Ainhize Belar Barrutia, who did her first 8c at age 14, has done her ninth, Tsunami (8c) in Araotz/Oñate. Earlier this year the 17-year-old also sent her first 8c+ as well as Begi puntuan (9a) and in the female redpoint 8a.nu ranking , she is #1. "It’s a route that I’ve always wanted to try and I looked it every time I went to the Korea sector. It took me 5 attempts in total."

Janja Garnbret has won all three of the Lead World Cups in 2023 that she has participated in and she will secure her sixth overall title if she is #7 in Wujiang this weekend. However, the Slovenian is not registered to compete in China. Any of the other Top-6 ranked will surpass Janja by winning the last event. For Jessica Pilz and Vita Lukan, placing fourth respectively third, would be enough to surpass Janja (see below). The score is presented by counting four out of five results, including the results needed to overtake Janja. Complete ranking (c) Vladek Zumr

1. Janja Garnbret SLO 3 000 points: Not registered to compete
2. Jessica Pilz AUT 2 430: #4 in China = 3 040
3. Vita Lukan SLO 2 350: #3 = 3 040
4. Chaehyun Seo KOR 2 180: Needs to win
5. Nonoha Kume JPN 2 090: Not registered to compete
6. Jain Kim KOR 2 030: Needs to win

Based on the prerequisites above, there is still a chance for Janja to win overall. Ai Mori has been runner-up after Janja in both the WCs she has done in 2023 and she is the favourite to win in China.

"It was dramatic to the very end." On the 8a finish of Project Big in Flatanger, Jakob Schubert explains that a horn broke and he was close to falling. The last three minutes of the video show just how much this climb means to him.

"This horn could have ended my career... This was the biggest mental battle that I have ever had in my career with a route... I have never tried a route that much. This is actually the first lead route that I have tried and didn't finish in one trip. I have almost tried it for two months."

Domen Škofic, who last week did a 9a in Flatanger, has flashed Muy Verdes (8c). (c) Moritz Klee

Can you tell us more about the flash?
Special thanks to Henning Wang for explaining his beta’s 🙏🏻 I improvised at some moves especially the kneebars as they didn’t work for me again 🙃 but the rest was super useful. The route has two huge rests, so I took quite some time there. I’m not sure how long… I was very pumped when I held the jug after the last hard sequence because I messed up the beta and maybe made some moves too many, 😅 but it was still quite under control.

Karoline Sinnhuber, who previously has sent 48 boulders 8A+ or 8B, has done Invader of the kingdom (8A+) in Felbertal. "No words. I can still remember the days where little Karo was in the cave with her dad and tried this boulder. Haven't been there for ages now, because the cave was literally ALWAYS wet when I drove there. Last week - same story. We somehow made it climbable with a lot of fans. Fell at the end due to a heel slip urgh. This week the cave was D R Y! Never seen it dry before!!! worked out in my 2nd go 🙂 probably an FFA."

Benn Wheeler has done his third 8B+, The Wheel of Wolvo in Mt Evans. The 18-year-old has a wide grade pyramid having done 41 boulders 8A+ and harder.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and your climbing background?
I started climbing when I was around 7 years old because my brother climbed. I mostly did comps, but in the last 4 years, I have started bouldering outside, mostly in Pennsylvania. Last month I moved to Colorado to go to college and The Wheel of Wolvo was something I had singled out as a project before coming. It took me 5 days of effort, mostly focused on getting through the first two moves. It was awesome to meet so many strong climbers in the cave, and have steady progression to the send. Excited to move onto more, harder projects in Colorado!

What is your autumn plan and what is your long-term dream in climbing?
Keep training in the gym for the majority of my climbing, but I’ve started projecting some climbs in Wild Basin, mainly Topaz, Railway White noise.

I would like to climb v16 [8C+] by the end of college, and in my life be able to travel to my dream spots and try the best problems in the world. End of life goal is to raise triplets who all climb v19 [9B].

