Sergio San Martín Fernandez, who started climbing in 2020 at age 18, has completed Las meninas R2 (9a+) in Rodellar. Between the ages of 9 and 18, he did breakdancing. During the last year before he started climbing, he also practiced calisthenics.

” A dream come true: my first 9a+! 🥹 A super long, incredibly pumpy route, and in a season that, if you ask me, is way hotter than it should be. The first pitch is 9a+, and I guess the second is around 8c? I'm not really sure, but I absolutely loved climbing it. Thanks to everyone who has been there supporting me. Now it's time for more—there's still plenty of summer left! 🥹🍳⛱️”

Can you tell us more about the trip and sending your first 9a+?
What I had been wondering for a while was whether I was ready to make the jump to the next level after climbing 9a, especially since there aren't many routes in the ninth grade around Alicante. So I knew my main goal for this trip to Rodellar was to give it a serious try. I started by attempting Meninas Sixtina (8c), a pure endurance route that suited me really well. I managed to send it on my second day of the trip.

The following week, I dedicated myself to working on Las meninas (9a), especially its crux: a highly pumpy endurance section with very technical knee-bar rests. I was lucky to figure it out fairly quickly, and that's when I realized I actually had a chance. Everything came down to the final pitch—an incredibly technical 8c.

In total, it's about 50 meters of climbing. With the heat we've had these past few days, it was a real sufferfest, but in the end I managed to send this absolute 10/10 route after just three weeks. I definitely paid the price, though—I could barely walk afterward from all the knee-bars I had to jam into that roof.

It was a grade I'd been chasing for a long time, and finally achieving it has given me a lot of confidence to take on even bigger goals.

What is next?
I’m going to start trying La Vie (9b) without pressure. But I feel it will be a more ambitious project.

Ajda Remškar, the Slovenian team manager in the current Youth World’s in Arco, has sent Kingslayer (8c) in Ter. The five star line was bolted by Rajko Zajc and then Klemen Novac did the FA of in 2018.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
This one was a big challenge for me— a series of mini cruxes that kept me at my full span and required some creative solutions for the powerful and dynamic sequences. An absolutely phenomenal route.

Attempting it during a heat wave felt silly, but the send go came as a rare moment of calm during a pretty turbulent period so it felt really satisfying to finish it off.

Satone Yoshida, who last Sunday was seventh in the Chamonix WC, has sent Three degrees of separation (9a+) in Céüse. Impressively enough, it only took him four four days and seven tries to repeat the Chris Sharma’s classic. ”I still can’t believe I send it…. I’m only 166cm, and it was kind a dream to send this classic dyno route!! If you don’t have enough height, you’re definitely going to struggle. But if you can find tiny holds and build the right sequence, sending it is far from impossible!!”

Last year, the 22-year-old finished third overall in the World Cup standings. This season, he currently sits eighth and has reached the top-eight finals on 18 occasions throughout his career.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
The first dyno turned out to be twice as far as I expected. I had to use a tiny foothold that no one else was using just to make the jump. Even getting to that point, I couldn’t do the standard beta, so I had to add a few extra moves using tiny holds.

Once I had the beta figured out, I knew this had become one of the projects I wanted to finish at some point in my life. That’s why I’m still the most surprised that everything came together this quickly and I managed to send it on this trip!! I think it was one of the best climbs of my life.

Shawn Raboutou reports on Instagram that he has repeated Ryuichi Murai’s Floatin (8C+) in Mizugaki. ”Felt more like 15 [8C] to me, especially since I did it on my first day of this trip.”

It should be noted that Shawn has tried it in a previous trip.

Laura Rogora has sent MegaGeremia (9a) in Valbrona and onsighted Menhir (8b) in South Tyrol. In the last year, the Italian has sent 20 routes 9a and beyond and onsighted 19 routes 8b and harder. (c) Mauro Sormani

Can you tell us more about those ascents?
On Saturday I tried Megageremia. I had six attempts, but I never managed to reach the first anchor of the 8c+ section. During the first few goes I kept refining the beta and figuring out the best sequence. On my fifth attempt I made it to just one move before the end of the hard section, but by my sixth go I had nothing left. Thankfully, I came back on Sunday and sent it first go.

On Monday, on my way back to Innsbruck, I stopped at Passo Gardena after a friend asked if I wanted to try Menhir. What an incredible route. Two French climbers had been trying it, so there were plenty of tick marks, which definitely made the onsight a bit more straightforward. Still, I'd wanted to climb this line for years, and it absolutely lived up to the hype.

