Pepa Šindel has made a visit to Götterwandl and among other things, the 18-year-old sent Juturna (9a), Fonax (8c+) and flashed Zeris (8c).

Can you tell us more about the trip and the most memorable ascents?
Götterwandl is a magical place in Austria where I spend a lot of time, and until now I had only managed to send two routes there. On this trip, I wanted to change that, with the goal of sending as many hard routes as possible.

I started with Jaturna 9a, whose beginning I already knew super well because I had climbed it many times from the route to the left. At the top, there is a really specific boulder problem that I solved with a long jump to a jug. Right after that, I checked out Fonax 8c+, and I did it on my second go! I felt pretty good and thought I might even flash Zeris 8c… and I did! My bro Venca (who also sent Zeris 8c and Zeus 8b+ on this trip!) gave me really good beta, and it worked out. With a bit of margin as well. Next on the list was Athena 8c, which I wanted to onsight, but unfortunately I hit my hand with my knee on the first hard move. I immediately pulled back on and then climbed the route to the finish jug. Still did it second go, though. On the last day, I added a flash of Nofretete 8b+ and a second-go ascent of Zeus 8b+. Pretty successful trip, I would say!

Jorge Diaz-Rullo, who in March did the FA of Café Colombia (9c), has done Vivi si muore (9a) in La Stazione. ”Incredible line and movement. What a fight against the heat and the sweaty skin 🥵 2 days.”

Mathieu Bouyoud, with 44 routes 9a and beyond under his harness, has sent La Reina Mora (9a) in Siurana and El Gran Bellanco (9a) in Montanejos.

Can you tell us more about the trip and those ascents?
We climbed in Siurana for 10 days. I came very close on the first try to climbing “La Reina Mora,” but I fell at the end of the La Rambla section. I gave it two more tries to finish it. After that, it became very hot for climbing in Siurana, so we moved to Montanejos to finish a two-year-old project, “El Gran Bellanco.” I sent it on the second day.

What is your next plan?
Norway and Flatanger. We will go there June 8th and come back 14th of July.

Jules Marchaland, who last year sent his first 9b and flashed an 8C boulder, has flashed Hélix au pays des merveilles 8c (+) in Pic St Loup.

Can you tell us more about the flash and the beta preperation?
I came to Pic St Loup for a change from Biographie (9a+), as it is hard for me to stay focused on a project for a long time. So I came here with my friend Naoch. My main goal was to try Legend but due to pain in my fingers, I decided to try easier routes just to train my endurance.

I belayed my friend on the route three or four times, learned the beta, and talked with him to find the best possible solution. Everything went perfectly, and it was an amazing climb. I really appreciated it, and it was super nice.

There is only a small issue with the ethics, as I had already climbed the last two meters of 6b climbing. So, in the purest ethical sense, it was not a flash. I don’t care honestly but this is a little problem but I am ok with this.

Sorato Anraku, the winner of the last three Boulder World Cups, claimed his 14th Boulder World Cup victory in Bern. The 19-year-old was the only athlete to top three boulders in the semifinal and four boulders in the final.

”It was a hard round. I’m just happy every time I can show my climbing and take a victory. The crowd here was amazing. I take my power from them.”

Adam Shahar, who last year sent his first 9A, and Ben Hanna have repeated Zach Galla’s Sosa (8C+) in Little Cottonwood.

Shahar: ”We are so back!! First day of the year, first try getting through the bottom. Really thought I wouldn't get the chance to hop back on this one due to a wrist injury a couple months back. Ecstatic, I pulled this one off. Truly such an awesome power testpiece. Props to Zach for the FA.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and what went into completing it?
Hanna: I started trying Sosa stand back when it was a project and was able to do it pretty fast after Zach did the FA, but it wasn’t until last summer that the low start felt like something I could do, I remember having this moment where I thought “Holly shit! I can climb v16” it was the dead of summer though and so I waited for the fall to keep trying.

When I started going back up and putting together links I found myself fighting a pretty hard mental battle and decided to rotate to Grand Illusion. I ended up doing that the last week of the season and wanted to go back to Sosa with a fresh mind and more confidence but the season was over.

Despite that I found myself saying “the season isn’t over until I say it is” and hiking up through feet of snow to dig it out with my friend Justin. The boulder stays totally dry during the winter since it’s in a cave, you just have to dig out a lot of snow to get to it, and so that’s how I found myself spending weeks hiking up after work to dig it out every day after it snowed haha definitely one of the crazier things I’ve done for a climb. I got really close a few times but competitions season started and I had to focus on that. Finally I found myself with a break from comps and a window of good enough temps to try again. I went up twice last week to remember the moves and than last night after a few days off was able to fire it first try from the ground.

As far as grade, I’ve never climbed 8c and the only other 8c+ I’ve tried is grand Illusion so I’ll leave that to those smarter than me to decide.

What is next?
Back to competition training. I am pretty focused on world cups this next coming 2 years, but climbing outside it what really fuels my soul and so I try and make time to go outside for a few weeks every season to rejuvenate myself.

How come you did not participated in Bern today?
Sadly I bombed the team trials and so I am 5 on team but we only have 4 quota spots. Which means I only get world cups starts if someone else drops out. With that being said I’ll get Salt Lake and I am determined to make the final there.

