Haruki Uemura, who did his first 9a last year, has sent Jungle Speed (8c+/9a) and Estado critico (9a) in Siurana. The 21-year-old Japanese climber won gold at the Youth World Championships in 2021 and, two years later, reached the finals in Briançon, which was his last World Cup.

Can you tell us more about your trip and the ascents?
I’m visiting Siurana for a month with Sachi [Amma]. It’s my first time back in a year. At the beginning of the trip, I went to the La Capella sector for the first time and tried Jungle Speed. Aside from the opening dyno, I was able to solve the moves quickly, and it felt very possible to send. After taking a rest, I sent it in the next session. It took me 7 tries.

For Estado Crítico, I managed to work out all the moves on my first try. On my third attempt, I fell on the final crux—the shoulder move. My fourth try was in perfect conditions with strong wind. The wind was pushing me around, and I felt like I might fall, but I managed to finish the route. I was able to send both routes quickly, and it really made me feel how much I’ve improved since last year. They were incredibly cool routes!

What is your next plan and why did you stop competing?
Competitions aren’t really for me. It’s hard for me to perform at my best when there are a lot of spectators watching and I’m competing against many other climbers. More than anything, I just don’t enjoy it that much.

Sending a 5.15a (9a+) route has been my biggest goal in climbing since I was a kid. Right now, I’m projecting Maturity at Gozeniwa in Tokyo. In Siurana, I’m hoping to try La Rambla and Furia de Jabali.

Alexander Watt has done the first ascent of Purgatory (9a) in Hell Cave. ”The OG Jared Roth line [bolted 25 years ago] in the center of the cave climbing out the green draws. Part of the line was done starting on Cannibals direct (8c) by Dalton Bunker in 2018 though the original line remained a project despite being attempted by many a local legend for over 20 years. Has a consistent boulder down low and culminates in the same steep crux as In Hell I'll be in Good Company (8c+). This was the first climb Jared ever bolted. Took me around 3 years and 40+ days. Roughly 200-250 hours in the cave.” (c) Jeremiah Watt

Can you tell us more about your process behind the ascent?
Purgatory is one of the most direct lines in the Hell Cave and was bolted as a project over 25 years ago by Jared Roth. It ended up becoming an equally frustrating and rewarding process. I had several foot slips, was forced to train for the first time ever, had five consecutive falls on the final crux move, numbed out on the outro, consistently struggled with poor conditions, and once fell matching the finish hold, basically every method of punting known to climbing.

On my last session of the year, with rain in the forecast, I knew I wouldn’t get another chance and ended up just trying really damn hard. I hit the desired flow state and ended up having to try hard all the way through the final crux which was cool. Once it was over, I realized how much the climb had forced me to progress, and how cool it was to see the increase in strength from the very beginning of highschool through my senior year when I finally sent. It was cool to add something of my own to such a historic area and was made all the better by having my dad and biggest supporter on the belay.

What is your climbing background?
I am 17 and have been climbing for my whole life. Both of my parents climb and had climbed for a while before they , so I grew up at climbing outside, funny enough taking my first steps at the climbing gym. I’ve always climbed outside, and began comp climbing at 7, but was always casual in my relationship with the sport. After a new coach joined my team when I was 13 and really helped me, I became significantly more invested and started trying hard, after that I went to youth nationals and made finals the next three years, building a great base for outdoors. As a senior in the IB program I’ve decided not to compete this final year, and instead to just climb outside, which was largely aided by the enjoyment of the process I had on Purgatory.

Erwan Legrand has claimed the first ascent of Le Bombé Bleu at Buoux, a route bolted by Marc Le Menestrel back in 1991. Despite attempts from many of the world’s top climbers over the years, the crux move, a long diagonal dyno from a one-finger pocket to a shallow two-finger pocket, wasn’t completed until 2021 by Nico Pelorson. Erwan spent around 15 sessions on the climb, remarkably sending it without wearing climbing shoes.

The route is also notorious for a 1992 French magazine report claiming Juraj Rečka, one of the best climbers at that time with two 8c’s under his belt, had made the first ascent—a claim now widely considered incorrect. At just 17, Erwan is the son of François Legrand, the dominant competition climber from 1990 to 1995, who won all three World Championships and 15 of 27 World Cup events. More details on Erwan’s ascent are expected soon.

Mejdi Schalck repeated Daniel Woods’ Defying Gravity (8C) in November.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I took 6 sessions to do it and sent it with bleeding fingers and tape 😂 It was always on my dream list. But for me one of the best boulder in the world. Better than it looks in the videos.

Andrea Lostia di Santa Sofia, who the last 15 months has done his first seven 8c+’, has completed Estado critico (9a) in Siurana.