Quinn Mason, who last year sent her first 9a, has sent Spectre Del Norte (8c+) in Squamish. ”Turned myself into a chalk ball. Maybe the most sweaty, pumped, and chalky I've ever been. An incredible reminder of what its like to be terminally pumped but somehow keep climbing. This climb is such a good test piece of resistance climbing and recovering on the wall - my favorite :) Still reflecting on the grade...”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Spectre del Norte was the 7th line I’ve completed at Paradise Wall and my 4th this season. I keep coming back because the quality of the rock and movement is unbeatable and it’s the ultimate training grounds for me to keep my sport climbing fitness up. Spectre del Norte takes all the hard climbing on Spirit of the West (8b+) and uses a techy, crimpy boulder to link back into Queen Bee (8a+). The boulder itself features improbably small feeling crimps and requires precise footwork. I sent the route on my second try but I had already climbed all of the individual sections of the route.

We’ve updated the layout of the crag and route pages. The new page structure lays the foundation for bringing Topos to Vertical-Life Web.

Alongside the new layout, we’ve introduced a new Grade Suggestion table on route pages, making community grade suggestions easier to view, as well as a number of smaller improvements and refinements across the pages.

Hannes Puman has been on a ten days trip to Flatanger, sending seven routes up to 9a+ and trying another five of the hardest routes in the big cave.

The 28-year-old Swede first made his mark on the competition scene, winning the Youth World Championships in 2014. As a senior, his PB’ are fourth at the European Championships and eighth at the World Championships in Lead before gradually shifting his focus to rock.

Since then, he has put together one of the most well-rounded climbing résumés in the game: a big wall first ascent in Yosemite, trad climbs up to 8b+, and boulders up to 8C. Few climbers can match that level across so many disciplines.

Can you tell us more about the trip, the most memorable ascents and which other routes you tried?
This was my first sport climbing trip in a long time. As usual I wanted to climb many routes and a bit randomly I wanted to do at least one new climb every day. The first three or four days of climbing, the conditions were not ideal, so I just tried many routes to see how they feel. I tried;

Change (9b+), Iron Curtain (9b), The Trap (8c+), Witchhammer (9a), Thor's Hammer (9a+), Kangaroo's Limb (9a+) and Illusionist (9a).

I just went through the moves once on each route and went to the next, sometimes I tried it again the day after. Then a good wind came for two days and I decided to try to do one of the hard routes. I was really lucky and climbed Kangaroos limb without a lot of drama. I also did some attempts on Illusionist and thought I was really close. I came back the next day thinking I would do it quickly but after maybe 6 - 7 tries I was not so hopeful anymore, I did one last try and to my surprise I did it!

During the trip I also sent; Steiny L2 (8a+), Frigg (8a), Break free (8b+), Hand-made Jam (8b), Dumpster Master (8b).

Most of the routes that are not the most popular ones are still really good! But not all... I have been to Flatanger many times but the trips have not been very long, just a few days up to two weeks. The rock is great, mostly friendly and sporty but sometimes you get a nice surprise of something different unexpected. The wall to the left of the big cave is definitely my favourite!

What is next?
At the moment I’m back in Norway, in Lysebotn with Kristoffer Klev. We are trying to find out if we can free climb Smelveggen.

Shauna Coxsey reports on Instagram that she has repeated Francesco Bernardino’s recent Quiet Storm (8B+) in Gottardo. (c) Adam Cooledge

”It sure felt nice to try hard and get to the top of a boulder after lots of time spent mostly slipping and sliding around on my project. This boulder has some of the most impressively terrible holds I’ve ever pulled on! I was pleased to get it done fast and not split a tip!”

The 33-year-old, with five previous 8B+’ to her name, has won ten World Cups. Her big project for the trip is Hazel Grace Sit (8C) but the heatwave in combination with a muscle tear in her forearm made her opt for another hard boulder.

Exceptional wildfires are currently sweeping through parts of France's Fontainebleau Forest. Located around 70 km south-east of Paris, the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is home to around 5,000 plant species, 6,600 known animal species, and is internationally renowned as one of the world's premier bouldering destinations. (c) SDIS 77

French firefighters continued battling two wildfires in the Fontainebleau Forest on Tuesday after the blazes burned through more than 1,900 hectares of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve near Paris. Police have arrested two people on suspicion of starting the fire, which has forced around 1,000 residents to evacuate.

According to initial reports, the fire broke out on Sunday afternoon and, fuelled by an unprecedented heatwave. More than 400 firefighters have been deployed to tackle the blaze, which was still burning early today. The cause remains under investigation.

PlanetGrimpe.com reports that the affected areas include Barbizon, Achères-la-Forêt, Le Vaudoué, Noisy-sur-École, Les Écrennes and Fontainebleau. Access to the forest has also been banned until further notice by the Seine-et-Marne Prefecture.

The website says the scale of the fire is the result of a combination of extreme drought, successive heatwaves, highly flammable vegetation, dry sandy soils, heavy visitor numbers and the growing impacts of climate change. It also highlights an increasing build-up of dead vegetation, creating more fuel for fast-moving wildfires.