Mona Kellner, with four 8c’s under her belt, has completed Der Schwarze Schwan (8c) in Ötztal.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
It was the first hard route I tried when I moved to Innsbruck October 24. I really enjoyed the route from the first day on. It has two boulders with a good rest in between. The first on follows a narrow crimpy finger crack with wired shoulder move and the second crux are some far moves mit bad high feet. The first time I tried the route, I had a knee injury and couldn’t do one move with a heel in the lower crux. I connected the rest fast but had to give it up for that season. Then in spring before I made it back to the route I had to deal with a inflamed finger for some month. In November I finally felt fit again and got close on my second day on it but the next week the first snow arrived and I had to wait four months to try it again.

This weekend, I took advantage of the early warm spring temperatures and went back there. I knew I can send it fast but the first try didn’t feel so good. In the second attempt I struggled a bit in the first boulder but after the rest, the second boulder felt easy and I was not pumped at all and made it nervously to the top.

What are your plans for the spring?
I have I few routes in mind around Innsbruck but haven’t tried them yet and I wanna go to arco a few times.

Jonathan Siegrist, who is approaching 100 routes 9a and beyond, has done Trofeo dell'Adriatico (9a+) in Arco. ”What a route!!! I tried it on our first trip to Arco and fell in love, but the temps were just too damn cold so I gave up. Been on my mind ever since! Very demanding and intense route overall. Such an awesome fight after sticking the crux. The resting knee didn't work for my shindex so I found a crappy rest slightly below same as Laura.”

Can you tell us more about the process behind the ascent?
It was the first route I tried in Arco on our first trip here at the end of 2024. I totally fell in love - it's a really special route and such a cool, intense style. Unfortunately after a couple days the weather got very cold (this was in late November), and I found it really hard to rest before the crux (the kneebar rest does not work for my size) and was always entering the crux with frozen hands. I gave up and decided to check out some other routes. Since then I have been wanting to try it again so badly! We arrived a week ago and I went to work on it again in much nicer temperatures.

We are here in Arco for another month, and I have so much to do. We just love it here.

Enrique Beltrán Blasco, who did his first two 9a+’ last autumn, has completed The journey (9a+) in Margalef after some 15 sessions over three years.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I’ve been climbing in Margalef all year. I feel very fit and adapted to this type of climbing. I tried this route last year, combining it with other projects, and this year has been the first season I’ve seriously attempted it. Two key holds broke at the crux, making it more difficult. The main objective remains the same: The full journey (9b).

Zan Lovenjak Sudar, who was #23 in the world championship in 2023, has sent Sanjski par extension (9a) in Mišja Peč.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
After figuring out the method there was a hold brake in the middle of the route making a knee-bar rest impossible and clipping position much harder. After some generous work by Zbizi reinforcing the part of the hold that was left and replacing some old bolts it took me 5 sessions to finish it off. So 7 sessions in total.

Can you say something about your climbing background?
My climbing background is mostly doing IFSC comps up to 2025, after becoming a dad I am mostly challenging my climbing on rock and specifically training for outdoor projects.

And if I can add something I would please climbers to not climb on wet rock especially tufas. (Reason for hold break in Sanjski par). Be patient and wait for good conditions.

Alex Megos, who made history in 2013 by becoming the first to onsight a 9a, has now onsighted Nadesjda (8c+) at Joncas. With more than 20 onsights of routes graded 8c and harder, Megos ranks second only to Adam Ondra in the onsight arena.

How well could you read the route from the ground?
I kinda did not prepare too much 😅😂 as always. I looked from the ground and the first half was sort of obvious where the holds are, but it was hard to say how good they were. When I arrived at the dead hang clip I didn't want to waste too much time, so I quickly came up with the no foot clip, as the footholds were not that obvious. After that the real battle started 😅😂.

How close were you to fall?
This one for sure one of the biggest fights I ever had during an onsight and I was so close to falling a lot of times.

Any other routes you sent on the same day?
Finished the day with a second go ascent of "Le blond, la brüte et le manouche" 8c+ and a second go ascent of "Progression" 8b+/c. All in all a very good day. I absolutely love those days of climbing a bunch of onsights and second go's!

Adam Ondra, who some days ago flashed his second 8C, reports with an amazing video that he has flashed Celestite (8C) in Valle Bavona. Dave Graham put it up in 2023 as an 8C+ but Adam and Pietro Vidi, who did it some days ago, think it is more 8C.

Full report of the amazing week which also include a flash of Flash Flood (8B) and sending Captain Nemo (8C) on AdamOndra.com. (c) Giuliano Cameroni

”Celestite has never been on my mind as a candidate for a flash try. I mean, looking at a video of the absolute kneebar master and wizard himself, Dave Graham, who put up the first ascent of this incredible boulder, it doesn't look flashable at all. I was there with Pietro Vidi and Giuliano Cameroni, who showed me all the beta and I set off for my flash try, with nobody, including me, really expecting that I would get very far on this boulder. But somehow, I felt all the body positions really well, my kneepads were sticking and even though my biceps were about to give in, all of a sudden I was on the lip, not really knowing what to do and with my hands being really sweaty. Luckily, I kept together and made it to the top. Regarding the grade, we agreed with Pietro, who did it a few days before me, that the boulder is 8C. Dave's beta was slightly harder.”

The Slovenian Climbing Federation, the Polish Mountaineering Association, the Ecuadorian Climbing Federation, and Climb Scotland are now running their competitions with the Vertical-Life Competition Result Service. In total, 20 federations are using the service.

The system helps federations manage competitions in one place. Athlete registrations, payments, scoring, and public results are all handled through the same platform, making life easier for organizers and keeping results clear and accessible for athletes, coaches, and spectators.

Ajda Remškar, who oversees the project for the Slovenian Alpine Association said: "The versatility of the whole system, the simplicity of the judging interface as well as the swift and helpful responses from the Vertical-Life team have so far been gamechangers. The platform is in line with the latest developments in our sport worldwide, and we here at PZS are excited to raise the level of our competition experience by joining the Vertical-Life family."

We’re excited to work together with these federations and support their competitions in the seasons ahead. Climbing competitions rely on a lot of passionate people behind the scenes, and our goal is to provide tools that help events run smoothly.

If your federation, club or climbing gym is looking for a better way to manage competitions, you can find more information and pricing here.

Stefano Folgarait, with two 9a’s and 130 FA’s under his belt, has repeated Stefano Ghisolfi’s Omen Nomen (9a) in Arco.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I started trying the route around mid-November and in a short time I fell several times on the last hard block and felt pretty close... then in January I was forced to stop for 20 days due to an injury. I resumed trying the route in February and then on March 3rd, after finding an easier method for the final block, I finally managed to climb it.

How big is the bolting potential around Arco?
I've bolted around 130 routes in the Terragnolo valley and there's probably potential for another 50-60 routes, most of them in unpublished crags.

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.