Noah Wheeler has completed Defying Gravity (8C) at the South Platte. This was the 21st 8B+ and beyond for the 21-year-old.

”With campus-board beta because my span is slightly too short to keep good tension on the low feet. Amazing how there's so many different ways to do the boulder dependant on one's body type, each providing similar difficulty and top-tier nuanced movement. Proudest send so far.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and that “campus-board” beta?
Ever since I began going to school at Colorado College 3 years ago, Defying Gravity has assumed this place in my mind as a sort of evasive boogeyman of the South Platte. This is owed both to its closer proximity to the city I live in and in its ambiguously grand difficulty. Despite knowing that the climb fits my style (dynamic upper-body generated throws to edges), I still had this idea that I could not possibly send such a historically elusive climb. Earlier this year, however, I decided I would at least check the climb out as I had been feeling a particular lack of luck in my other projects.

In my first session I was aware of 2 betas for the crux move: a direct throw beta with a low slippery foot and a throw from a heel with a tensiony establishment. I tried both betas for a few minutes, but upon pulling on the start holds without feet, I realized that my box best fit a direct campus throw. The second session consisted of finding a lot of micro-beta for this throw, primarily concerning how I grab the start holds, the direction of the swing, and the orientation of my arm as I hit the hold. Ultimately, however, it largely a matter of brute forcing the same beta and making slight progression in comfortability with the move and the holds that made the difference. I was actually unsure as to whether the move went with a campus throw before I stuck it, as the swing felt near-impossible to keep most tries. Altogether, it feels as though my process on this climb was a good guideline for how I want to approach difficult problems in the future - both in mediation of mindset and in progressive analysis of intricacies and comfortability.

Jon Cardwell, who previously has done four 9a+ graded routes, has made the FA of Wind up Bird (9b) at The Fortress of Solitude after projecting it for around 50 sessions.

Can you tell us more about the process of completing this route?
I suppose the process began like any other first ascent. It was back in winter 2016, Carlo Traversi and I saw potential for a new line to the left of the famous Flex Luther. We hiked up in epic snow and started the process of bolting the route. Carlo helped me put in the bolts and first belay at about 25 meters – where I finished on Saturday. This alone was the original vision and an incredible climb by itself. After that time, I kept going back to work out the sequences which felt impossible at first because it is so bouldery but as it usually goes I started to figure things out. At one point later that year I was convinced by Steve Hong to keep bolting up the wall because there was so much more rock so I decided to rappel off the top and explore the new terrain, I ended up bolting a mega 80 meter pitch. After I did that I realized that this is something special so that motivated me to keep trying.

The first goal was to send the first pitch, which turned out to be more epic than I expected. I spent around 20-30 days between 2017-2022 working on that pitch which I realized by itself would push me further than any other route I’ve tried before. Finally, this year after a not so great performance in France this spring, I made it a goal to prepare myself in the best possible way to show up at the crag in my best shape. After a long training period over the summer and working on some new projects in New Mexico I felt in the right shape and all I had to do was show up and keep trying. After 10 days I was able to finish it on Saturday! It was a beautiful moment, and probably the most I have ever tried while climbing. I’m still here for a few weeks so while I have the shape and motivation, I will keep working on the extension. When that’s completed I’m almost certain it will be one of the hardest routes in NA.

How hard is the 55m extension?
I’ve done the moves on the 2nd pitch but it wasn’t completely finished. I actually went up yesterday and added a bolt and cleaned a bit more, I’ll get to work on climbing soon!

As for the grade of the first pitch, I know it’s at least 9a+ and possibly 9b, and as you know with first ascents it’s always tough to assign a grade, especially when it’s likely the hardest thing you’ve done. It’s also a much different style than the 9a+ I’ve done before, much more bouldery and intense. About 7c to a good rest, then 7C boulder directly into 8A+/8B boulder, medium rest into 7C+ boulder and then some sketchy 7c+ climbing after. Maybe if more people come try it I can get a better idea? Carlo is probably my best reference on the grade!

