Gabriele Moroni, with 26 routes 9a to 9b under his belt, has sent X integral (9a+) in Ravoire giving it a personal 9a grade.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and your personal grade?
X Integral is a logical combination of two previously established routes, Satire (8c+) and The Shoker (8c+). Both opened by local Dylan Chuat. He then had the idea to combine them togheter and did the FA of X Integral just after. I discovered Gottreux this summer looking for a place to climb in hot weather. I went there for a couple of weekends and quickly repeated The Shoker and started trying Satire with clearly the idea to have a possibility on X Integral. Finally august holidays came so I had more time to dedicate for this project. But eventually on my first day back I already climbed Satire and tried to keep going past the chains into The Shoker and fell right before the last rest. After a rest day and some failed attempts on Satire I could make it past the chain once more but this time, having it more dialed but with a good fight I could climb my way to the chains of The Shoker and finished X Integral for its 3rd ascent.

About the grade it's hard to tell. Unfortunately (or fortunately) in between the two routes you have a very good rest so after you climb Satire you can really recover and start the second part fresh enough. I haven't climbed that many 9a+'s but the ones I did they took me a lot of more effort (months or seasons) and this one just a bunch of sessions.

Adam Ondra is back on "non-plastic holds" directly after the Olympics. In Sloup he made the FA of Peppa (8B+). “Took forever to actually figure out the line and never really trying it, but once the mystery was unlocked, it was disappointingly easier than expected. Maybe harder, maybe not.”

Then he travelled to Val Daone where he on the same day, flashed Grizzly (8B) and sent Blue Arrow (8A) as well as Flow (8B+).

On Instagram, he comments on the Olympics, where he was #6 overall after having won in Lead and placed seventh in Boulder.

"I poured my heart into the preparation, I don’t think I have ever been so focused in my life like in the last months before this event ✊ I don’t think I have ever been better prepared than this time... For now, let’s have some rest and touch some non-plastic holds for a while 👊" (c) Petr Chodura

Tom O'Halloran, who participated in the Tokyo Olympics, has done The Red Project (9a). “The epitome of Blue mountains climbing. Does not get better.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I think 4th ascent after Alex Megos, Wiz Fineron, Ben Cossey. It was always known as The Red Project and was going to be known as that even once climbed. Alex called it Retired Extremely Dangerous however we reclaimed it as the red project like biographie/realization.

It’s brilliant. Partly bolted by Garth Miller in the 90s. Finished by Lee Cossey a few year later. It’s the most beautiful balance of technical, powerful, subtle aggressive climbing you could ever find. The crux is as frustrating as it is brilliant. Which is to say it’s a mega A++ for both. Skin, conditions, ability and head space all need to come together to make it happen. Several days of work in 2013 as Alex did it. A few in 2015 then nothing until the four days it took this year. A true life list route 😀

Matt Fultz, with eigth 8C+’ under his belt, has done the FAs of The Final Empire (8C) and Zugzwang (8B+) in Cascade.

Can you tell us more about the FAs and the number of sessions needed?
Final Empire is 5 moves up perfect granite edges. Big moves and tension the whole way through. Exciting climbing, and perfectly my style!

It took several sessions, I’m not sure how many. Lots of time cleaning because the top was carpeted in moss and mud. I first started properly trying it in early July.

Zugzwang is a 20 move problem through amazing sloping granite rails. Most of the difficulty comes in the first 3 moves which clock in around 8B, but then you have to complete a long and involved sequence that is around 8A.

What is coming up next?
Cascade is exploding with incredible and difficult granite boulder problems! There are many many projects still to be done. Right now I’m just picking through the ones I can do quickly.

A lot of travel planned for this Fall! I’m psyched to have a nice, long projecting season.

In the latest episode of The Struggle Climbing Show, Adam Ondra talks about sika reinforcement. "Routes harder than 9a+, I can maybe think of five routes that have no sika at all."

"I thought like chipping routes 15 years ago was a thing of the past.... to me it seems like it is coming back and nobody seems to care."

The reason for this is that most hard routes are on limestone. Ondra thinks it is OK to reinforce holds that could break off in the future, but he says that many climbers also put sika on holds that would break more easily. Ceüce is an example of good rock quality where sika is not needed that goes also for Yosemite, Flatanger and other granite crags.

Since Janja Garnbret won the Olympic gold in Tokyo, she has participated in 24 IFSC World Cups/Euro and World Championships. Out of these, three times she has been runner-up and 21 times she has won. The pressure she faced in Paris must have been immense and we reported that "this was possibly her biggest emotional reaction to winning a competition."

In an breathtaking Instagram report, she says. "I can’t explain how many times in the past 3 months I cried and broke down in the middle of training. So many ‘what if’s’ and doubts but at the end of the day I believed in myself and in my preparation. I don’t know if many people realize how hard it is to be the favorite and to deliver over and over again and honestly, I have no idea how I made it happen."

The 25-year-old Slovenian finishes up, "... still it was the hardest competition I’ve ever done."

