Iris Bielli has repeated Beat Kammerlander’s Prinzip Hoffnung (8b+) in Bürser Platte. The 20-year-old, who says her passion is multi-pitch climbing, onsighting and technical slab climbing, sent her first 8c in January. Beat Kammerlander first did the 40 meter line with bolts before chopping them, and in 2009, he made the first ascent with trad gear.

Can you tell us more about your ascent?
I visited the Bürser Platte for the first time at the end of December, unfortunately the route was wet, and it was too cold to climb, nonetheless the line immediately charmed me with its aesthetics. I returned for a day trip on March 3, many hours of driving and little climbing but enough to fuel me up to return the following weekend. On Saturday, I studied the movements and gear placements while top-roping and on Sunday I attempted a lead climb. During my first lap, I fell in the final part of the crux slab due to sweaty fingertips caused by heat, humidity and even a bit of tension. I waited for 3 hours, in the meantime the wind picked up, my hands dried and I managed to send the route on the second lead attempt. I think Prinzip Hoffnung is a truly special line because it combines the mental factor of trad climbing with the technical difficulties of precarious slab climbing, all in a relatively safe way.

Michaela Kiersch is back in Margalef where she has completed Combifetis (8c) and . (c) Jan Novak

Over the last couple of years Kiersch has completed a dozen boulder problems 8B to 8B+, as well a dozen routes 8c+ to 9a+.

Can you tell us more about your current trip and the 8c+ you just sent?
It shares the start with Victimes del futur (9a) and it was helpful to already be familiar with the bottom moves, even though it really only shares about 2-3 draws. I fell maybe 2 days on R1 and then sent R2 the next day. There is a tricky match in a pocket with 2 monos which was super difficult for me. I ended up finding alternative beta with a crimp that was a bit harder but less precise and it made the difference! I’m finally settling into a routine here in Margalef after about 2 weeks. My skin is good and the sends are coming together. I’ll stay at least another week or so.

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William Moss, who one year ago did the FA of the mixed line Best Things in Life are Free (9a), has sent three 8b+ trad routes and he says he thinks all of them should have an R, for run-out, added to the grade. The 19-year-old is #1 in our trad climbing ranking game just ahead of Alex Honnold.

Kill Switch (8b+) in Gross Reservoir: "Cool grit style route. Put it down second sesh. after it was wet during the first session."

Viceroy (8c) in Castle Rock: "Did so much tr solo on this thing, probably about 14 sessions before giving it a lead burn. Worked it a lot cuz of the danger factor and wanted to make sure I had the placements dialed and didn’t fall on the sketch sections. Fell once on the first crux after the 13c and then sent next lead burn."

Cheating Reality (8b+) in Flatirons: "Really cool route. Did it all on gear. Found a good rock sling that made the 5.12 not a solo. Super good route in a sick area."

Matt Fultz has made the first repeat of Shawn Raboutou’s Big Z (8C+) in Tahoe making it his eighth 8C+.

“This is the hardest problem I have ever done without a doubt. Honestly, this is the first time I truly understand the concept of a problem being bigger and more meaningful than just the number attached to it.

I’ve been trying Big Z for the past 3 years. During my first 10-ish sessions I knew it was impossible for me. I’m too tall and don’t fit into the positions at all. My fingers are too big to fit into the cracks. My butt is too big to avoid the dab on the rock! I only continued to show up because I knew it was good for me to work on my weaknesses, and holy cow what a sick line! I eventually worked out the kneebar beta which unlocked the middle crux, but the kneebar also created a new issue... The transition out of the kneebar became a new crux [in itself] and set me up for the next moves terribly. This year I fell on the last move. Then a couple days ago I basically did it from one move in. I truly believed for the first time. Fast forward about 20 more sessions and I ended up on top with full confidence on my first try of the day.”

Luca Bana, who climbed Supercrackinette (9a+) two months ago, has completed A present for the future (9a/+) in Valle dell'Opol. "A couple of afternoons to put up the quickdraws, clean a bit and check out the holds, then a handful of sessions to get the job done. Some holds broke off some years after Adam's FA, when my friend Teto Carnati was trying it, making the lower section (crux) considerably harder. Fortunately the following traverse, of course challenging, didn't feel too hard to me once optimised to its best. That's why, when I got through the crux for the first time, thanks also to a good amount of fuel left in the tank, I accepted the game and made it to the top. Overall, a pretty good looking line despite the poor rock quality in the first meters and some very painful holds. About grades, solid 9a/+ or normal 9a+ should be fine."

The 26-year-old has done eleven routes 9a's and harder. He has also done the FA of 36 routes 8c and harder including five 9a's.

Bana adds: "I still have a few hard unclimbed projects near home, so the plan in the short term is to challenge again myself for high level FAs, let's see! I bolted most of them with my friend Bernardo Rivadossi"

What's the longest you've ever project a climb?
I think that the most challenging routes I did took me a maximum of 8/10 sessions to complete. I'm not a super fan of routes worked for too long, and I know that if I want to make it one step further and move to the next level I need to invest more time. Let's see, for sure I'll dedicate myself to longer projects sooner or later.

Samuel Ometz has made the FA of Avant demain (9a) in St-Loup. "Happy to free a new hard line on this mythical wall! After having tried "Demain" a dozen times over the last 4 years, I decided to try a variant starting in "Nightmare" to skip the 1st crux, the rest being already quite challenging. A first slabby crux with a textureless sloper, followed by a second low percentage crux on shitty feet. 8 days focused on this variant this year."

Can you tell us more about the Demain and how hard it could be?
It was bolted around 20 years ago, by David Hohl, both the original and the variant I did. Demain is the direct start and adds a hard boulder at the start. The variation I climbed joins Demain after that hard section (7bish climbing instead of an 8B/+ boulder). Such slabby routes are tricky to grade but Demain could be 9b.

Sam Weir has made a quick ascent of Forgotten Gem (8C) in Chironico. Here is an Instagram video of the ascent. This was the tenth 8C or 8C+ for the 32-year-old, out of four in the last 12 months.

Can you tell us a little more about this boulder and your send?
I went to try it January with my friend Marine and it was -2 degrees when we got to the boulder. This first session I fell on the top out third try because I was giving ground up tries and was onsighting due to us not having enough pads or a ladder to check the holds. I got scared and dropped. Then the sun left the valley and temps got too cold to climb. I Came back yesterday from Geneva for a day trip and did it I think second or third try! It’s a really basic board style climb. 5 stars. One of the best in Switzerland.

What are you thinking about tackling next?
I’m trying this old Tony Lamiche project in Chamonix and training on the board with my friends. Then, back to Fionnay to have another round on Fuck the System once it melts out!

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Tristan Chen sent Desperanza (8C) in December only 18 months after being diagnosed with leukemia which required a bone marrow transplant a couple of months later. "After the events of last year I feel as though any hope to a sense of purpose I possessed was shown to be illusory, as if scoured clean with my marrow. I feel like this climb was one of my last moorings to hard bouldering and I’m left floating in a void ready to deemphasise bouldering for something else yet to be determined. Whether that be a different form of climbing, finding a new career, a new hobby, or simply pushing forward towards a light from within. The future remains uncertain.”