Japan has dominated the boulder scene for the last ten years and in 2023, they had six athletes among the Top-15. Mejdi Schalck skipped three events and was just 660 points behind Sorato Anraku. Had he participated and placed #10 or higher in two of the three comps, he would have won overall. Mejdi instead opted to climb outside and focus on the World Championships, "I just want to focus on Bern and put all my energy into this goal. I’m doing Innsbruck and Chamonix Lead World Cups."

Sorato Anraku began the final with a flash and put pressure on all five following finalists. Being the only climber to top out the second boulder, which no one else made the zone on, the 16-year-old carved out a big lead. Mathematically, it was clear that he would win the overall if he was to place second or better, but as he did not even make the zone on the third boulder, the competition opened up once more.

On the final boulder, he struggled with the intro dyno but on his seventh try, he stuck it and cruised to the top, which secured him a podium position.

When later Sam Avezou did not make the dyno, Sorato secured the overall title. Then Meichi Narasaki, in fifth position, had just two attempts to send it in order to win but as he needed seven tries he was runner-up. Complete results

Sorato said in the IFSC interview; “When my climbing had finished after the final boulder I still wasn’t sure if I would win. Maybe a 50-50 chance, but I had done all I could and I couldn’t worry about the others and what they were going to do.” (c) Jan Virt/IFSC

Hannes Puman, #25 in Innsbruck, told 8a the great story of when he ran into the 16-year-old in a Tokyo gym this spring. They started to boulder and it did not take long until Puman realised he was on another level, especially on holding dyno swings.

Talking to Sorato in Brixen he says 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 times a month he travels to Tokyo to train with guys from the national team.

Karolina Ośka has done Batalion skała (8c) at Pochylec

”Batalion Skała is a route on Pochylec - a crag near Krakow where I live. I started trying it last spring. It starts with a difficult and precise boulder, which I managed to do only a few times at that time. In June, the season and sports form ended and the trip to Yosemite was coming, so I had to change my climbing focus. This year, when I returned to Pochylec, I felt much better on the route. Winter training paid off, even despite the injury that happened to me in the meantime. Boulder was no longer a problem and I almost always was able to pass through it. However, it took me 6 more days of tries this season to finally pass the fingery and endurance section above the boulder.

The day I sent the route I had absolutely no expectations, because I felt pretty bad in the morning. However, I climbed exceptionally well and kept falling on literally the last move before the good rest. I had already done my standard 3 attempts and was about to go home, but suddenly I spontaneously decided that I would climb again - this time expecting absolutely nothing from this try. The lack of expectations worked like magic and after a while, a little disbelieving, I finished the route, not even very tired. :)”

What is your climbing background?
I have been climbing for 13 years now. Batalion is my second 8c - 5 years after the first one. That one was way harder and I am sure that 5 years ago it would be too hard for me. For most of the time I try to combine sport climbing with a bit more adventurous stuff (multipich routes, trad and big wall). I love climbing in Yosemite. With my friend as a team we’ve done 3 classic routes on the El Cap. As I am not entirely focused only on sport I am never bored by climbing. For the last 4 years I have been trying to raise my level of sport climbing and I started training seriously under the guidance of two best climbing coaches in Poland - Maciek Oczko and Magda Terlecka.

Sara Gearhart, who the last 18 months has done a dozen 8A’s and five 8A+’, has sent No More Greener Grasses (8A+) at Mount Blue Sky.

”So cool to come back to a boulder after a few seasons and feel how much you've changed as a climber. Dry fired and hit the rock the go before the send. More proud of myself for getting up and trying again than anything else. As far as grade, seems to fit the girls better but we take those! Happy to have done such a beautiful classic.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I tried the boulder in Fall of 2021 and thought it was hard, I wasn't able to do the crux move. Coming back this year it felt really different and much easier. I think this boulder fits my size well and the beta I used did not feel too difficult in the end. Felt very lucky to get a good weather window after the past few weeks in the alpine (it's been so rainy/snowy!) Projecting this boulder is very special because there are always other women working on it :)

What are your summer plans?
I'll be here in Colorado for a few weeks if the weather improves! I'd love to spend time working on evil backwards and some new projects! If it stays really rainy I'll go back to salt lake city to train for the summer :) it's been hard in Colorado since I work full time and the evenings have been very wet/rainy. Fingers crossed!