Oier Berruete has repeated Iker Pou's 45 meter long Celedon (9a) in Egino, La Leze. (c) Mikel Etxeberria

Can you tell us more about doing your first 9a?
I had been looking at this route for a long time, because when you reach the wall it catches your eye and you start to dream about it. I started trying it a little last year, I took the steps and refined sequences... but I had to stop climbing due to a heel injury. For this season I was clear that I wanted to focus on this route, so I combined days on the route with training sessions directed to it. It has not been easy to catch the weather conditions, but it has helped me to try it in humidity and wet conditions to focus on details that I might not do in good conditions.

The route is very good, 45 meters of sustained climbing, with a sequence of small holds and delicate feet to reach the belay that puts you in your place. I have enjoyed it a lot, and I can say that it is one of the best routes I have climbed. I would like to thank Iker Pou for equipping this jewel, and also all those who have accompanied me in this process.

What is your climbing background?
I started climbing 10 years ago and combined it with other sports. At the same time as I dedicated more time to climbing, I started to get interested in training. When I finished my studies, I started to train different climbers, both men and women, under my training brand "OBsesion Climbing Training". I have been lucky enough to meet many people from whom I have learned a lot and evolved as a climber. In 2021 I did my first 8c, and since then I began to believe that it could be possible to do 9a one day. I have always been very motivated to improve myself... Now I dream of much more... hehehe Who knows!

Stefano Carnati, with seven 9a+ and beyond under his belt, has completed Change P1 (9a+) in Flatanger. This is the first pitch of Adam Ondra’s 55 meter long Change (9b+), established in 2012 as the first 9b+ in the world.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I arrived in Flatanger on August 1st, with only two weeks to climb, and decided to focus on this line since practicing the initial part went smoothly. Having already climbed most of the 9a routes in the cave, this was the only one that seemed feasible given the humid conditions we faced during the first days.

The brutal crux took me five days to figure out efficiently, but on the sixth day, I finally managed to link it from the ground! Although my time here is running out, I’m determined to return someday to put in more effort and complete the entire line.

Alma Bestvater, with ten 8A+' under her belt, has sent four 8A’s in Silvretta; Shining (8A), British Airways (8A) (pictured), Welcome to Jamrock Stand right (8A) and Diamond Nuts (8A).

The 28-year-old climber has been competing in World Cup events since 2013, achieving her best results in 2018 with 5th and 6th place finishes. After suffering a severe shoulder injury in 2022, she took a break from competitions. However, she made a strong comeback in 2024, with her lowest finish across three World Cups being 22nd place.

Can you tell us more about your great trip to Silvretta?

My trip to Silvretta was quite spontaneous, largely because I’ve been focusing more on comps this year. It had been quite a while since I last visited Silvretta, so I was excited to return and see how I would perform on some old projects. On the first few days, I decided to attempt two of my previous projects: British Airways and Diamond Nuts. To my surprise, I was able to climb both of them relatively quickly. This was especially meaningful because the last time I tried these climbs was before my shoulder surgeries.

This time, I felt stronger and fitter, moving through the sequences with a newfound confidence. The feeling of sending these boulders after such a difficult period of recovery was incredibly fulfilling.

What made this trip particularly special was the realization that I didn’t just feel as strong as I was before my injuries—I actually felt stronger. This was a huge milestone for me, especially considering it has taken almost two years to reach this point after my last shoulder surgery. It’s something that makes me really proud.

Encouraged by these successes, I decided to try something new: flashing an 8A boulder. I’d never seriously attempted to flash a boulder of that grade before, and I chose Shining as my challenge

The attempt was incredibly close—I almost succeeded on my first try, but in the end, I managed to send it on the second attempt. Although it would have been amazing to flash it, I’m still thrilled with the result.

This trip to Silvretta wasn’t just about ticking off projects or chasing grades; it was more about taking a break from competition training and recognizing the progress I’ve made since my injuries and I’m eager to get back to Silvretta and continue pushing my limits.

Simon Lorenzi made the FA of Soudain seul (9A) in 2021 after 25 session, including just two sessions on the standing start, The Big Island (8C). In the end, he needed to put a book under his knee pad in order to improve a knee bar. Here is how he answered our questions after the FA.

How hard do you think both parts are individually?
For me, it is a hard 8B (like harder than all the 8B I did) into a hard 8B+. But it's weird because this first part is so conditioned dependant. With 12°c it felt way harder than the second part and then if it's between 0 and 5°c it feels like 8B.

How good is the hold in between? Can you chalk there or somewhere?
All the way to the top without chalking up :) So just chalk up once before climbing. The end is complicated on the slopers.

Did you make a replica or just train at the site? What was the key for eventually taking it down?
Training at the site mostly because it's tricky and if I don't try it for a week I lose the feeling. Good short résistance and optimise every detail to spend less energy.

Did you have to use any special tricks being just 168 cm tall, beside your +8 cm ape index?
1: Using stiff shoes instead of soft shoes to put more pressure into the kneebar.
2: Using a stiff kneepad with something under (I first tried with old chunks of wood).
3: Stretch my upper body to gain mobility. Like that, I improved my arm reach a bit.
4: Using a different beta for the crux of the stand start.