Franzi Sterrer, who was #19 in Innsbruck three weeks ago, has done Shining (8A) and Big Belinda (8A) in Silvretta. (c) Sebastian Schiefer

Can you tell us more about the 8A ascents and your future competition plans?
The past few years have been pretty busy competing in both disciplines lead and Boulder. As I decided to focus more on bouldering again after the Olympic Qualifying series I have way more time to climb outside too. I always tried to find a mental escape from competition climbing and training in the gym and I always tried to find it in other sports but nothing felt as natural and fun to me as climbing. So I am pretty happy I found a way to enjoy rock climbing as much as I am doing now and I am excited to push my own limits and set myself some goals outside of competition climbing.

Silvretta was just a perfect place to start gaining some experiences as there are so many great lines. Shining definitely was my favourite so far because it challenged me from start until the last few moves. I felt so welcomed in the community I already learned a lot from everyone I met the past few days and I look forward to spending even more time outside this summer.

Jesús Muñoz Vaquero (Chuchi), who previously has opened over 40 boulders 8A+ to 8C, has done the FA of Metrópolis (8A+) in Hoya moros.

Can you tell us more about the boulder?
This area, in the west of Spain, is where I started climbing and is my favorite area of ​​all the bouldering areas in Spain. I have climbed a lot in this valley and now I am opening new lines on the blocks that have always been there. "Metropolis" is a clear example of this. Being in this remote valley, at 2000m altitude and climbing blocks like this imposing radioactive green ridge given by the lichen makes you feel as if you were climbing in a place far from Earth.

"Metrópolis" is the name of the extinct cyber cafe in my hometown that I went to when I was young. The connection between both such disparate places is that fluorescent green color that I mentioned before.

Several years ago I saw it and cleaned it, but I didn't decide to try it until this year because there was a movement that felt very hard. However, I found a method and a sequence that made climbing much easier.

How is it possible that such a stunning line has not been opened before?
In Hoyamoros there are still very impressive lines to climb and many others to open. The reason is that people are too lazy to walk for 1 hour and 30 minutes with bouldering pads. It's also normal, but for me it's not a problem 😄.

Jun Shibanuma has repeated Chris Sharma’s Dreamcatcher (9a) in Squamish, after having projected it for 13 sessions over two years. In April, we reported on the five 8C's he had completed and he mentioned at that time that Dreamcatcher was a future goal. In a few days, he's flying to Brazil for a month-long trip where he plans on trying Origens (8c+). (c) Victoria Kohner-Flanagan

What was the secret to sending Dreamcatcher?
Just don’t give up! [My] Redpoint try went really perfect, I was able to move really smoothly.

Just 200,000 meters remain to reach the final destination of the Vertical-Life Climb to Paris Challenge powered by Mammut. After our start in Tokyo, where the last Olympic Games took place, we reached the first milestone in Badami. Now, we are close to our goal, having already reached milestone 2 at the headquarters of Vertical-Life in Brixen in the stunning Dolomites and milestone 3 at Mammut's headquarters near Lenzburg in Switzerland. Now it’s time for some prize raffles.

The winners of prizes provided by Vertical-Life and Mammut will be selected at random and notified by email. If you participated, keep an eye on your inbox, as you might just be one of the lucky winners!

Last chance to participate and win!

More than 27,000 climbers worldwide have logged their indoor and outdoor routes since March 2024. Now comes the final sprint: In a few days, the climbing community will reach Paris, the final destination, where in a few weeks the world’s best climbers will give their all at the Olympic Games. For everyone who wants to hop on the climbing train, this is your last chance to participate in the challenge for a chance to win top prizes from Vertical-Life and Mammut. Premium users can also win an exclusive climbing day with Adam Ondra.

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Share Your Journey:

Share your climbing photos and videos, tag @vertical.life.climbing on Instagram, and use #climbtoparis for a chance to get reposted!

