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.

Laura Rogora, who two weeks ago was #3 in the Olympic qualifier, has repeated Stefano Ghisolfi's Lapsus (9a+) in Andonno. Previously, the 22-year-old has done more than 20 routes 8c+/9a and harder which is almost twice as many as the runner-up, Anak Verhoeven. (c) Fabio Fin

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I came to Andonno on Wednesday. On the first day, I managed to climb the single moves, but it was a bit wet. In the following days, it rained and it was cold, so I didn't climb much, I climbed Noia, and tried the upper part a bit more. Then on Sunday, everything was dry. I made my first attempts and fell at the final boulder, but I was tired from the previous attempt and couldn't take advantage of the rest before the crux, so I knew I could do it. Today the conditions were perfect, and I felt good. On the first try of the day, I reached the chain.

Can you tell us about your training and your next goal?
I will train for the qualification for Paris. I train 6 days per week one or two sessions per day doing climbing or weight lifting.
Almost no rock climbing during the training period. After season I have two weeks off from training. My trainer is Vincenzo de luca.

Stefano Carnati, who sent Erebor (9b) last spring, has sent Vecchio Leone Sit (8C+) in Brione.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the number of sessions needed?
I did the stand 5 years ago. Then I briefly tried the sit last year 3/4 times but with little dedication. This year it took other 3 sessions!

What are your winter plans?
I’ll be heading to Slovenia next week for my PhD, so I’m really looking forward to visiting some crags there as well! I’m currently attending my 2nd year of PhD in environmental and chemical sciences and I must spend a period of at least 6 months abroad and Slovenia was the choice as I’ve found a research group interested in my topic!

Yuetong Zhang from China was the sensational winner of the ticket to Paris through the Asian Olympic qualifier in Jakarta. Last year, she was #14 and #15 in the Youth World Championship and this year she has, on average, been #31 out of 11 World Cups. From the complete results, we can see that she was #5 in the qualification and then #4 in the semifinal before she made the best run of her life in the final. In the end, she was just 1.4 points ahead of Miho Nonaka and 6.5 points above Futaba Ito, both from Japan. Complete results

“Before this competition I didn’t think I could make it. I don’t know what to say, it’s all a bit too fast, but right now it is exciting and surprising. It is a dream come true. I thought maybe the best I could do here was a podium and the gold was impossible because there are many strong girls. The Japanese and Korean girls, and China has another strong girl in the final, so I’m really surprised.”

Chris Sharma reports on Instagram that he has done the FA of Black Pearl (9a+) in Mallorca. Earlier this year, the 42-year-old, opened Sleeping Lion (9b+) and he says that his latest DWS might be his hardest ever. In 2007, he established Es Pontas (9a+) and later he put up Alasha (9a) and Big Fish (8c+/9a), all in Mallorca. These four FAs are the hardest DWS in the world. (c) Matty Hong

Climbing.com has the full story, where he among other things say. “It represented a progression in deep water soloing for me, and it was a very personal goal that I’ve pursued over the last four years,” says Sharma. “It’s one of a handful of routes that have been on my bucket list.”

8a followed up with some questions:
How did you project the route?
I tried it a lot on a rope especially the crux. Was really tricky aid to get in and figure out the sequence. The crux is not so high. Maybe 13 meters or so but it finishes on solid climbing quite high.

How many times did you fall from the crux and what about safety?
I fell lots of times. Not sure how many. I would always go with someone for safety reasons.

What is your next plan?
I’m psyched for some hard routes around Catalunya. Still lots of unfinished business 😀

Allison Vest has done After Hours (8B) in Huntington Canyon. The 28-year-old Canadian is #2 in the ranking game after having done seven 8B's the last 12 months. (c) Daniel Gajda

“3rd ascent! Did different beta than Danny and Kyram and tech-d it up quite a bit more. Still took me maybe 7 sessions and think 8B is solid. Such good climbing and wonky grips.”

Adam Ondra has the last week sent seven routes 8b+ to 9a+ in Switzerland and Spain, including an onsight of El Gran Bellanco (9a) in Montanejos. “8c+/9a. Great route and great moment shared with ethusiastic locals. Hard to tell about the grade, I climbed without any mistakes, tried hard where it was necessary, climbed relaxed where it was possible. Amazing power endurance secon on pinches on the top.” (c) Petr Chodura

The road trip started in Isenfluh where he made the FA of a 9a+ to be named. "Extension of 7c+ across short roof and very hard crux getting out of the roof. Bad slopey holds and marginal kneebars, physical and technical at the same time, then dropable finish. Got very lucky with conditions that were cold and rainy, but for the time of the send it cleared up and and a bit of the wind picked up. Project bolted by Stephane Siegrist."

The next day he onsighted Déjà (8b+) and
Un chant pour Phil (8c) “Tricky sections, tiny holds + big moves Proud to onsight it!” Soyhières

The 30-year-old is approaching 100 onsights 8c to 9a, which can be compared to that no other climber has onsighted more than a dozen such graded routes. It should also be noted that Ondra is known for his hard grades and without his constant downgrades, he would have onsighted well over 200 routes 8b+ and harder.

Jessica Pilz, the overall Lead Cup winner 2023, has during a week in Turkey done six 8c's in Çitdibi and Öküzini; Kaos (8c), Aaron (8c), Beast Maker (8c), Andreas Blues (8c+), Panic Room (8c) and Catch the rainbow (8c). (c) Fabian Leu

Can you tell us more about this team trip to Turkey?
We are having a good time here in Turkey with the Austria climbing team. It‘s my first time in Turkey. The crags here are amazing with big tufas which we don‘t have back home. The route which took me the most attempts was Andreas Blues (5th go) but my hardest fight was in ‚Beastmaker‘ today. so that‘s my proudest ascent of the trip, we have our last day tomorrow.

You did two 8c's in the last day, right?
I tried two 8c‘s today and did both on my 2nd go. Kaos is a bit softer but has nice moves on crimps mostly. Then I checked out Aaron which is a super long route with a bit of everything like tufas, a big roof, and some knee bars (probably many more if you climb with knee pads). I really enjoyed this one and as it was getting dark I really wanted to send it on my 2nd go :)