Max Bertone has sent Redoublement d'effort (9a) at Roche de rame. ”Two days of rest after the TAB and thanks to a new beta (thanks Tanguy and Yannis) I can top this hard line for me. Physical and far moves... Definitively not in my style ! 4 sessions (with "La proue débridée") and at least 6/7 tries needed for this short and powerful route.”

Can you tell us more about this line?
It is a two sections route. The first one is the hard section of « La proue débridée » (8c+). The second one is the hard section of a 8b+. Between the two sections there is a pretty good rest. The style of climbing is really powerful, from the beginning. I took a session to send the 8c+, so I thought that I could quickly send the hard variant but I was wrong. In the second session there is a hard crux of 6/7 moves and I was tired enough to fall when I came from the bottom. I don’t know if it’s harder than my first 9a route (TCT in Gravere), but I’m sure that it’s harder for me because I’m not physically strong enough and prefer long endurance routes to short and nervous ones.

Siara Fabbri has sent Kingda Ka (8B) in Gottardo / Gotthardpass. Last November, the antimatter researcher did her first 8B+ and we followed up with an interview. (c) Simone Tentori

Can you tell us more about Kingda Ka?
I had a few sessions on this boulder last year and figured out the beta that worked for me. It is a really unique climb because it is a tall granite slab/almost vert wall at a hard grade, and you have to pull on these pebbles and in my beta I need to use my thumbs a lot to either pull/press on tiny pebbles or grabbing an undercling. The pebbles can be really painful and both recent sessions I had to tape my thumb because it was bleeding. The real crux is doing around 5 movements in the middle off of a slopey small pebble for a foot.

Here I struggled a lot because one of my weaknesses that I feel holds me back is fear of falling in a weird way, like on mantles for example. Weighting the bad foot, I have to reach the undercling in an almost fully-stretched position and I can only get it with my thumb, staying close to the wall, and then do some hand moves and go into basically an upside down gaston - in these positions I felt pretty vulnerable and afraid to fall in a bad way.

First sess back from the ground I built my way up cm by cm, trusting the foot more and more, and each time that built my confidence and it felt really good. If I hesitated or was afraid, my hips would come out a tiny and my foot would pop or I would fall, so it was really this all or nothing attitude to do the boulder, and the journey to finding that attitude was the best part. I came back 2 weeks later and got a high point first go, then after a few tries sent. It was amazing to feel the movements so fresh and smooth, and overall this is one of my favorite boulders and such a joy to do!

Jakob Schubert made the first repetition of Chris Sharma's DWS Alasha 9a (+) in Mallorca in 2021. Here is an interview from back then.

”I still and always get goosebumps when I look at the footage of 'Alasha'! Mischa (Michael Piccolruaz) and I had been planning the Mallorca trip all summer and luckily it really worked out. It was the coolest trip I've ever done - the perfect mix of really tough climbing and vacation feeling with a really cool crew and great vibes.

The DWS experience was incredible! The fact that I was able to repeat Chris Sharma's two difficult routes in a single trip topped it all off. The two movies - part 1 has just been released, the second part will be released next week - let me relive those emotions. The feeling of being so high above the water was something very special that you never feel in other disciplines! This discipline is deep in my heart, and I know I want to do it more in the future. Next year at the latest, I think I’ll return to Mallorca. Maybe then it will be after the Olympics again."

Jabee Kim, big brother to one of the world’s most succesfull female competition climber, Jain Kim, has done Monkey Wedding (8C) and flashed Fragile Steps (8A+) in Rocklands.

Can you tell us more about your background and doing your first 8C?
I'm Jabee Kim from Korea. I'm 36 years old, and I started competition climbing from 1999 until 2022 (I retired from competition but still climbing on outdoor). I used to compete IFSC world cup with my brother and sister (Jaha and Jain Kim). My first worldcup was 2003 and last worldcup was 2019 but actually I wasn't good at the world cup. After retyreing I enjoy rock climbing, mostly bouldering. I flashed several 8A boulders, 8A+ and 8B in Korea and I always had a dream about doing an 8C boulder someday.

