Eva Hammelmüller, who was #24 in last World Cup, has in three tries each, done Dragée Fuca (8c) and Idée fixe (8c) in Briançon. In total, the 24-year-old has now done 28 routes 8c to 9a. (c) Felix Mast

How is it to combine World cups and outdoors?
I spent most of the pre-season preparing for the World Cups, so I didn’t get to spend too much time climbing outside. I think I made some progress regarding my fitness, but I couldn’t really bring it on the wall at the World Cups. Now, I am just happy to climb outside again, and I am so psyched to climb all those amazing routes in the Briançon region!

Jenn DeBellis, with seven 8A’s under her belt, has completed Law and Order (8A+) in Rocklands. “A special treat to top out to the sun setting over the valley.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I was surprised last season to find a relatively static method to work for me, and I was inspired to finish what I started when coming back this season. It felt like a perfect Rocklands experience to top out the boulder, after a bit of a fight, to a vibrant sunset.

Yannick Flohé and Alex Megos are two strong contenders for the Olympics that are also among the best outdoors. Yannick (24) with three 8C+’ and a 9a+ under his belt, won the Combined World Championship in 2021. The next year, he was Top-7 in all the ten World Cups he participated in.

Megos (30) track record outdoors, with around 20 ascents 9b/8C and beyond, can only be matched by Adam Ondra. On the competition scene he has three times made the podium in the Lead World Championships and he was #2 in Innsbruck in 2024. His best bouldering result is a silver in the European Championship in 2017. (c) Samm Pratt

How is the Olympic preparation going on?
Flohé: I’m back home and just take it easy before the Olympics. I’ve spent some time in Innsbruck and worked a lot on my lead climbing. I focused mainly on endurance training and did some bouldering comp simulations as well. I think lead climbing will be way more important in Paris due to the lack of separation in points in most of the bouldering rounds. Can’t wait to compete in Paris and I’m already looking forward to my trip to Ceüse afterwards :)

Megos: Preparations are going good and I don't feel my finger anymore, which is great! Very much looking forward to experiencing Paris with Yannick and Lucia [Doerffel] 😍

Can you tell us more about your finger injury?
I ruptured my pulley on my middle finger 2 weeks before the OQS in Shanghai. I was kinda stressed because of it and feared it might be the end of my qualification process. Thankfully it went OK in Shanghai despite the pain and it healed faster than everyone expected, so I was back in the game for Budapest and qualified.

Who have you been training together with?
Flohé: Mainly with the national team. I’ve been to Innsbruck three times just with Alex [Megos] or with the team before the first OQS between the two OQS and last week.

How is your level compared with Megos/Flohe in Lead/Boulder?
Flohé: Depends on the route. If it’s more about bouldery style I can keep up with him but on pure endurance no chance 😅

Megos: I think I can only keep up with Yannick in bouldering on the slabs and the weird boulders. On dynos and powerful stuff he is almost unbeatable.

What is your Olympic goal?
Flohé: For sure making the final. Not climbing every round is always a bit disappointing.

Megos: The goal is to try really hard and hopefully make finals. That would be amazing.

Michaela Kiersch continues her sending train in Rocklands and after two weeks she has now done ten boulders 8A and beyond. Today she flashed Light Saber (8A) and later sent Tea with Elmarie 8A (+). (c) Kevin McNally

Austria was the best country in the European Lead Youth Cup in Žilina, winning two golds and one silver. Isabella Rinaldi from Great Britain was the only climber who could repeat the victory from last week in Dornbrin and again she also won the qualification.