Nathan Phillips, who has previously done 13 8B+'s, has done a one session ascent of Juneru (8C) in Albarracín. "Totally surprised to do this one in a session. It was one session but it kinda doesn’t feel like it. Another boulder I did in the UK earlier this year (Bewilderness (8B+)) has basically the exact same crux moves and since I did that I’ve been replica training so I can do the low extension (Trance (8C)).

So trying this, it kinda felt like I’d already been on the boulder before I’d even pulled on. The crux is getting a tiny 3 finger undercut and standing through it to punch out. Then you still have a sketchy mantle to finish which is quite scary at that height. Having perfect conditions helped too."

Caroline Ciavaldini has repeated her husband's Le Voyage (8b+) trad in Annot. Using the British grading system, James Pearson suggested also E10 7a doing the FA in 2017. In between 2002 and 2011, Caro did 66 Lead World Cups, out of which she placed Top-12 58 times. In 2006, she was #3 overall and in 2011, she won in Chamonix. She has redpointed several 8c's and also onsighted several 8a+' and 8b graded routes. ©Raphaël Fourau


“I am resting at the middle break, 2/3 up "Le Voyage". For the very first time, I have passed the second crux, a very long and technical 7A+ boulder, quite a few meters above my last protection, a No. 6 RP. Just before beginning the crux, I heard James, 4-year-old Arthur, and 2-year-old Zozo cheering me from below. James and the kids were hiding before, maybe because James was hoping to give me more space to focus, as Zozo constantly asks for me today. But right before the crux, I wanted them to be there. Being a mom is disturbing for your climbing, but at the same time, they are my people. I also look straight up at Raph, who is hanging on a static… He is here today as he was supposed to film James in "Bon Voyage," his latest hard route, and has made the most of it to film my attempt. Carl and Antoine are here too, belaying and taking more video from below. Carl made some light jokes as I was putting my climbing shoes on, and I was super aware that he was trying, and succeeding, to create just the right mood for me. It does really matter to me to have these people here today. I can feel them gently pushing me up.

I have done the hardest by far, and it has taken me 2 years to be where I am today. 2 years to get back from baby number 2, with the constant help of Maddie Cope and Lattice. Getting pregnant, people say, isn’t an injury… I would say it’s way worse for your climbing than any pulley (I had 2) or other climber’s injury.

"Le Voyage" finishes with a last easy section on fairly bad rock and a final crack around 7b+, from which you would hate yourself if you fell… yet you could. I am resting and trying to channel my internal dialogue. I have what it takes, but I need to climb well. Emotions are always there… fear of failing, fear of breaking a hold and failing, fear of over-gripping, of slipping… My brain won’t stop, just like it did at the rest before the crux. It’s been so long since I was last trying so hard that I don’t know what I was doing to sort that before being a mom. Did I always have all this internal dialogue?

"Le Voyage" is my longest project ever. 2 years. But at the same time, as a climbing parent, you have to take things differently. You don’t get many attempts on a climbing day… technically, I only get one at the minute when Zoellie snoozes. We have belayed on lead with her in the back in a baby carrier when she was smaller, but that wouldn’t work now. You check the weather forecast all the time, but you still have to balance your goals with the family’s life. You need so much more patience, but you are also so much more patient because that’s what babies teach you. Family life gives you more rhythm, and that has been good for training. I have had to train so much just to get back to my former level… then reinforce my shoulders because "Le Voyage" is so demanding. I have even done some specific leg training. I have never been as specific. But I don’t think I have been obsessive. I can’t. Because I am still a mom. First? I don’t know… for sure maybe sometimes I have been stealing some time from my children for my training. I am somewhat selfish. But it’s made me very happy to create that space for my climbing. It has made me be Caroline again."

Eliáš Kysela, who last month did his first 9a, has sent Estado critico (9a) in Siurana. Last summer, the 17-year-old did his first 8c, and now 16 months later he has done ten routes 8c to 9a.

