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 :-)."

Piotr Schab has been in Rocklands for three weeks and sent 16 boulders 8A and harder. The hardest flash for the Pole was Moon shadow (8B) and Monkey Wedding was his first ever 8C. In the picture, Piotr climbs The full tony tick (8A).

Can you tell us more about those two ascents?
Monkey Wedding - my first 8C and my hardest boulder. Took me 4 sessions with some nice progress at the beginning to stagnation/frustration right before sending. Getting that crazy pinch in the right spot and heel placement was crucial for me.

Moon Shadow 8B FL - just gave it one hundred percent in the first go and it happened. Two moves, not much to mess up :)

Piotr has previously done ten routes 9a+ or 9b but is most famous for his ten 8c onsights. Adam Ondra has onsighted close to 100 routes 8c and harder but it just might be that the 26-year-old is #2 on that list with ten.

Sorato Anraku, 16, created the perfect ending of the men’s final in Briancon, starting last and being the first to top out. Earlier this year the youngster from Japan became the overall Boulder World Cup winner. With only two Lead events remaining, he is ahead with almost 700 points meaning that if he gets a podium in one of them, the 16-year-old will most likely be the first climber winning both disciplines overall in the same year. Tasei Homma was runner up and Satone Yoshida won the bronze. As in both the qualification and semi, Japan took the first six positions also in the final. (c) Complete results

Talking with 8a in Brixen last month, Sorato said he mainly trains alone or with some locals from Chiba, 1.5 hours from Tokyo. Most of his training consists of bouldering or doing circuits and sometimes also some hangboarding. He does not follow any strict training plan. A couple of times a month he travels to Tokyo to train with guys from the national team.

The women's field was won by Luka Vitan, from Slovenia, who secured her first ever World Cup victory. Eliska Adamovska from the Czech Republic, who won in Briancon in 2021, placed second and the third was Manon Hily in front of her home crowd. Complete results (c) Jan Virt/IFSC

ANRAKU: “I’m surprised to win. I love doing both Boulder and Lead and I want to win more medals. I really want to win the World Championships as well. Koper World Cup. Wujiang World Cup. I practice a lot and I want to win them all.”

LUKAN: “It’s amazing. I’m speechless. I did not expect it. I don’t know what happened. I just climbed and enjoyed the route, I fought hard, I give it my all and I’m really surprised. I’m just happy.

"It was a really tough season. I injured my knee in January and then again in February and I didn’t climb from then until the middle of April. I had an ACL tear and a meniscus tear so I went through surgery where they removed half of the meniscus. The season has been tough for me, the victory is unexpected, but it means a lot to me.”

Dylan Chuat, who did two 9a+ last year, has made the FA of X integral (9a+) in Gottreux, video. ”The line I had imagined from the very beginning I was just waiting to release Satire and Shocker so I could link the two together and make a puuuure king line!!!” (c) Sebastien Maflin

Can you tell us more about your latest FA?
It starts in which I made the FA of a few weeks ago and ends in that I did the FA of last week. It’s a really beautiful long line with only hard sections!

What is your next plan?
I don’t know what the next project is. I’m trying to repair my finger and elbow injuries at the same time so maybe a little rest and I’ll clean up some new lines so it’ll take a little time before a new FA.

In the Briancon World Cup qualification, Japanese men dominated securing all but one of the first eight positions and the same thing happened in the semifinal. Hannes Puman is the only non-Japanese male that will compete in the final tonight. Sorato Anraku, 16, who won the Boulder World Cup cruised to the Top and will be last out in the final tonight. Complete results

Among the women, Eliska Adamovska won the semifinal ahead of Nonoha Kume, Natsuki Tanii and Molly Thompson-Smith. (c) Complete results

It should be noted that a majority of the highest-ranked athletes did not participate in Briancon and that includes also, to some extent, team Japan. One of the reasons for this is that the World Championship in Bern starts in two weeks and there are six tickets to the Olympic Games at stake

HIGUCHI Masahiro (JPN): In the picture by Jan Virt/IFSC.
“In qualification I didn’t feel good. I felt drained and I think the atmosphere affected me, I just kept forgetting to breathe in. It was difficult to adjust to the conditions. The semi-final was much better though. I was moving good and felt good. It’s my second time in the finals this year, so it’s exciting but I’m a little bit nervous.”

Molly THOMPSON-SMITH (GBR)
“I’m extremely happy. Having such a good qualifying round definitely put a bit of pressure on to continue the form. When you are in a finals spot and it’s yours for the taking it’s definitely harder to keep it together. I’m just happy I took my time and enjoyed climbing. It was a great experience in front of a great crowd.

“It felt good to finally break the curse almost. It would have been funny had I finished in ninth at every comp this year, but it feels good to be back in finals. Especially after the ankle break it feels even sweeter.

“Now I just want to go out and continue to enjoy climbing. My second qualis route was probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a World Cup. The focus was to go out and play, and I want to try and take that into the finals now and try and find some magic.”

Hannes PUMAN (SWE)
“The route was nice to climb. Very friendly. It was a bit easier at the beginning than I thought but then when I got up onto the head wall it started to get harder. But it was nice. I’ve only ever been to one World Cup final so I’m happy with my performance so far. It’s just nice to be able to climb one more route.”

Andrea Chelleris, who two years ago sent Puro Dreaming 8c+/9a and who this spring became the U-14 Italian Slalom Champion, has done Thunder Ribes (9a) in Arco.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I spent 4 days and 7 tries plus one in November last year. My idea was to send Underground (9a) but it was too hot so I decided to change route. This was better because it is endurance with a hard boulder in the last part of the route with a two-finger jam. I thought to do it faster but it was hot so I slipped a lot at that finger jam.

Mattéo Soulé, who last year did his first two 9a's, has made the FA of Trois pattes dans la chouffe (9a) in Gorges du Tarn, video.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
A link-up that I equipped and tried four sessions last year, and two sessions this year, to concretize the pure line very resistant in the roof of the "Trois pattes". You have to do almost all the crux of the 8c and then you arrive directly at the junction with the 8b+, 5/6 moves, 7B+ boulder, allow to reach the ramp of the 8b+ and finish in the crux of this one. A total of 25 very hard moves follow one after another without any rest. 9a to be confirmed of course but it seems rather coherent to me, the crux of the crossing is really harder than that of the Trois pattes.

What are your summer plans?
Training because of the world championships in August and the European championships in September.