05: Gorard Jurekovic SLO - Martina Bursikova SVK
07: Jan Stipek CZE - Anika Deubler AUT
09: Christian Leitner AUT - Isabella Rinaldi GBR
Complete results

Milena Ciechanowska [pictured] and Hanna Kozina, both 17 years old, have sent Cringer (8b+) in Frankenjura. Mateusz Haladaj, who has done 19 routes 9a and beyond, is working for the Polish Climbing Federation. "I've been coaching Milena for 2 full years now and occasionally working with Hania. They are part of the Youth Climbing Team and go out for climbing trips twice a year as a part of the Federation program. In the case of Cringer, they started working the route during our climbing camp in June and now they finished it on their own. As a coach, I believe that setting an individual program is only part of the task. Helping define right goals, finding optimal beta, working on tactics and sharing experience can be a great part of succeeding in outdoor climbing."

Can you tell us about your ascents of Cringer?
Milena: This is my style - long routes with cruxes separated by good rest positions. ‘Cringer’ is an outstanding line where getting into the flow and diving into the climbing is just a matter of seconds. I had a great time figuring out the beta with my friend Hanna Kozina. From the first go, I knew I wanted to send it. The mutual support and a loud voice of cheering gave us an additional boost. We did our best, sending our first 10+ on the same day. It was a special moment, I’m happy we did that together.

Hania: From the moment I saw Cringer, I just knew I was going to enjoy it. Every part of this route encouraged me to climb more and try harder– an easy, but interesting start, two cruxes separated by a good rest position, and a less complex finish that still required concentration to avoid slipping by the anchor. The second pumpy crux with its beautiful sequence, is what makes this one of the best routes I've ever done. The first crux was a bit of a challenge for me at first. I kept falling almost right at the start, and it was tough to believe I could send it. But working on the route with Milena and having support from her and my friends gave me incredible motivation. When I finally got through the first crux, the second one didn't stop me. I'm glad I started and sent it together with Milena on the same day – it was the best part of it!

Tara Hayes, who did her first 8B last year, has completed Isles Of Wonder (8B) in Ogwen valley. The 27-year-old finished her competition career in 2022 after being part of the GB team for 14 years. Her best results were a silver in the Youth World Championship and in 2019 she was #12 in the European Championship.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I was psyched to try Isles of Wonder as soon as I saw a video, it's a straight up line with cool moves in a great location. I first tried it last summer and after a couple of sessions knew it was within my capabilities. I was hitting the last hold (excluding the top out) from the start so I was confident it would go. I then went to Rocklands for a month and unfortunately didn't get back to try it until May this year. After 1 session of re-learning the moves, I felt like I was in good enough shape to get it done. I knew I needed to try it consistently to give myself the best chance so I ended up having about 7 sessions in the last month. I felt closer each time but still lacked the belief to stick the last hold (it looks really far when you're setting up for it!), despite feeling OK in isolation. Thankfully on Friday I was in the right headspace to get it done and managed to execute the moves really well and find some extra try hard. Overall it's by far the most commitment I've put in.

Piotr Oleszczuk had a great start of his trip to Rocklands by flashing two 8A’s and Hipster Whale (8B). Yesterday, he sent one 8A+ and four 8B’s including a flash of Moon shadow (8B).

Can you tell us more about the 8B flashes and your trip?
I came to Rocklands for a month. For the first 5 days, the weather wasn't on our side, and climbing was more about finding dry and climbable rocks. Fortunately, the weather improved a bit, and we could start climbing the classics. Hipster Whale was one of the boulders I had my eye on.

That day, I simply warmed up as usual, checked out what I could from the ground, and then tried from the bottom to test the first few moves, which seemed the hardest. I didn't set up any camera because I didn't expect I'd be able to flash an 8B. It turned out that the initially difficult moves seemed easier than I thought, and shortly after, I found myself on top of the boulder. :)

Three days later, on a rainy day, I went to The Coop sector, where the only dry boulder was Moonshadow. This time, I recorded all my attempts. Regarding this boulder, I had a feeling it might suit me, because crimps, long moves and heel-toe jams are the style I feel best at, so this time in the back of my head I wanted my first go to be as good as possible. I warmed up again on the dry parts of the surrounding rocks, checked what I could from the ground, gave it a try, and did everything just as I planned.