This is my first bouldering rock trip since I start climbing in 1997. In 2020, I climbed one of 8B+ boulder in Korea and it was my best grade so far. I thought I'm not strong enough for 8C. When I'm planning this trip to Rocklands, I'm not sure that I can climbed 8C and also unluckily I got serious injury on my ankle on Aplil but I searched 8C routes anyway. Finally I found one of my style 8C route, and that was Monkey Wedding. But I had only 2 weeks in Rocklands so I thought it is not enough time for send this mega classic hard route. So I set other goals on the list but there was one and only Monkey wedding in my head.

On the second day of the trip, 9th of July, I tried Monkey wedding for a first time but I was stuck on the crux bump move.

After three days, 12th of July on my second session, I got serious skin problem from trying Oral Office (8A+) after I flashed Pendragon (8A) for warm up. Anyhow, I decided to continue to try Monkey wedding but I was stuck on same move like first day, so I thought 'Maybe I should give up, I'm not strong enough bla bla' but I changed my left hands grip to another way and it worked. After several tries, I managed the first bump move from start for the first time! But the second session was over because of the skin issue. And 15th of July, on a my third session I felt so confidence. I changed the second bump move to a toe hook move like Alex Khazanov did and it was better for me. Finally, third go of third day, I climbed Monkey Wedding. I still can't believe that I climbed 8C boulder. My dream came true and it's time to another dream start.

Can you also tell us more about your hardest flash?
I think flash attempt is most valueable because everyone has only one chance for flash every each boulder route. So I give my everything on the every flash attempt, no matter how route is easy or not. When I first saw videos of 'Fragile steps', I thought I should flashe it because it seems so easy on the videos. So yesterday me and my girl friend went to fragile steps for take a look. It is really different what I saw. The hold was broken so I have to find another beta and I found a left undercling so I make my own beta but there was a little boulder in the left side so I had to be careful about dab. On the same time, I used all of my power on 'The Vice(8B)' which I couldn't send yet. So I wasn’t sure that I can or not. I took a deep breath and start climbing. The beta was perfect which I found before try so I flashed the most unique line in Rocklands. Somebody says it’s 8A+ and some says it's 8B but I have no idea about the grade. I'm just happy that I flashed 'Fragile Steps'.

Katie Lamb has done Evil Backwards (8B), and Death Trout (8A+), both at Mount Blue Sky. The 25-year-old has now done 22 boulders 8B to 8B+ and she extends her lead in the 8a ranking game where she has been #1 for more than two years.

Paul Robinson has released a new climbing short from his trip to Chile with the country's strongest boulderer, Facundo Langbehn. Facu showed one of his favorite areas in the country, La Silla Del Diablo, to Paul and also managed to make the first ascent of Chile’s hardest boulder while Paul was visiting. Alma, (8C) is a low left start to an established 8A+ in the area. The best times to visit La Silla are in the North American fall months. The area sits above 3000 meters and gets lots of snow during the winter months.

Jules Marchaland, who was #10 last weekend in Briancon, has made an ascent of what seems to be the summer's hottest ninth graded line, Condé de choc (9a) at Entraygues. "This route was in my head from long time and I was near the crag after the World Cup so I decided to try it. I wanted to try to do it very fast and it was so cool. I love jump[s] on crimps so it was perfect for me!"

What about your broken toe that we saw sticking out of your shoe in Briancon?
I broke my toe during a rugby game with friends 13 months ago and without shoes. The bone was broken so I could not put the toe in a climbing shoe 🥲 I didn’t fix the shoe haha, I pierced it so my toe could come out [which can be seen in the picture].

What is next? Are you doing the World Championship next month?
No, in France it is just the « olympic team ». I was close on Punt'X (9a) in my home crag so maybe soon 🤫

Pepa Šindel, who last autumn sent his first 9a+, has done Sever The Wicked Hand (9a) in Frankenjura. (c) Petr Piechowicz

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I first tried Sever the Wicked Hand a year ago, but I wasn't tall and strong enough to get over the opening 8A boulder. This year I returned to business with 5 centimetres extra and a little more strength and started giving the first sharp attempts. After 5 climbing days, the condition improved and despite a big fight at the top of the route I sent it there! I climbed the route in 16 attempts.

Pepa’s father has previously commented on his son's ascents. "All members of our family climb and climbing is our lifestyle, motivation and love for us. Pepa trains on the home bouldering wall in the barn and goes to the rocks as often as possible. Ideally every weekend plus the whole school holiday. Although he does not specifically prepare extra, he trains a lot. At least 3 to 4 times a week, power bouldering - old school wall, ideal conditions :-)."