Keenan Takahashi sent A Little Life (8B+) in Buttermilks, last December. "Simply stunning, perhaps my best moment ever climbing. Stoked for other people's thoughts... seemed pretty heinous albeit definitely morpho. One of the hardest highballs I'd reckon... go on youths, prove it ;)"

04: Etienne Abriat FRA - Lea Kempf AUT 06: Thomas Lemagner FRA - Martina Bursikova SVK
08: Jan Stipek CZE - Imane Ridouani FRA
Complete results
In total, 369 youngsters competed in the European Youth Cup in Graz, which is a new record. This meant that the event had to start Friday evening for the youngest categories. France got three golds in the European Youth Cup in Graz, Austria. Martina Bursikova, Jan Stipek and Lea Kempf won both rounds.

Sergii Topishko has during a four weeks trip to Switzerland done 24 boulders 8A to 8B included seven flashes. In 2021, the Ukrainian was #8 in the Combined World Champion. Since February 2022, he has been living in Europe with Germany as his base on a two-year asylum. Article with Team Ukraine from the Brixen World Cup last year. (c) Leonid Osadchyi

Can you tell us more about the trip?
The trip was really amazing, was not that cold, as when I usually used to go in winter, but almost no rain and cool enough. I was focused just on 2 8C projects this time, was pretty close on one, but I think +13*C was a bit hot. The only way to send something really hard, you had to wake up around 4 AM and climb till 8 AM, but I found this idea not really good, cause there are so many boulders in Ticino I wanted to try. Discovered by myself a new boulder place Val Calanca, that is pretty much nice, especially the Selma area, that looks exactly like Magic Wood. Need to go back there again to finish some unfinished lines. So hopefully Ticino again in Autumn or Fontainebleau, or both.

What kind of beta did you use for the seven 8A flashes?
Every time when I try something new, I am always really focused on my flash go. I just clean everything, put tick marks, and sometimes watch a video before the first try. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

What are your upcoming plans? I am thinking to try in Maltatal this or next weekend. Summer- probably Gotardo, psyched to try finally Hanzel Grace. And Fontainebleau for sure this autumn, one 8C is waiting for a long time, since last February when I almost did it and couldn’t climb after 24.02 till the end of my trip, after the war started.

Leo Bøe 🍄, who did his first 9a in January, has sent his sixth, Esclatamasters (9a) in Perles & Canelles. "MY CRAZIEST SEND EVER! Last possible climbing day for me, and when I was belaying we had thunder and rain… It was a «now or never» moment so I gave it a shot anyways. Although it was humid I managed to hang on to the crimps feeling like I was sliding on every move. I was lucky enough to have my friend Pino at the anchor to cover the last few holds with his hands… Team send." The picture by Jordi Rullo is from La Novena Enmienda (9a)

Can you tell us more about the rain experience?
My friend Josh made a redpoint try as the rain and thunder started. I was strongly demoralized and thought it impossible to climb the top slab while it was being rained on… Still, for the sake of the last-effort mentality, I gave a burn that turned out to be one of my craziest experiences in climbing. I barely clawed my way past the crimps and found myself at the final rest looking up at the slab. The rain was hitting the chalkbag so I rotated it into my lap to keep it dry. Weirdly enough it felt good to climb in the rain temperature-wise, but the longer I rested the wetter the holds got. In the end, I was forced to continue as the jug I was resting in filled with water.

I left the jug with a wet left hand and the slab felt 3 times more unsafe with all the humidity. When I reached the final part I was lucky to have my friend Pino to cover a key hold with his hand. Without his help, I’m not sure it could have gone! Felt like a team send!

How hard is the final slab?
It’s so hard to grade a slab, but I can tell you I fell there several times when practising it when dry. You can then imagine the pressure I felt when it was raining.