Oceania Mackenzie struggled in the first two rounds in the Bern World Cup, but when it mattered most, she delivered and claimed her first World Cup victory. Amazingly, the Australian topped the first two boulders, while only two other girls managed to secure one top. After Oceania also sent the last boulder, she had secured the gold even though the six higher-ranked climbers had not yet begun the final boulder.

Notably, Sanders, who took the bronze behind Erin McNeice, managed to send eleven boulders throughout the competition, while Mackenzie sent seven.

Quinn Mason, who last year sent her first 9a, has done Ya Like Jazz? (8c) in Squamish. ”Yes I do. And I really enjoyed this route too! This route climbs through a boulder in the roof to the left of Queen Bee and finishes through the B-Side dihedral. This climb deserves more attention in my opinion! On a wall full of wandering lines this one is maybe the most direct and features an incredible variety of movements.” (c) Tara Kerzhner

Can you tell us more about the ascent and what went into completing it?
I believe my ascent of this route was only its second, which is surprising because it’s such an excellent, direct line! I think it gets overshadowed by the other incredible routes on the Paradise Wall.

The opening boulder problem is a wide compression sequence through a roof, probably at least V10 [7C+], followed by an incredible sustained and technical dihedral that leads into a final, potentially low-percentage boulder guarding the chains. It took me quite a bit longer to complete the route than I anticipated, but luckily, on my first try making it through the opening boulder from the ground, I was able to take it all the way to the chains :)

How many sessions did it take and how was the progress?
I don’t know how many sessions the route took but I started trying it around a month before I sent it. The process was prolonged by having a lot of issues with my skin and being unable to try the route.

Svana Bjarnason, who led the restoration work in Oliana after the big fire, has completed Joe Blau (8c+) in Oliana. The 34-year-old’s story includes an Olympic quest, injuries and a surgery eight months ago. (c) César Garcia Callariza

Can you tell us more about the ascent and what went into completing it?
This ascent is a significant milestone for me because it’s my hardest one to date, but also because it’s an emotional comeback after a long and uncertain recovery period.

I suffer from severe deep endometriosis along with adenomyosis, which can cause heavy symptoms such as intense belly pain, uterine cramps, neuropathic pain affecting the legs and lower back, nausea, digestive issues, …

On September 12th, 2025, I underwent surgery to treat extensive deep endometriosis affecting multiple areas. At the beginning of the season, I had no clue what my body would be capable of. Besides, after surgery I thought the symptoms would be gone forever but, unfortunately, you can’t eradicate endometriosis.

Therefore I struggled (and still am struggling) the whole season, physically but also mentally. There were way too many days when pain completely changed my plans, training, mood and expectations. With this disease you never know in which state you’re gonna wake up. You never know whether you’ll be climbing hard at the crag or crying at the crag. In addition to this, I partially tore one my pulleys and I am still recovering from it, which isn’t ideal to climb at your highest level.

That’s why climbing Joe Blau means much more than a grade to me — it feels like rebuilding trust in my body and getting a small revenge on endometriosis. The day I sent, I wasn’t expecting to do it at all. I knew I was getting close but there’s a tricky section at the end and I was always sure I would fall up there a few times. Therefore it felt surreal when I clipped the chains and I immediately burst into tears. So yea, I know the journey with the disease isn’t over, but sending my first 8c+ eight months after surgery did like a first victory :)

How many sessions were needed and how was the progress?
I have no clue how many sessions but a looot haha. The long story is: I first tried the route a couple years ago, but at that time I was trying to qualify for the Olympics, so I barely climbed outdoors. Therefore I decided to project it the next season, last year. I made some progress on it, but I got injured and I think I realized I would not be strong enough to do it that season, so I chose to focus more on all my “side projects”. Therefore I actually didn’t climb on it that much. At the end of the Oliana season, I switched to plastic - competing in World Cups and European Cups - and learned I would need surgery to try and help with the endometriosis symptoms. I knew I needed to have a big goal in mind to get through all this, Joe Blau was an obvious one. Of course, I had to start with easier routes after surgery, but I quickly hopped back on Joe Blau. Along the season, I slowly got back in shape, sent some of my side projects and made good progress on the big one. With some ups and downs of course. My training plan was based on being strong enough in May to try and send, and it worked pretty well because that’s exactly what happened! I have to thank Melissa Le Neve for that (she’s my trainer) :)

Austin Purdy, with four 8C+’ under his belt, has sent Dying To Live (8C) in Lincoln Lake.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and what went into completing it?
Dying to Live wasn't something I was initially planning on trying this season, but I have been dealing with some issues with my finger this spring and it was something that I could actually try the moves on without too much issue since it is not too intense on the left hand and is a longer power endurance line. It ended up fititng me quite well and I was able to send it my first day giving send goes after a couple of sessiong trying to figure out the cryptic sequences.

Daniel [Woods] FA'd this boulder in 2012 and proposed V14 but it broke shortly after he did it and then fell into obscurity even though it is right next to the classic Evil Backwards (8B). The break ended up adding a second crux in the middle of the boulder and certainly bumped the difficulty of the whole line which is why I proposed an upgrade, however, since I haven't been getting outside as much lately I am a bit unsure about the overall grade and am interested to see what future ascentionists think. Hopefully, it will get more attention with the road opening next week now that people know it still goes.

What is next?
I have a trip to Rocklands planned for this July, so I am trying to get my finger healthy and fit for that.