I watched videos. I have a phone full of screen recorded YouTube uncuts with beta for every boulder I want to try in an area, so I only used that 😅. My friend also gave it a few tries before me to tell me how it feels :)

During the attempt, to make it more interesting, it started raining again. So, when I got past the difficult part, it was raining on my face, the holds on the top slab were damp, and an unprotectable tree awaited below. Fortunately, I managed not to fall on the 6B topout and did the whole thing on the first try. This ascent was the beginning of what turned out to be the most successful day in my climbing career so far. By the end of the day, I had completed three other 8Bs (one of them almost flashing again) and one 8A+.

Karpathos is a Greek island situated approximately 150 km south of Kalymnos, which has recently emerged as a new European climbing destination. It offers over 400 sport routes with Piotr Barabas being responsible for bolting and or funding around 350 of them. The 65-year-old Polish visionary, who is passionate about climbing as well as wind surfing and skiing, has a plan of opening more routes on the island and turning it into an outdoor sport destination. According to him, the potential impact could result in up to 5,000 new routes and he is willing to provide bolting equipment to those who would come and help with the development.

Karpathos is abundant in small crags scattered across the island. As of today, there are as many as 33 different walls described in the guidebook (Karpathos Rock Climbing Guidebook 2023 (climbkarapathos.com). Some of these crags are situated right on the beaches, while others can be found in canyons, valleys, or even within forests—a rarity in this part of the world.

Climbing styles and rock formations vary from crag to crag, but there are more vertical climbs and long routes up to 30 meters compared to other climbing destinations in Greece. The grades typically range from 5c to 7b, so the island is perfect for fun moderate climbing. The island also offers year-round climbing opportunities, thanks to sectors in all directions and favorable conditions even during the summer due to strong winds. The rock quality sometimes it is mediocre, some routes need traffic to clean, and there are much fewer tufas and stalactites than Kalymnos.

If you’re interested in embracing a scooter lifestyle, it's recommend seeking accommodation in Arkasa or Finiki. These picturesque villages are conveniently located within a 10-kilometer radius of nearly 300 routes. Despite the wealth of attractions on Karpathos—such as its stunning beaches, mountain trails, windsurfing opportunities, rock climbing, and cultural sites—it’s surprising how little tourism the island receives. With its laid-back local vibe and abundant pristine nature, Karpathos offers a unique experience. Interestingly, despite having approximately double land area than Kalymnos, it boasts a population of only around 6,000 inhabitants.

Sung Su Lee has been on a four weeks trip to Rocklands where he managed to send The Finnish Line (8C), Spray of Light (8C), The smile (8C) and Monkey Wedding (8C)

Which boulders were the highlights of your trip?
I think The Finnish Line [pictured] was most impressive to me. One of my dream boulders ever. This boulder was always inside in my heart. The Smile was insane. It’s pretty tall with a jump move and I had only 4 pads and 2 spotters. One of my most scary boulders ever. Special thanks to [Brian] Kim and Zach [Galla].

Can you tell us about your climbing background?
When I was young my dad was already climbing, so I was able to start climbing 16 years ago [at age 9] with him. I was doing competition climbing until two years ago. Six months ago, I got to go to Bishop with my boys and it really got me psyched about outdoor bouldering.

I felt liberated from the pressure I felt competing. I love outdoor bouldering because the boulders will always be there and I could meet so many amazing new friends along the way. I felt like I couldn’t prove myself in competitions, but now that I’ve been outdoor bouldering, I feel like I can really show what I’m capable of. I wasn’t able to become one of the best athletes in competitions in the world, but I can see the possibility in outdoor bouldering.

This past trip to Rocklands was my third ever bouldering trip, but I surprised myself doing so many more boulders than I anticipated.

I’ll be heading to Swiss in September to try Alphane V17. I hope to train hard and send it this upcoming trip!
 There are still not too many South Korean climbers that climb outside but I hope that one day I can be someone that can represent South Korea in outdoor bouldering. I hope that one day I have the opportunity to show the world who Sung Su Lee is and what I’m capable of.