autumn?
Still not in full swing, unfortunately. This autumn, I won’t climb hard due to some mobility limitations of my knee. I need to carefully figure out beta before each attempt 🙂

Ainhize Belar, who two weeks ago did Iñi Ameriketan (9a), has sent Celedon (9a) in Egino, La Leze. The 18-year-old is #1 in the Vertical-Life female ranking game. (c) Ekaitz Anda

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Last month I sent Activos tóxicos (8c), a route with the same ending as Celedón and then, I decided to try it from below to see the steps and have another project close to home. The truth is that I felt quite comfortable in it from the beginning and after 6 tries I was able to get this 45 meter route with perfect holds that crosses the entire wall. It was one of those tries where you are focused, enjoying the moves and everything flows

"After a major cleaning session with Clément Lechaptois, extensive method research (not easy to find), and a few attempts, here I am at the top of this King Line in Fionnay, which I named Big Nose in reference to the magnificent hold in the middle of the boulder. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most beautiful lines in Fionnay. It’s impressive, the moves are incredible, the holds are crazy, and the effort to link it all together is really cool!

I took a while to decide on the grade because it’s much harder than all the 8B+ routes in the region and tougher than the only 8C I’ve actually tried and completed (over 4 years ago 😅). However, I wasn’t in my best shape, and once I found the methods, I completed the boulder fairly quickly. Additionally, the last crux is very condition-dependent, and I’ve never had truly cold conditions, which makes a big difference in the difficulty of the boulder. So, a heads-up to future repeaters!"

Delaney Miller, with two 8c+' under her belt, has signed up to Vertical-Life by logging Fat Camp (9a) in Rifle (CO). The 29-year-old has been an active competition climber for ten years until 2018. In 2015, she had her best year being Top-13 four times in the World Cup. (c) Mack Lambert

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I put a lot of work into training for this route. None of the moves are particularly hard, but it's a very sustained route, with long sections of punchy, difficult climbing. The last boulder in particular gave me quite a bit of trouble. I fell at the top eight times before punching through. Took quite a bit more effort than The Crew (8c+).

Natalia Grossman won all three rounds in the Prague World Cup, securing her eleventh Boulder WC gold. ”This win means so much to me, more than any win I’ve had recently. It signifies that if I believe in myself, I can do it. “[Prague] is one of the best World Cups I’ve been to, one of the best crowds. It was awesome, thank you! ” Runner-up was Nailé Meignan, who three weeks ago became the European Champion.

The most exciting final in the European Youth Cup in Ostermundigen was the boys' Youth B final where Christian Leitner won as he topped the route 39 seconds faster than Andrea Chelleris from Italy. Overall, France was the best nation with five medals, including two golds.

Junior: Victor Guillermin FRA - Zala Mlakar Staric SLO
Y-A: Pierre Marzullo FRA - Julia Benach Zubero ESP
Y-B: Christian Leitner AUT - Maya Eve ROU
Complete results

Lee Dohyun, who won his first World Cup in Prague last year, claimed his second World Cup gold at the same stage. ”I love Prague! I can’t believe I won again here, how can I explain my feelings? I’m just very happy! There were some tricky moves in the final, some boulders were complicated for me, but I did my best and it paid off.”

Manu Cornu, who has not made a podium since 2019, got the silver. ”It’s crazy, right? It definitely feels crazy. I don’t have a lot of words tonight. I’m back from a long difficult period. One year ago, here in Prague, the first words to my coach after the qualification round were ‘It’s over for me’. And now I’m here, on the podium.

I didn’t think it was possible for both [Anraku] Sorato and [Narasaki] Tomoa to fall on the fourth boulder. So I was quite sure I was going to get fourth place. I was very surprised.”