”It was pretty quick to send this route, the first crux is quite easy for me but it was a lot of struggle at the top, so I checked the moves on the first day and four days later I sent this line for 9 attempts. I plan to return in the winter to climb other projects in this sector.”

What projects are you thinking about now?
In the second half of the trip I tried La Rambla (9a+). I did all the moves and linked some sequences.

What's the secret to your progress over the last year?
I trained hard over the winter and spent more time on the rocks. I do some power and power endurance training and hard bouldering. Usually on a spray wall. I train 5-6 days * 3 hours per week.

Brooke Raboutou, who last month sent Box Therapy (8C), reports on Instagram that she has flashed Nascondino 8A+/B and Darkness 8A+ in Ticino. (c) Matty Hong

To our knowledge, only Ashima Shiraishi, Janja Garnbret and Charlotte André have previously flashed an 8A+.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has had a busy week doing three 9a's and harder link-ups, out of which two were first ascents. In Santa Linya he did Direct into your Fabelita (9a) and in Margalef he FA'ed; Samfaina para el mundo (9a+) as well as La presencia del gancho (9a).(c) Javi Pec

"With this combination I close (or at least for the moment) all the possible combinations on the wall :( This one, in particular, is enjoyable, you do the entire hard sequence of Samfaina (9a+) and then you go to the final block of The Perfect World (7C approx) I guess it goes to 9a+/b, let's see what they say."

Sorato Anraku the overall World Cup winner in both Lead and Boulder, was rather superior in the Asian Olympic qualifier. The 16-year-old won all three rounds with at least 20 points and as a matter of fact, he topped all three Lead routes. In the final, Sorato scored 199.7 points after flashing also three out of four boulders. The runner-up was Yufei Pan from China with 164.9 points. Complete results

“I’m so happy to get the Olympic ticket. I was quite calm on the Boulders and I performed well. I didn’t know the scores in Lead and I don’t want to know them, I just focus on myself and getting to the top. Now I want a gold medal in Paris.”

Andre Branchizio has done Paint it Black (8C) at RMNP. Previously he has done seven 8B’s and ond 8B+, all of them in between 2017 and 2019.

”Paint it black was a very technical boulder. It's all about controlled tension and precision. As far as I know the crux sequences have always been done with exactly the same beta. Thats probably not coincidence. If any one thing is out of place you instantly fly off the steep face. The session previous to sending it, the top out was covered in snow and ice. I cleaned it the best I could and spent the session rehearsing the sequences.

On Sunday November 5th I convinced my two kids to come to the boulder with me as my wife is currently in Ireland for work and more snow was on its way. I probably spent more time carrying the pads and kids across the icy creek than at the boulder. I set everything up while my kids were playing real life Minecraft in the woods behind the boulder. I used a stool to rehearse the hop move once and then sent it on the first go of the day. It was a strange feeling like I was just an observer watching it happen while every part of me just executed with its own mind. It's a beautiful line just begging to be climbed, one of the best in Colorado.”

It looks like you took a break from high-end bouldering prior to this ascent?
Around March 2020, believe it or not, I got an infection in my left hand from acupuncture! It ended up requiring surgery. As if that wasn't unfortunate enough, the world shut down the following week from Covid. The company I worked for at the time was heavily impacted by Covid, so I had to recover from surgery before I could climb again and also find a new job. Over the next few years I moved through two more jobs that were significantly more demanding. Between all my time used up for work and my two kids there just wasn't enough time for outdoor climbing. Honestly there wasn't enough time for anything else.

How many sessions did the ascent take?
Before I stopped climbing I had already put 4 sessions into Paint it Black. The only crux for me was flipping the left hand to a pinch without my feet cutting. I wasted a couple sessions trying to break the beta by just doing the hop without flipping to a pinch. 4 years later when I came back I committed to figuring out the hand flip. The first session back I figured that part out and it took me 3 more sessions just to build my climbing fitness back. So 8 sessions total, 4 in 2019 and 4 in 2023.