You manage to crush boulders whilst working full-time?
I work as a federal consultant for health care improvement and quality measurement! It's very interesting and I enjoy it but it is very time consuming. I wish I had mornings free at least!! That would be amazing :) but it's a pretty good balance overall.

Natalia Grossman, who started the season being #8 and #11 due to having suffered stomach problems for months due to food poisoning, won her third consecutive Boulder World Cup overall. Grossman skipped one event as actually all the Top-6 did but Oriane Bertone, who skipped the last two. Overall, team USA was superior having three girls in the Top-10. Complete results

Janja Garnbret, who missed the three first WC events due to a broken toe, and then got the silver in her comeback in Prague, flashed all four final boulders in Innsbruck in a superior style. Runner-up was Natalia Grossman who flashed the two first and was one second late to top the third boulder. Miho Nonaka got the bronze and she also flashed the two first boulders. Complete results (c) Jan Virt/IFSC

Garnbret commented to IFSC, ” I'm grateful, grateful for my team, because they were always with me in the past few months, a lot of tears, a lot of crying, a lot of tough moments, doubts, negative thoughts, they were always there. So I'm really grateful for them.

I received many messages from people supporting me, and it warmed my heart. Today I was just happy, I enjoyed climbing so much, and I cried when I topped the fourth boulder. I did feel relieved, because I thought I almost forgot how to compete, but I guess I didn't. And I flashed the slab as well!

I don't really pay attention to the other competitors. I always try to be the best version of myself, and to be stronger every year than the year before, but I do feel that the field is getting stronger. That is why we compete. You want to win when everybody has their best day.

With a stronger field there is more fun, and more challenges. Sometimes the boulders in finals are a bit too easy, but I think that tonight we had the perfect round."

In comparison to the Brixen World Cup, all Top-10 underperformed relatively speaking, in the first two rounds in Innsbruck. Natalia Grossman, who won in Brixen, was fifth in the Innsbruck semifinal. Chaehyun Seo, #2 in Brixen, was #19 in Innsbruck and Stasa Gejo dropped from #3 to #15. Out of the other seven Top-10 in Brixen, only four participated and they were on average around #30. On the other hand, Futaba Ito, who was #45 in Brixen, is #2 after the semifinal. Four of the six finalists in Innsbruck did not participate in Brixen, and Oriane Bertone skipped the last Boulder World Cup which would have given her a shot at winning the overall, as out-placing Grossman in Innsbruck, more or less, would have given her the title. Complete results.

Elnaz Rekabi was #23 scoring 35 and was very close to making it to the final as she had her hands on one top.

Advertorial: Reinhold Scherer is a legendary figure in Tirol’s rock climbing scene. One of the true pioneers of the sport, he made a name for himself climbing some of the hardest routes in the region before making the switch to coaching and supporting some of the world’s best young sport climbers on their way to multiple World Cup and World Championships medals.

And as if that wasn’t enough, “Reini”, as he is known by all, is also the man behind the Kletterzentrum Innsbruck, one of the biggest and most modern indoor rock climbing centres in the world. Climber. Coach. Businessman. We met in the mountains with this man of many talents and endless energy to find out what makes him tick and how his priorities in life and on the rock have changed over the last 30 years. More info about Reini.

Youtube shorts: Toby Roberts had to top out the final Boulder in Brixen in order to advance from outside the podium and win gold. Dohyun Lee, who had just made the zone, was in the lead. On Toby's third attempt, he makes the zone, which the two leaders from the semi, Tomoa Narasaki and Sorato Anraku had not managed to do. Then the biggest boulder fight of his comp career begins Youtube shorts filmed by his father Tristan. Toby spends over one minute on the wall and tops out to a roaring crowd with 15 seconds remaining.