Can you tell us more about the trip and doing your first 9a?
When Alessandro Larcher called me he knew I was one of the crazy few unemployed people that he could count on coming to a last minute trip to Spain. I thought about it for a sum of five seconds then I agreed, I couldn't miss out on a trip to Siurana with Alessandro, one of the people whose company not only I enjoy, but has been a catalyst to my growth as a climber.

So a week later there we were, under El Pati, surrounded by the routes that inspired many before us, routes like La Rambla, milestones in the history of climbing. One of these routes caught our attention, Estado Critico, a kingline following Kale Borroka's tricky then conquering the black striped headwall.

Choosing Estado Critico as a project for our trip was surely a big commitment, with only 6 climbing days Ale was skeptical about trying it seriously, the thought of investing the whole trip on a single route with a good chance not to send it was a thought we had to come to terms with.

That is why Ale didn't go all in on the route up until the very last few days, and managed to climb other hard routes like Directa Jabalì intead of focusing on just one. My tactic was to try Estado Critico for the first tries of the day until my quality dropped, then switch to other routes to keep some variety.

I managed to send the route on my last try of my last climbing day, just before driving to Barcelona to fly back home, at the base of the wall when I was tying up I felt the pressure, I already highpointed on my previous try so I should have been tired but my mind was numb, as soon as I started climbing everything was switched off, perfect clarity and just a general sense of peace and silence.

Amélie Kägi, who last year became the Switzerland champion in all three disciplines in U-17, has sent Flow my tears (8B) in Chironico in just one session. During the last ten weeks, the 14-year-old has previously sent eight boulders 8A or 8A+ included one flash.

Can you tell us more doing your first 8B?
We had a beautiful day in Chironico. Since it was quite warm, we were able to warm up near the boulder in the sun. There was some shade on the boulder itself, so the conditions were pretty good. First, I tried to work out all the moves and find a good beta.

This boulder has some very nice, hard moves, mostly on slopers. I managed to do them all fairly quickly, except for the first move. I struggled a lot with the heel hook on the left. After I figured it out, I did some sendgoes, but I always missed a hold. You have to be very precise to grab the hold, which is quite difficult because you can't see around the edge. After optimizing my beta, I sent this cool boulder.

Sera Gearhart, #2 in the female ranking game, has done Gringo (8A+) in The Swell. ”Scenery unmatched! First move not the crux for me, my skin always felt wrong on those middle holds. 1-2 w/tay.”

So what does ”1-2 w/tay” mean?
It just means that Tay and I both did the boulder the same day back to back :)

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
This is a really beautiful setting for climbing. Tay and I went to the swell over the weekend and climbed the boulder together and with nearly the same beta which is very unusual for us! For me, the crux of the boulder was the middle which I think is a different experience than most. The cross move always felt like I was going to dry fire, and I did a few times. In contrast, the first move felt pretty repeatable to me. One of the prettiest boulders in the area!

Alex Megos, with a dozen routes 9b or beyond to his name, has repeated Jules Marchaland’s Le bruit de l’acid (9b) in Claret. Here is the Vertical-Life interview from last November. ”Worked the route for 3 days and then sent on day 4 after a rest day. Such a good move in the middle!! Dyno from a little pinch to a tufa. Unbelievable that such a move exists not only on the Kilterboard 😂 Very much my style I would say. Not the hardest of 9b's, but also not 9a+ anymore in my eyes.” (c) Sam Bie

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Well it all started with seeing the video of Jules and after talking to him he said it's like an 8B Kilterboard boulder in the middle of the route 😂. That of course got me psyched. The weather in the Frankenjura was not too good a couple of weeks ago so we made the decision to come to Claret to finally climb on rock again. Already on the first day I knew the route is totally my style. I could do all the moves without too much trouble. On day 2 and 3 I worked on sequences and made sure I have the end dialed. On day 4 (after a rest day) the weather was pretty windy, so quite good for sending. I redid the moves for warm up, gave it one go, fell on the huge drive by move, rested for 45min and then did it.

What are your competition plans for 2026?
Not sure yet to be honest. Focus is definitely on rock, but I'm not sure how many (if any) world cups I'm doing.

Luca Bacer, a PhD student in mathematics, has completed Xaxid hostel (9a) in Mišja Peč. ”The best climbing flow I’ve ever had.” (c) Nicholas Hobley

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I first tried the route two years ago, after climbing Sanjski Par, but this has been the first season I’ve really decided to put serious effort into it.

Two months ago I started working on it more consistently and managed to do some good links, although I had never gotten through the first crux.

Yesterday, despite the bad conditions, I did the first boulder and then climbed all the way to the top. Clipping the chains was an incredible relief

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