Samuel Ometz has sent X integral (9a+) in Gottreux, which was put up by Dylan Chuat in July. "It finally worked! Such a great variety of grips and climbing styles. Flat crimps and power endurance at the start, medium rest, hard compression boulder on open grips, bad rest, pinchy boulder, top. Lost count of the number of days, ~20-30 counting the tries in and ."

Can you tell us more about this line?
X Integral is a combination of 'Satire' and 'The schocker'. The shocker is the 1st route I tried and which took 5 days this year. Then I tried and climbed 'les boules à Berty', 'bad reputation' and 'satire' in the next ~10 sessions. Then focused on 'X integral' for the next ~15 sessions. All together this cliff kept me busy most of the summer which was great! I really hope that other strong climbers will come as the routes are really good, is easily accessible and has many days of good conditions even in the summer heat :)

Matty Hong did Biographie (9a+) in Céüse in May and here is the 8a interview.

Siara Fabbri has sent Compass North (8B+) in Fionnay. The 30-year-old, who is working full-time as an antimatter researcher, started climbing at age 21 and did her first 8A just 14 months ago. Since then, Fabbri has sent 19 boulders 8A and harder also including New base line (8B+) which she did last year.

"It got cold and sticky and I crimped hard! First go of the day with Simo [Tenteri], so numbed out and flash pumped on the wet easy top. Psyched to do this one! No more splitting on the tiny crimps." (c) Simone Tenteri

Can you tell us more about Compass North?
The crux of the boulder is super crimpy and really steep, and the entire line is quite long (16 hand movements to the jug before the easy topout). It starts in the bottom of the cave on the same start hold as Fuck the System, then travels out this 50’ish degree board-like roof. I checked the moves last year and started trying this year. The crux for me is 3 moves towards the bottom (I posted a video of these on my insta account), the first of which is a big (for me) cross move off a small right hand crimp to another sharp crimp, then from these two bad crimps cutting feet and moving them, then matching the right hand into a weird small split pocket from bad feet. The hardest move for me was forsure the cutloose, and I struggled to do this move on its own for a few sessions. In August when we had the freak super cold weekend in the Alps regions, and it was 0 at night in Fionnay, I finally did this move like first go and could do it on repeat. The next weekend I came back and it was hot again, and I could barely repeat it. So I realized conditions on this one are a gamechanger for me!

With the moves down and some good links, I felt I could send but needed the right skin and cold temps. A few times I came back and it was still too hot or I split - one time twice on the same finger. Then it got really cold recently, my skin was good, I didn't practice too much in fear of splitting, and first go of the day I did it. The easier top part was soaking wet and mossy, and I was crazy numb and flashpumped so had to shake for so long on a ledge. Damn it feels good to do this one! Forsure the hardest I've had to crimp on a block, and psyched to not split on these sharp holds anymore!

Arief Nagara, who did last year, has had a productive month doing five 8A's and at Freaks. In total, the 13-year-old has a very wide grade pyramid which includes 43 boulders 7C+ to 8A+. Last year, his 8a headline was 78 boulder 7B+ to 8A. His father Innosanto comments,

”I mentioned to Arief that you'd inquired. He feels the notable thing that he's done is in relation to his progression on ropes. That he basically went from being pretty much stuck at 5.13a/b to doing a 5.14a in just three months. To me what is notable is that he's good at building a broad base for his pyramid--with a lot of climbs at the grade, of varying styles and types of rock. Often his 'first of the grade' is on the soft side, and he knows that, but it helps with the mental motivation, and once there is a breakthrough it becomes about broadening.”

Ben Moon put up Hubble (8c+) in 1990 and lately, it has also been called the first 9a in the world. In 2015, he made a comeback and sent Rainshadow (9a).

