Adam Ondra reports on Instagram that he has done the second ascent of James Pearson’s masterpiece Bon Voyage (9a) trad in Annot, after trying it for three days. (c) Petr Chodura

”It is hands down one of the best routes I have ever climbed, and it is a true miracle that there are just enough holds to make it climbable and enough gear to make runout, but safe.”

Pearson did not suggest a grade but Ondra says he thinks it could be a solid 9a if bolted and placing gear makes it a little bit more difficult. In other words, Bon Voyage might be the hardest trad climb in the world. Noteworthy is also that Ondra has made the hardest grade in all disciplines and styles except for his 8C+ boulder; 9c, 9a+ flash, 9a onsight, 8B+ flash, 9a MP and 9a trad.

Martina Demmel has ticked Combifetis (8c) in Margalef. In total, the 22-year-old has now done 53 routes 8c to 9a.

Can you tell us more about the trip and doing Combifetis?
I didn't know what to expect before going into this trip because it feels like I have a completely different relation to climbing now compared to the last longer rock climbing trip [I did]. Starting it off right away with a route which is definitely out of my comfort zone was also a completely new approach & experience not only because I still had a big lack of endurance for sth longer than gym routes and adapting to this pockety style is still a painful process.

I'm here with my best friend Vera who surprised herself with her hardest onsight yet which is why we couldn't stop smiling! I'm often more happy for my friends successes than my own and this helped me focusing on the joy for giving a try myself in Combifetis😁💃! The nervousness was soon forgotten as there's no time to think or chalk during the whole loop around Fustigator. The deep pump even made me skip 2 draws before clipping the chains 4th try.

What about competitions 2024?
My main focus is on preparing for the Lead Worldcups and I'm trying my best to get selected to compete at all of them which is harder this year because we've only got 3 starting places. So there are only a few short windows for rock climbing during the year🙃🌞.

Adam Ondra reports on Instagram that he was planning to trad climb in Annot but due to rain he went to Gorges du Loup and managed to send Inga 8c+/9a. The next day it was time for Buoux where he onsighted and Finement con (8b+). (c) Petr Chodura

The 30-year-old is approaching 100 onsights of routes graded 8c to 9a. No other climber has onsighted more than a dozen grade 8c and harder. Ondra has also frequently downgraded his onsights. He would have well over 200 routes 8b+ and harder registered as onsights were it not for his downgrading.

“What an opportunity to discover a place like this! PEN-HIR! La Bretagne! Climbing above the ocean with so much atmosphere is not something I'm used to. I love being able to repeat these historic routes, which by the way, are sometimes tricky, with a rock type dependent on the weather conditions. I even took the opportunity to bolt and free solo a new route in a cave here."

Florian Wientjes saw videos of Ryuichi Murai's Floatin (8C+) in Mizugaki in 2020 and got really obsessed. Last October he travelled to Japan and sent it in five sessions. "Floatin is one of these lines I really wanted to climb. So I decided in the first half of the year that I would go to Mizugaki. I did everything to make this trip possible. For preparation, I started with some basic strength training focusing on fingers and upper body and a lot of board climbing. The last 4 weeks before the trip it got more specific with a lot of campusboard training focusing on contact strength and pull speed. "

Six years after partnering with 8a.nu, we’re excited to announce the unification of the 8a.nu website and the Vertical-Life app into a single platform: Vertical-Life Web.

With your account, you can access both the website and the app. Your profile and logbook will always be up-to-date, no matter where you log your ascents. Via the 'Topos' button on the Vertical-Life Web crag page, we added a link straight to the app, where you can view the topo. You can follow climbs and friends, find extensive route details and user recommendations to plan your next climb, and much more.

Make sure to get the latest version of the Vertical-Life app (App Store and Google Play Store) for topos, maps and offline mode and stay tuned for exciting new features that we have in the pipeline.

“8a.nu has always been about uniting climbers in their passion and pursuit of memorable experiences. Vertical-Life Web marks a key moment in our journey, ensuring that we continue to increase the interaction in the climbing community. This move is a step forward, promising a better climbing experience, many new features and a better connected climbing family.”
Jens / Co-Founder of 8a.nu

Ethan Salvo has sent The Singularity (8B+) in Squamish after projecting for some 60 sessions over four years. It was put up by Tim Clifford in 2007 as an 8B+ and the upgrade comes from the later repeaters who started one move lower. (c) Pat Valade

”To me, the singularity was my most fulfilling journey as a boulderer, and also the longest. Although the boulder looks quite simple, I had to go really deep to understand what it would take to climb the problem. In my years of effort, the problem pushed me to improve in every way.

