Team Japan set a new standard winning five medals in the Lead World Cup in Wujiang, China. Sorato Anraku and Ai Mori were dominant winners and there were five males and four females from Japan in the Top-6. Among the women, Jessica Pilz was #2 and the Austrian also won overall. The runner-up among the men was Shion Omata. Bronze medalists were Natsuki Tanii and Taisei Homma. © Dimitris Tosidis/IFSC

Anraku, 16, who had secured the overall victory prior to Wujiang, comments on his third Lead WC win in a row;
“I’m just happy to win another medal here in Wujiang. I’m frustrated not to top the route though. I have the Asian Games next week so I will try there. I love climbing and I don’t want to stop. I’m going to carry on forever.” Complete results

Mori, who won the gold at the World Championship in August, comments on her victory;
“Before climbing I was very nervous, but now I’ve won I’m very happy. I feel a lot of pressure, mostly that I put on myself, I just don’t feel confident. But if I don’t have confidence in myself I can’t win, so I have to tell myself a lot I can do it.” Complete results

It should be mentioned that many of the best climbers from USA and Europe did not participate.

Martin Tekles has repeated Jorge Diaz-Rullo’s Patanics (9a+) in Rodellar. Recently, a hold in the crux has been partly broken on the 50m endurance route. ”Such a long beast! I would go for 9a+/b in my opinion. On to the next.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I started working on Patanics in May. After sending No pain no gain (9a+) in October last year it was kind of logical to try this route, as they both have the same middle part and crux. But the lower part (Pata Negra) and the upper part (Botanics) are different. In May I focused on the lower and upper part. I worked my way up by sending Pata negra (8c) and Pata-tral (8c+) two other variations. But conditions weren't good many wet holds or too hot. So I came back now and after some days with good tries, I could do it today. A huge mental battle to fight through this 60-meter-long beast. Conditions were amazing today so pretty happy that it turned out like this! You can use the picture, it's by me 😅

How did you manage to get the picture by yourself?
The photo was from last year. I climbed up and tied the GoPro with a piece of rope onto a quickdraw, looked for right position and then climbed down a few quickdraws. After a short rest, climbed the sequence and that how a got the photo 😅

What is next?
I have to search for new stuff, probably in Santa Linya or Margalef. Checking some routes for winter. Routes like Stoking the Fire (9b) or First Round First Minute (9b) look amazing 🤩

Yannick Flohé, who won the Brixen WC in 2022, has repeated Daniel Woods’ classic La force tranquille (8C) in Magic Wood.

”I tried La Force on the first day of the trip after I sent New Base Line and did all the moves quickly. I couldn’t really try though due to classic Magic Wood rainy weather. From then on I tried it two more session but it got worse every day. I feel like Magic Wood in September is either way too warm or wet.

On the 4th session I managed to dry all the holds with a fan after a heavy rain and basically sent the boulder. Unfortunately the slab at the end which is about 6a was still super wet and I had no chance to top out so I came back on the next day and climbed it all the way to the top. I fell only once after the heel hook move and about 30 times at the beginning when my heel slipped after doing the big move to the slot. Anyway nice boulder I’ll come back one day for the direct finish from Jakob.”

"Silver lining is a great highball! A long-standing project in Finland that was finally put up by Andy Gullsten back in 2020. When I returned to Finland in 2021 I had 2 days on it on top-rope trying the sequences. 6 pads weren’t for me enough, so I knew I had to return more prepared. Last year this line was in my mind as much as the other ones in the movie. Finding it dry isn’t simple, but that day I was lucky. I spent the whole session alternating top rope attempts and ground-up goes, growing my confidence in the fall. Surprisingly, at 5 o’clock, everything worked well! I had 10 pads :) logistics was crucial!

I love to return to Finland. I like the vibes, the settings and the variety of rock. There is so much to visit around Helsinki and with a bit of driving effort, you can climb some world-class problems. It’s really spread out and this is personally another good feature which makes travelling there unique!"

Giuliano Cameroni, who has made the FA of at least 20 boulders 8B+ to 8C+, is pictured in the latest great Mellow video sending three 8B+/8C'; Peace Corps, Flip the Switch (FA) and Solar Plexus (FA).

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."