Matt Fultz, with 29 boulders 8C or 8C+ under his belt, has had a remarkable day in Cascade doing the first ascents of The Hero of Ages (8B+) and Death's End (8C).

Can you tell us more about those two 8C FA’s?
I have been having such a fun time climbing in the forest this Summer. I have been trying two projects in parallel for the past several weeks. Sometimes both in a day, but more often switching between each every other session. I arrived last week on a perfectly cold night, feeling rested and strong. I was able to send Death’s End on my first try from start for the day, then I used the psych to do the same on Hero of Ages about 20 minutes later.

Cascade is really becoming a powerhouse for hard climbing in Idaho. I think there are 15 or more 8Bs or harder all within a 5 minute walk of each other. I’m hopeful more people make the trip up and visit these special boulders this Fall.

Stefano Ghisolfi has sent Illusionist (9a) in Flatanger as well as Purgatory (9a) in Hell. (c) Sara Grippo

Can you tell us more about the trip and the two 9a ascents?
I'm in Flatanger trying Silence (9c) and I wanted to try something else, to train and to be away from the same moves for five days, so I chose 2 short projects. Illusionist cause is in the cave and it's the shortest hard route. And I tried Purgatory on the way to the cave and went back to send it few days ago

Sam Avezou of France, who previously earned a silver and a gold at the European Championship, claimed the gold in Boulder & Lead with a dominant performance, winning by over 47 points. On the women's side, Laura Rogora secured her second gold in a highly competitive event, finishing less than 4 points ahead of the bronze medalist. (c) © Yanak Lopez/IFSC

1. Sam Avezou FRA 183.6 - Laura Rogora ITA 155.6
2. Sascha Lehmann SUI 136.2 - Ievgeniia Kazbekova UKR 152.8
3. Jonas Utelli SUI 133.2 - Zelia Avezou FRA 151.8
Complete results

Noteworthy is that only eight, out of the 23 Olympians from Europe, participated in Villars. Furthermore, only 17 males and 21 females competed in the Boulder & Lead event.

Thibault Lair, who last year sent Papichulo (9a+), has made the FA of Bison tranche (9a) in La Mongie . This was his seventh 9a FA. "Bison tranche is a route located on a north face at 2500 m altitude in La Mongie (Hautes Pyrénées). We equipped this area last year. I managed to do all the "direct" routes, so I decided to find the hardest variants possible to be able to continue climbing in this sector. So "Bison tranche" starts in an 8c+ then I make an ascending traverse on the 2 left routes to continue while in resistance. There are around twenty movements without rest and with a rather high intensity. It's a shame that there aren't more routes in this area because it's really classy and having the tab in the middle of August isn't bad ;)"

Four days later he repeated and suggested an upgrade of Jonathan Flor's La hebra del viento (9a) in Rodellar. "La hebra del viento is a route to rodellar to the Piscineta. It was equipped by Jonathan Flor who made the FA and who proposed 8c/+. I find it a good notch above the 8c+ in the sector so I suggest 9a soft or 8c+/9a for this route. I think I completed the 1st repetition of the route. In any case, great routes on a great cliff. A hard section in the middle of the L2 then follows a part of physical resistance before finishing with a well-timed end on small holds... Congratulations to Jonathan for all the routes he equips and chains in Rodellar. Notice to amateurs, there are a lot of routes to repeat between 8c+ and 9b:)"

All the male and female medalists in the European Boulder Championship in Villars got the same number of tops and zones in the final, meaning attempts to tops and zones were needed to rank them. Ultimately, Nailé Meignan and Sam Avezou from France, who also both won the semifinal, got the golds.

1. Nailé Meignan FRA 34 (7) - Sam Avezou FRA 24 (2/7)
2. Ayala Kerem ISR 34 (9) - Maximillian Milne GBR 24 (2/14)
3. Agathe Calliet 34 (12) - Dayan Dakhtar GBR 24 (7)
Complete results

Laura Rogora from Italy won the Lead event by topping the final route but was timed so she had to settle scoring six moves higher than Ievgeniia Kazbekova. Among the males, Sasha Lehmann pleased the home crowd getting two moves higher than Sam Avezou.

1. Sasha Lehmann SUI 45+ : Laura Rogora ITA 45
2. Sam Avezou FRA 43+ : Ievgeniia Kazbekova UKR 39+
3. Guillermo Peinado ESP 39+ : Lynn van Der Meer 38+
Complete results

Noah Wheeler has completed Drew Ruana’s Insomniac (8C+) at Lincoln Lake. It starts doing eight moves of The Wheel of Wolvo (8B+) followed by a good rest and then continuous through We Can Build You (8B). (c) e.lusive

”My hardest yet given the style. Miraculously figured out the heel only recently which unlocked the possibility of trying the low. 6 or so sessions this year mostly around this month, but the stand took a few sessions last year. Felt a progressive sense of familiarity with the climb up until weather got bad, wherein doubt set in up until a lucky good day of weather the weekend before the road closes for 2 years. Made it out the cave!”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I did Wheel of Wolvo and Delirium back in the summer of 2022, with them feeling fairly comfortable, and came back in 2023 with the intention of sending Insomniac. I soon realized this goal was more hefty than I had anticipated because the heel move on the stand, We Can Build You, was particularly anti style (I think is has to do with an over-reliance on putting my weight in my upper-body). I barely gave start goes on Insomniac that year.

This year I came back and after a few mental shifts and analysis I discovered the move for myself, sending maybe a month after this awareness. Despite feeling the natural progression necessary for a climb this grade throughout the month, I was self-doubting myself the entire topout as I was incredibly numb and fairly pumped. Before making every next move after a certain point I was like “I’m falling now” but I kept moving in complete separation between my mind and body until the top.

Adam Ondra has done L'oppio dei climbers (8B+) and Flow State (8C) in Val daone. ”8C+ if you are short for sure! Amazing FA by Pietro Vidi.

The next day he flashed Felberqueen (8B) in Felbertal and over just three he sent ten boulders 8A and beyond. In total, the 31-year-old has logged close to 2 400 routes and boulders on Vertical-Life.

Sera Gearhart, with over 40 boulders 8A and beyond under her belt, has completed European Human Being (8A+) located at 3100 m elevation in RMNP (CO).

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I think I gave myself altitude sickness and I haven’t been able to stomach eating much so I felt super shaky and nauseous yesterday. Very happy that I was able to put it together even feeling so awful! I opted for the double clutch method since it was a bit warm to control the last move. It was cool because that’s not how I usually climb. Beta inspired by Alex Johnson!

Ryusei Hamada from Japan and Meini Li from China won all three rounds, securing Japan's 14th medal and China's 16th in the Youth World Championship. Notably, all six boys in the final were from Asia, and only six from Europe, out of which three from Israel, made it to the semifinal, although there are a maximum of three per nation.

Li, who was fourth in Lead, says; ”I am so excited as it’s my first time at a World Championships and the feeling is incredible. After Lead I feel climbed semi-finals so bad, and I had to change my emotions to get better in the Boulder.

The feeling of being at home made me more relaxed and enjoy the competition, and the crowd was incredible all the way through.”

Hamada, who got the silver in Lead, comments; “I’m so happy for the gold, but I didn’t climb well on the first route, and I was disappointed not to make tops on all the boulders. My goal was four tops for the final, but maybe that will have to be for next year now.” Complete results © Richard Aspland/IFSC