1. Colin Duffy USA 42+ : Ai Mori JPN Top
2. Sam Avezou FRA 41+ : Jessica Pilz AUT Top
3. Toby Roberts GBR 39 : Mei Kotake JPN 44+
Complete results.

Colin Duffy was #20 in the qualification and then #7 in the semifinal before climbing highest of all in the final. Ai Mori, on the other hand, won the first two rounds and by topping out the final route, she won on countback over Jessica Pilz.

Duffy comments, “It feels amazing to get my second Lead World Cup gold. It’s been an incredible journey these past few years doing the World Cup circuit and finding another special moment on the wall. In qualification I didn’t feel the greatest on the wall, but I put that out of my mind and have a good climb in the final. And the crowd here is incredible. It’s a perfect way to cap off my last competition before the Olympics. I’ve been training hard all year and to see I’m in the form I want to be is phenomenal and I’m going to stay here in France and train before Paris and I want to show my best there.”

Mori comments, “I thought that Jessica maybe got a top so I was a very nervous, but I looked out and saw the big crowd, and that big crowd pushed my performance. When I got the top I was very happy. I’ll go back to Japan now and then it’s straight to the Olympics, and I’ll do my best there.”

Many of the top climbers like Sorato Anraku, Jakob Schubert, Alex Megos, Janja Garnbret and Chaehyun Seo did not participate.

Michaela Kiersch has had a great start of her trip to Rocklands flashing Caroline (7C+) and Black Mango Chutney (7C+). She followed up those flashes with quick ticks of Dirty Epic (8A), Barracuda (8A) and Quintessential (8B) and, just yesterday, she flashed The Hatchling (8A). "Absolute stunner! And arguably the most iconic climb in Rocklands... I watched a few beta videos but really I just had fun and knew the climb would suit me! Crimps and heel hooks are my love language." (c) Kevin McNally

Can you tell us more about the 8B ascent?
This boulder is super in my style and I was glad to do it quickly! Even did it twice, once with a headlamp for the slab top out and once for a better video.

Did you send it during your first session?
The first session was only 20 minutes before a huge rain came and this session was another 15 minutes.

Jules Marchaland repeated Chris Sharma’s iconic Three Degrees of Separation (9a+) in June. ”Crazy route, maybe the best I have ever climbed. Took me 6 days and I fell two times at the last dyno…"

How hard is the start of the route and how hard are the dynos?
I think the first part is like a soft 8c+ , but it depends on your [preferred] style of climbing. After that (for me) the first dyno (with the fews moves before) is around a 7C+ boulder, and then the two next dynos (also with the few moves before) are around 7B boulders. I felt good on the dynos. I flashed the 2nd and 3rd one and did the first and hard one 2nd go. This route is just crazy, so fun to try.

Jennifer Eucharia Buckley, who placed second at the Innsbruck World Cup two weeks ago, won the Dornbrin Youth European Cup by winning the qualification and then being the only climber in her category to top the final route. Also, Pierre Marzullo and Andrea Chelleris won both the qualification and the final in their catagories.

05: Felix Mader AUT - Lana Bonnal FRA
07: Pierre Marzullo FRA - Jennifer Eucharia Buckley SLO
09: Andrea Chelleris ITA - Isabella Rinaldi GBR
Complete results

Allizee Dufraisse has sent Reve de faire (8A+/B) in Sustenpass. “I started trying the boulder last year. I was motivated because I like Sustenpass and also because it has a lower 8B+ start, which is my goal in bouldering :) I did it on my third session this year and directly started working on the lower start.”

Have you had any progress on your long time project, La Rambla (9a+), this spring?
I am finishing my PhD, so I am writing my thesis. This is hard work every day I am very focused which makes it difficult to project routes. I can only focus like five minutes which makes bouldering fit better. I spent some time at my flat in Spain this winter but only climbed on other routes. Until I finish my thesis this winter, I will only focus on bouldering.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has published a video from his send of Muerte por asfixia (8C+) last month.