Niki Rusev, who last year did his third 9a, has onsighted Helikopter v omaki (8b) in Mišja Peč. "At first I wasn’t motivated to climb but later I got enthusiastic to try something doable in a day. I managed to do my first 8b onsight✊. If the grade is solid, that means this is the first 8b OS for Bulgaria 🇧🇬, which is great for the Bulgarian climbing community🙂." (c) Vladimir Pekov

Can you tell us more about the onsight?
No doubt I felt in my best shape ever but not every time it goes how I wanted to be [He was #46 in the Koper WC]. Followed by a crazy eating of a big amount of unhealthy food, the next day we went rock climbing in Osp. It was hot and humid, also I really didn’t want to climb after all that food and bad qualis but then I got enthusiastic to try something doable in a day. First I sent Baram Baram (8a+) 2nd go, then decided to try an 8b OS.

I got pumped after the second clip but the big jugs on the stalactites made me stay. It was quite a big fight with the pump to reach out at the end of the first part. I tried to go into the ext. which is 8c but immediately fell. It was great this worked out. I can’t tell if the grade is solid, but I’m still happy I’m improving my onsight style, little by little. Usually, I project something longer, but short trips give great challenges for onsights.

SINGING ROCK have introduced the second generation of the popular PENTA climbing helmet. We seized this opportunity to ask their developer, helmet specialist Aleš Steklý, who designed and developed the helmet.

At first glance, apart from the colours, the new Penta doesn't look much different from the first generation. How is the new Penta different from the previous one?
The shape has changed, the new Penta has a lower profile and protects the back of the head more. It's also more ventilated and much lighter than the previous generation. And because we will be producing it in three sizes, it fits better on the head and offers more comfort.

Why did you choose 3 helmet sizes? We didn't find this choice in other climbing helmets.
For comfort. For a helmet to be comfortable, it has to fit well on the head and that's where the sizes play a key role.

What materials is the helmet made from and what are their characteristics? What makes these materials a good choice for a climbing helmet?
PENTA is made with proven in-mold technology combining EPS foam for cushioning and a polycarbonate shell for durability.

When I'm looking from the back, it's impossible to miss the "frowny face". When you were creating the second generation, you couldn't make a "smiley face"?
Unfortunately, I couldn't. For me, function takes priority, and it was the "frown" that provided the necessary balance between structural strength and a high level of ventilation.

Do you want to read more? Follow the whole article at SingingRock.com

In March, we reported about Carlo Traversi having done From Dirt Grows The Flowers (8C) after having tried it several times the last ten years. The video has been released and we asked some follow-up questions:

Are you stronger at age 35 or what made the difference?
I’m definitely stronger in some ways and weaker in others. My transitional strength has improved (moving between comfortable positions of static load) but my lock-off strength and finger strength are probably a bit less than when I was younger. I am a far more efficient climber now. I was probably trying to overpower things when I was younger. The biggest difference was consistency on the mantle. I adjusted my wrist angle on the right hand before the left hand flip and it gave me that last inch of height for my body to move through the mantle easier.

What is your autumn plan?
Yosemite. I have a few bouldering projects that I hope to finish this Fall/Winter. For me, they have pushed me harder than anything else I’ve tried in the past. If all goes well, I will most likely transition back to doing more sport and trad next year.

Nimrod Marcus, #5 in the World Championships 2021, has been on a ten days trip to Magic Wood where his hardest sends were; The Never Ending Story (8B+), New base line (8B+) and Mystic Stylez (8B+).

Can you tell us more about your trip?
My trip to Magic Wood was so much fun. I don't usually get the chance to climb outdoors, and Magic Wood has been a dream destination of mine for a long time. My primary objective on this trip was to conquer Mystic Stylez, a very short and powerful boulder that was also quite complex. It felt amazing to top it. I was also thrilled to have been able to tackle some classics like New Base Line, Never Ending Story, and Riverbed. I am already looking forward to my next trip to Magic Wood!

How many sessions did you need to do the three 8B+'?
For Mystic I needed 4 sessions this trip. I had already had one small session in the past. For New Base Line I needed one short session this trip, and already had a session on it last year. And for Never Ending story I just needed one short session as it really suited my style.

How often do you get chances to climb outdoors?
I try to have one trip every year, but not always can, I had 3 trips in the past: Albarraçin 2018, Ticino 2021 and Ticino 2022. Climbing in Israel is Slowly developing, we have some good rocks but not everywhere is allowed to climb. I hope in the future we will have more places to climb.