Marine Thevenet, who has already completed around 90 boulders 8A and harder, has done the Dave Graham classic Delusion of grandeur (8A+) in Chironico, Insta video. The lawyer is due to stop working soon, so there might be even more headlining ascents in her near future.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I tried the boulder last year a little bit but at that time I couldn’t find a doable sequence for the start; I am too short for the « standard beta » and couldn’t keep the heel hook for the big undercling move. I am really happy to be able to find another séquence and when I did this séquence, I did thé boulder 😊

Maya Ene, who did her first 8b+ at age 11, has sent Southern Smoke (8c+) in the Red River Gorge (KY), video on her Insta. Earlier this spring she did, Lethal Design (8A+) and flashed Serenity Now (7C+) in Red Rock (NV). (c) Francois Lebeau

Her family owns a small climbing gym in New Jersey, and her father Ionel (48), who finished his World Cup career in 1999 by being #19 in Speed and #43 in Lead in the World Championship, reports to 8a.

"Having fun at Red River Gorge: While Maya climbs a lot indoors at various gyms, her big passion is outdoor sport climbing. She trains every other day; there is no particular routine that she follows other than alternating bouldering and lead. My wife and I are both long-time climbers, so we are the coaches as well as the teachers (she is homeschooled) and parents. Sometimes this can be a little bit overwhelming for her (hearing the same two voices over and over) so she really enjoys any other company as well. Maya loves climbing with other people no matter their age, to encourage them and help them figure out beta.

In February this year, we spent about 10 days in Red Rock Canyon, Las Vegas. Bouldering in Red Rock definitely helped her with the finger strength that she needed for all the sends in Red River Gorge. We often have trips to the Gorge where we meet other families whose children are also passionate about climbing.

Maya worked on "Southern Smoke" for about 3 days and on one of her send goes she fell right before the chains. Surprisingly, that motivated her even more and the next day she was set on doing it and not using any knee bars. The same day her good friend Logan Zhang (12) sent Zookeeper (8b+) on his second go and the day prior he sent Omaha Beach (8b+). We also witnessed Gaeun Kwon (9) from Korea crushing Ultra Perm (8b). The bond between the kids is just precious.

After belaying Maya on "Southern Smoke" I got motivated to send the route next to it: 50 words for pump (8c) which I sent a week after Maya's send. Overall, it's been an amazing trip and a very strong spring!"

Austin Purdy has repeated James Webb's The Multiverse (8C) in Neverland. Webb put it up as an 8B+ in 2014 and it took eight years until it was repeated with an 8C upgrade suggestion, which seems to be the consensus now. "Psyched! Hardest thing I've done in a while. It's possible Jimmy had the right idea with the grade, but it did end up putting up more of a fight than I anticipated."

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Multiverse has been this sort of mythical boulder since Jimmy's FA in 2014 and there wasn't much information about it other than that it was supposed to be really good. Last year Daniel Woods and Taylor McNeil made the trek out there and confirmed how hight the quality was. After seeing their efforts I got really excited to go try the boulder but was not able to make it out there until this spring and had to brave some pretty frigid conditions to climb on it. Luckily though Multiverse lived up to it's reputation which made it all worth it!

It took me 4 sessions in total. I think the most challenging part of the boulder for me was how resistant it was. None of the moves felt particularly hard in isolation but linking the first half of the boulder together felt very physical and low percentage to me and then you still have to fight hard to get through the second half to the finish.

Iris Matamoros Quero has done Fabela pa la enmienda (9a) in Santa Linya. In his logbook, where he's recorded 700+ ascents, his fine form this year is on full display.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I was trying the route last year, I was very close but it got wet and then the heat came... it was my main objective for this year. We usually come for 3 or 4 weeks at this time, santa linya is perfect with small children. I wanted to train very hard to get back in shape, but the previous two months were very hard at home, sick children who didn't let us sleep, I had the flu and lower back pain... so I couldn't train almost at all, I arrived at Santa Linya in very poor shape, but luckily things here went well and after training on the route and with a day of good conditions in which everything went well I was able to send the route! 😊💯

Steve McClure sent Le Voyage (8b+) in Annot last month. "One of the best in the world. 8b+. Enough gear, but spaced and pumpy to place. It feels like a real adventure. 40m long too! Just a couple of days and first lead effort seems like my usual adopted style of only just getting it, with the odd section still barely worked out!" Here is the full 8a interview with the 52-year-old.

Aidan Roberts, who did the first repeat of Alphane (9A) last October, reports on Insta that he has done the FA of The Lion's Share (8C+) in Brione. (c) Samm Pratt

On the same wall, the 24-year-old has during two previous trips over the last year, done the FA of both Everything the Light Touches (8C) and Vecchio Leone Sit (8C+), after first flashing the 8B stand of the latter. Having also done some other 8C's and hard flashes over the last year, the Brit is without a doubt part of bouldering's global elite.

What was the most challenging thing the Lion's Share presented?
Most challenging part is likely its completeness in styles. It’s rare you need to switch between movement patterns quite so much during a set of moves so I’d say it builds quite radically. It’s a slow style of movement too so generating much power after a lot of time under tension feels hard.

How many sessions did it take?
Hard to tell on sessions as I’d had a few times where I’d try a specific move or two after trying or doing one of the other projects. But it was 3-4 this trip.

James Squire has done the FA of The World Is Not Enough (9a) in Chamonix. This was his first sport route since 2010 when he did a 7a at age 13.

Can you tell us more about the FA and the potential in the area?
The route climbs up the middle of this amazing granite boulder that overhangs above a small river! It is essentially a long boulder problem on a rope (5 bolts). It breaks down as an 8B+ boulder problem with a dyno to start and a high tension crimpy crux, leading to a good rest and a fun 7A slopey arete topout. I worked the route for around 10 sessions, mostly after work with floodlights as I live close. Not many climbing walls nearby so I trained on a fingerboard at home, at a local weights gym and by night climbing outside in the evenings. Probably the most fun I have ever had working a route! A crazy experience from first seeing the project to making it happen.

I think there is potential for lots of hard boulders and routes around Chamonix - as long as your willing to do the work! Not as dense as areas in Switzerland but I think many hidden gems to be discovered.

My plan next is to explore higher altitude areas now that we are in spring and almost summer! I think there could be potential for new hard boulders at Plan de I’Aiguille. I checked it out a few years ago but have never been back. It is a boulder field halfway up Mont Blanc and you access by taking a cable car from Chamonix town.

Dylan Chuat, who last year did two 9a+'s has sent Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura. "Omg, I didn't think I'd be able to do the route so quickly and it was wet, I was so happy to do this major and historic route! Thank you Wolfgang for this piece of history that I could climb with so much happiness!!! Very happy to have been able to find a route that I could climb with my broken pulley."

Can you tell us more about climbing Action?
All in all, I made six tries in the route divided into 3 sessions because the route was always wet but it just worked anyway. I decided to do this route because I broke a pulley 6 months ago and I still can’t take a crimp so I thought it would be nice revenge on my injury to do this route. There was no move harder than the other but in the two moves with the 2-finger pockets just after the throw I had hard times. Thanks to Malik who saw I had not used the right foot correctly.

What's next and what are your 2023 plans?
I don’t have a precise plan for 2023. I would like my finger to be 100% repaired and to carry out the 2-3 small projects around my home.