By time I was able to execute the crux move, I had grown so much as a granite boulderer. My understanding of body position, hand placement, conditions, weather pattern, skin tactics, and more had greatly improved. It was clear that all the days I put in were finally paying off, and that the end was near.

My 2023 season ended by falling after the crux move 4 times total. I honestly never thought it would be possible to fall after the crux, but the slightest error in my set up for the crux made the 4th move extremely hard to execute in comparison to trying that move in isolation. I went to Bishop after that, climbed some hard classics and learned a lot about myself while doing so.

When I got back to Squamish in Feb, it was pouring rain and I had to wait for the room to dry out again. After patiently waiting what felt like months to have more tries, the problem finally dried out, but i felt like I had to relearn things again. After a poor session, I went home and watched the video of Nalles send on repeat for 45min. Everytime the video played back, I’d focus on the movements of a different body part. I woke up the next morning pretty sore from the day before, but decided I should try anyway. Everything I learned the night before watching nalles vid on loop definitely had an impact on my tries, in a way I felt like I had learned everything there was to understand about the problem. All that was left to do was close the chapter. I pulled on for my last try of the session, which ended up being my last try ever.”

Pepa Šindel has completed Victimes del futur (9a) in Margalef.

Can you tell us more about your trip and Victimes del Futur?
Six years ago, my parents decided to change their jobs, and this allowed us to travel to Spain for six months to climb. I was 10 years old at the time and basically just started climbing. I remember Siurana - my first 7a+ PP, then 7c in Santa Linya and especially Margalef. I'd say that this trip made climbing my passion.

Spring school break 2024! Clear choice - Margalef, six climbing days. I set a clear goal for myself. Something in the royal sector of El Racó de La Finestra in difficulty 8c+ to 9a. The first choice fell on the legendary route Víctimes del Futur. A route with a long history, with changes in difficulty, well described on Vertical-life.

Right after the first try, I understood that it would be a very difficult task. 20 meters of endurance climbing 8b+ to a good rest was no problem for me. Then it starts to tighten and I couldn't do the final crux even after resting on the rope. I knew that the boulder has two ways of solving, directly over the small crimp and slightly to the left through the one mono and the two finger pocket. The next day I managed to climb the boulder in a direct way, with the crimp.

For the next two climbing days, I made attempts and each time I fell in the boulder. Depressive. I could fall over and over here. So I decided to change the beta and try to use the mono and the two fingers. In this way, I felt that I was simply small, I lacked two or three centimeters to reach a good pocket. But dad kept yelling at me from below: change your legs, adjust your position.

And therein lay the trick. Right leg high, turn the left leg correctly. And suddenly I did the boulder separately, several times in a row. A day of rest followed. And it rained...rain after seven months of drought. And it rained a lot, most of the roads were wet, the hills were flooded.

However, it proved just how good a choice Víctimes del Futur was. The only route with a somewhat dry climb in the sector. I dried the wet holes in the technical climb near the top and went for a sharp attempt... I run the lower part, tackle the boulder and did it! Just a good rest and finish for some 7b, 7b+. Final runout was a heart attack, especially for my mom. Because my foot slipped on a wet hold and I was left hanging for a while on finger pockets. But, I didn't let it go and fought to the max.

Conrad Piper-Ruth has repeated Matt Fultz’ Hypothetical (8B+) at Swan Falls. Conrad has climbed four 8B's previously and he did his first at age 36.

Can you tell us more about doing your first 8B+ boulder at age 38?
I grew up in Boise, Idaho and have been climbing for the past 24 years. In my late teens, I embraced the dirtbag lifestyle—living out of my car/tent and seeking out the world’s premier climbing areas. Climbing was life. Then I hit my 30s, started working a desk job, and had a series of injuries. For awhile, I thought my days of climbing at my prior limits were past me. Then I moved back to Boise and realized there were plenty of old guys still crushing it (Mike McClure). I changed up my training to focus more on injury prevention and quit my desk job. This allowed me to dedicate more time to harder projects and push through previous plateaus.

Hypothetical first came on my radar as a potential project after my buddies (Mike McClure and Taylor Kiley) started working it. Their sends got me psyched to start trying it and commit to the projecting process. I spent a total of nine days working it, until I finally built up the power endurance to keep the body tension and take it to the top. Hoping to keep riding this send train well into my 40s.

Stefano Ghisolfi made the FA of Excalibur (9b+) one year ago. It was bolted by Christian Dorigatti and Morris Fontanari who invited Stefano to try it three years ago. It became an open project and Stefano tried it together with Jakob Schubert, Will Bosi and Adam Ondra.