Kim Marschner, who has already done eight 8C’s, has done the first boulder ascent of Unendliche Geschichte 1+2+3 (8C) in Magic Wood. The FA was done in 2009 by Peter Würth, who added four bolts to extend the classic The Never Ending Story (8B+). The bolted route has been repeated around ten times with a rope. Elias Arriagada Krüger

How did you arrange all safety logistics?
I tried to even out the landing with sticks. That saved me like four or five crash pads. In the end, I had around 20 pads. Without those it just would have been too dangerous I think. I only used one pad and a sit-start pad for the first two parts. The landing took me about two hours and every day I added a few more sticks to extend it. I took quite a while to get all the pads there, haha. The first day I had to get pads from everywhere in the forest because my friends had their pads stashed at many boulders. It was a bit of a hike😅. Luckily, [the next day] I got the code of a pad stash with 8 Pads, I had 6 pads and some friends had pads as well.

Jessica Pilz, who sent an 8c+ in an hour this Monday, has done Gambit (8c+) Schleier Wasserfall, in just four tries. ”One of the best routes I’ve climbed so far. 3rd go today (4th in total). thx Misha [Piccolruaz] for the patience and belay :)” The picture is from 2021 on Jessy's first attempt of Wagnis Orange (8c). (c) Paul Lewandovski

How many days have you been climbing outdoors since the picture was taken?
Monday this week was my first day outside in 2023. Since the picture was taken less than 5 days, I think...

Can you tell us more about the Gambit?
I checked out the route on Tuesday, but it was too sunny for the upper part, so I couldn’t do all the moves. Yesterday it was cloudy and much better conditions, I worked the moves one more time and then I did my first attempt from the ground. Surprisingly I made it through the roof and fell on the last hard move. On my next try, the moves felt already so much easier and I came to the crux a bit fresher. I got a bit nervous on the runout, which is not hard but you skip a clip and the footholds are not the best, but it all worked out :)

Any thought of starting projecting a 9a?
No plans for future projects yet, because I will have a week of rest now and then I will see if I am still in shape 😅.


Michael Piccolruaz comments the impressive send. ”Jessy is definitely in great shape. It's great to see that she manages to translate her comp fitness also to the rocks. I got to belay her on Gambit, a route I had previously climbed myself, and it was super impressive to see how easily she climbed through the hardest moves, seemingly not getting pumped at all. She has now done 2 classic 8c+, both solid for the grade, in just a couple tries each. Clearly she can climb a lot harder and I'm excited to see what's possible in the next months.”

Adam Ondra has had yet another day for the record books by onsighting two 8c’s and putting up a 9a+ in Ter. The 30-year-old has now onsighted 95 routes 8c to 9a and redpointed 76 routes 9a+ to 9c. (c) Kuba Sobotka

Fantazija (9a+): ”Just right of Umetnost. Bolted by Rajko Zajc and tried by Jernej Kruder. Easier intro into a very intense power endurance masterpiece. Tried one day with wrong beta and got quite close, next day [did it] first try. Fantastic route, but mostly if your span is at 180cm at minimum. If you are shorter, it might go but much harder.”

Kingslayer (8c): ”Hard to find a route so perfect, anywhere in the world. Not so clear for onsight, had to dig quite deep.”

Inferno do vrha (8c): ”Almost as good as Kingslayer :-D epic fight to end the day.”

Dylan Chuat has repeated Samuel Ometz' La Mola mola (9a) at Plamproz. ”FA'ed by the one and only Sam Ometz. I’d been there the very first time at the start of the covid while Sam was trying it out and it was way too hard for me, so I went back a few weeks ago in training mode to get back into shape because I’d become weak.

And it really took me a while to understand the crux of heel hooking, but once I took a fall all the way at the top I understood that little detail I’d been missing, and it worked! In any case too happy to have made [completed] this jewel! Thanks Sam 😘”

Skibidi Rizz God has done in Boulder Canyon. "So much time, effort, and emotion into this one, very psyched to have finally done it. Proudest send to date."

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
The difficulty of the climb revolves around the first two moves, and then from there it’s a committing and powerful sequence to the top. Last year, I spent multiple days just trying to link the first two moves together, and I came frustratingly close. After a short break I came back taller, and finally finished it first week of the season.

What is next?
I’d like to build a bigger base of easier boulders, but I’m also psyched to try Echale (8B+) and The Game by the end of the year!