Gonzalo Larrocha has been on a two-week climbing trip to Croatia and Slovenia focusing as usual on onsights. The 38-year-old has now done 2000 routes 8a and harder including well over 200 onsights. In Smrka he set a personal record onsighting six in one day.

Can you tell us more about that amazing onsight day?
Usually, when I came to a new sector I try to make some 8a on the first try. When I did the third one I thought that I could try to break my personal best which was 4 onsight and one second go. Then I did the fourth and was quite nervous on the fifth which was more bouldery. Finally, I tried the sixth route which was a 45m marathon. Happy and very tired we went back to the camper. Thanks to Silvia who supported me, and also to Klemen and others locals guys that show the beautiful crag that they have.

Can you describe the best crags you visited?
Smrka is really nice you can see the sea from the approaching. There are long routes with many tufas. Buzetski kanjon has several sectors with tufas crimps and the approach is plane. Vranjača is an impressive cave and perhaps one of the colder crags in Croatia.

Alex Puccio has started the high alpine season at Mt Evans by doing Mental Masturbation (8A+), The Exfoliator (8A+) and King Critter Sit (8A+).

On Instagram she comments, The Exfoliator, "Always wanted to go check this one out and it didn’t disappoint. Really hard first move with bad feet and awkward body position. Short, crimpy and powerful so kinda my style! 💪🏻😉 Thanks to @waterhouseclimb for starting the send train and giving me the motivation to follow suit. 😄"

Alex, the runner-up in the World Championship in 2014, has done 250+ boulders 8A and up, which is a female record.

Allison Vest has started her trip to Rocklands by doing Bitch! (8B), "Cooked up a new recycle beta with a high toe hook to avoid the big bump. Totally my style, it may be in a hole but it climbs super well." and The Master Key (8B), "Did the gross matchy way, really liked this boulder a lot."
"Glad I started my trip off with a couple of 8B's because the last few weeks my skin has been sore and the boulders have not been cooperating as well… All part of the game but this trip has been lots of learning. Tactics, patience, and trying to be more confident. So happy to be here for my first trip! Wouldn’t have been possible without Frances and Billy and their headlamps :)"

In the 8a ranking game, Allison is #3 having done six 8B's during the last 12 months.

Camille Pouget, who was #6 in the Briancon World Cup in July, has done Hot Chili-X (8c) in Gorges du Loup. "Really nice route! Not so natural, with many carved holds but every move is interesting. I'm so happy to top this classic line of strong's endurance just after Leo [Tubiana] who topped the day just before. Thanks to him for the demo and the betas 🙌 I think it could be flashed by stronger climbers if you can catch a local who gives you the beta ( as already done by the monster Tanguy Merard 💪)."

Clothilde Morin has done Dulcifer (8A) in Schöllenen and Sofa Surfer (8A+) in Magic Wood.

"I think Sofa Surfer is the most difficult boulder I did so far. I did it in four sessions. It was a bit frustrating because I had climbed a lot before, and at the end of session #3 I felt so close, but too exhausted to do it. "

Jakob Schubert won the Boulder & Lead gold in Bern in a relatively comfortable style. He was second in Boulder, just one attempt and 0.1 points behind Tomoa Narasaki, who got the overall bronze. Then in Lead, the Austrian won getting 8 points more than Colin Duffy, who was second overall after being fourth in Boulder. (c) Lena Drapella/IFSC

Sorato Anraku was fourth just seven points behind his teammate. If he had topped the route he would have won the overall, so the suspense was nail biting.

Quotes from IFSC
Jakob Schubert (AUT) – men’s Boulder & Lead gold medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“I don’t know. It’s so crazy. It kind of feels like the Lead, it all went so fast. Today was a big day, obviously I knew I had to do really well in Boulder to have a chance for that Olympic ticket and the Boulder round couldn’t have gone any better for me I think. My dream was to go into the Lead with a lead and then keep my nerves under control, and I think I did a really good job of doing that in the Lead route.

I don’t think I actually realise what it means yet. Feels like there hasn’t been much time to think about it. I was watching the action and really hoping Sorato [Anraku] could show what he could do because he is such a good climber. I feel like he is the best combined climber right now, I had my day today, but we are definitely going to see him at the Olympics. For an older climber like me, now I can just focus and prepare for the Olympics, calm down a bit and now not do all the comps next year because I’m getting tired doing a lot of comps. So this has worked out perfectly.”

Colin Duffy (USA) – men’s Boulder & Lead silver medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“It felt amazing. I was just honoured to be on the stage in the World Championships Boulder & Lead final. This is the most difficult and proud final I have ever made. I just wanted to go into today, enjoy my climbing and not care about the result. I was able to enjoy every second on the wall in the Boulder and stayed calm in the Lead route and I’m very happy to be standing here with another Olympic spot.”

Narasaki Tomoa (JPN) – men’s Boulder & Lead bronze medallist - PARIS 2024 QUALIFIED
“At first, I felt pressure, but I’ve been training, training, training and I believed in myself. My wife Akiyo [Noguchi] is here, I think she felt more pressure than me but I’m so happy to get the Olympic ticket in front of her.”

1. Jakob Schubert AUT 99.6 + 84 = 183.6
2. Colin Duffy USA 84.7 + 76 = 160.7
3. Tomoa Narasaki JPN 99.7 + 57 = 156.7
4. Sorato Anraku JPN 85 + 64.1 = 149.1
5. Toby Roberts GBR 79.3 + 64.1 = 143.4
6. Adam Ondra CZE 84.1 + 57.1 = 141.2
7. Dohyun Lee KOR 70 + 57.1 = 127.1
8. Paul Jenft FRA 69.8 + 33 = 102.8

"Alexander Megos sits down with Dr. Volker Schöffl, a respected figure in the climbing and medical communities. In this candid and thought-provoking interview titled 'Climbing Has a Problem! Real Talk with Volker Schöffl,' Megos delves deep into the critical issue of eating disorders and their impact on athletes in the climbing world. Dr. Schöffl, an expert in sports medicine, sheds light on his decision to resign from the IFSC's Medical Commission due to their inadequate response to the RED-S syndrome (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport)."