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.

Pepa Šindel, who did his first 9a+ at age 14, has sent Pornographie (9a) in Céüse. "Low percentage move to a 2 finger pocket than an endurance finish. Done without knee pad and at 34°C ☠️"

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
The main goal of my stay in Céüse was the legendary Biographie 9a+, but than I changed my mind at the last moment and tried Pornographie 9a. It is a 20-meter power-endurance line on small crimps. The main difficulties lie in the difficult intro, hard crux where it is very difficult to stick a low percentage move to a two-finger pocket. This is followed by rest and an endurance finish. The whole time it was terribly hot in France, every day the temperatures exceeded 33°C and the micro crimps just do not stick in such conditions... Last week I fought for a send every single try and fell after the crux due to a lack of endurance or often due to a fatal mistake. That's why I'm glad that I was able to climb the route even in such weather.

Everybody knows the feeling of not knowing how to solve a crux, and good beta saves the day. This is why we’re excited to launch Beta Videos on Vertical-Life web!

What's New?

• Beta Videos: Easily upload and share your climbing beta videos to help others in the community. Whether you're working on a new project or want to offer insights, Beta Videos are a great way to share and find beta.
• Unified Photo Gallery: Now you can upload photos both on the web, and in the Vertical-Life app (when adding ascents), providing a seamless experience across platforms. Share your climbing moments and discoveries effortlessly.

Go to the Beta Videos section, upload your video and tag the route or boulder. You can add a description to provide context and details, and you can be certain that you’re eventually going to help someone send :)

Upload your favorite beta video here

The point scoring system in Paris, including the two zones in Boulder, proved to be both easy to understand and fair. The best overall Boulder & Lead climbers ultimately secured the medals. The scoring at the Tokyo Olympics involved multiplying the results of the three disciplines, which heavily favoured winning a single discipline over consistently strong performances across all disciplines. It's likely that in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, there will be three separate sets of medals. Here’s how the medalists would have been determined in 2024 using both the Tokyo and LA scoring systems.

Tokyo multiplication scoring if used in Paris
1. Janja Garnbret 3 - Sorato Anraku 5
2. Ai Mori 7 - Adam Ondra 7
3. Brooke Raboutou 10 - Jakob Schubert 10

Los Angeles three sets of medals if used in Paris
Boulder
1. Janja Garnbret - Sorato Anraku
2. Brooke Raboutou - Colin Duffy
3. Oceania Mackenzie - Toby Roberts

Lead
1. Ai Mori - Adam Ondra
2. Jessica Pilz - Jakob Schubert
3. Janja Garnbret - Alberto Gines Lopez

In front of 7000 screaming spectators, Janja Garnbret secured her second Olympic gold and started crying. Before the competition, she had said that the pressure would be lower in Paris, as she had already won in Tokyo, but this was possibly her biggest emotional reaction to winning a competition. Also, runner-up Brooke Raboutou and the bronze medalist Jessica Pilz were crying and the atmosphere in the arena was truly electric. It must be said that the Olympic climbing has been an amazing success throughout the competition with great route setting and scoring system, and also thanks to the loudly cheering spectators.