Pepa Sindell, who last year sent Chiropetra (9a+) in Súľov, has done The FA of Hypoxia extension (9a) in Harmanec Krpcovo. The 15-year-old has previously also done four 8c+’. (c) Petr Piechowicz

Singing Rock has the full report and here is part of it. ”I tried Hypoxia in the fall of 2022 but failed to resolve the crux of this route at all, or even hint at it. The breakthrough didn't come until late December when the temperature dropped to zero, the rock was dry, and I found the solution of the boulder. But it was still far away to send. On April 23, I started Hypoxia with a clear head and no expectations. Just like that. I climbed easily the bottom 8b, shaked out in the rest, held the micro crimps and held the jump to the last small crimp, and that's when gravity turned off and I flew to the jug where I could shake again. I enjoyed the end of the route to the maximum.”

Pepa’s father has previously commented his sons ascents. "All members of our family climb and climbing is a 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 :-)."

Tristan Chen comes with the great story that he has done The Fly (9a) in Rumney (NH), only nine months after receiving a bone marrow transplantation due to leukemia. "Consider it chopped, I did it without a rope and I had cancer." Dave Graham made the FA back in 2001 with a rope but later more and bigger crash pads have made ropeless ascents possible. (c) Jordi Llauvi

Can you tell us more about the ascent and your leukemia treatment?
The send was not too bad, I fell on the last move on a rope a few times back in 2019, but hadn’t tried it since then. This time around I wanted to do it in better style, which meant bouldering/soloing it since it’s not very tall. So I borrowed some pads from a friend in town (I don’t live here anymore), and carried them up to the crag with some small help. One day to rehearse, one to weanie out, and then first try today thankfully to grab that sweet 9a free solo.

This comes just under a year since I was diagnosed with Leukemia, and nine months since I received a bone marrow transplant. Considering I didn’t think I’d be back to climbing ever again I’m quite excited. Getting back into climbing has been a bit of a process, and now I’m more focused on enjoying all aspects of it and not being so wrapped up in sends. I repeated Esperanza this winter, but this is the first new hard climb I’ve been able to do, and I’m positively oscillating that I was able to send in good style.

How come you had to go for a bone marrow transplantation and for how long have you been able to train hard?
Cause of the type of leukemia I had, and with it being refractory (still present after the first round of chemo), my oncologist said there was not a doctor in the country who wouldn’t recommend a BMT. In terms of process, it involved another round of rather intense chemo, another month in the hospital, plus some full body radiation. In terms of difficulty, I’d say relative to the other chemos transplant was harder then those chemos were to having no treatment. For instance after the first rounds of chemo I could still climb v10 fairly easily, and function sort of normally day to day, but after transplant I could barely do two pull ups, and walking around the block was quite difficult. And for at least a few months I was sleeping well over 12 hours a day.

I started weight training around Halloween to put back on the weight I’d lost, around 20 lbs, but didn’t start climbing again until around thanksgiving I’ve been climbing quite intensely again since around the New Year, and have been working quite hard to get back to my old strength level, particularly since I realized I may actually be able to. Plus I’ve been more psyched on sport climbing so I have some new challenges in climbing to work towards.

Last weekend, we saw the Speed World Records were beaten six times and there were multiple PBs. Commentator Matt Groom explains in a video that the new wall they are using has better texture and also, "Apparantely, the new holds set are just a little bit deeper." The grade of the 15 metres and 5-degree overhanging route was previously estimated to be 6b+.

Over the last two years, we’ve been improving the search-ability and data quality found on 8a with the help of our talented software developers who have had to cut back on their crag time to see this one out. We’re down to the final crux sequence and to get to the chains, we’ll need some insider beta! If you’re a well versed crag local or route developer, you can now apply and take advantage of 8a’s Crag Moderator Feature. As a moderator, you’ll have the power to edit and make corrections, plus merge double entries, where and when needed. 60 pilot moderators have already ironed out some of the kinks by carrying out 100,000 updates so far. Before we open this feature up for all locals, we would like to do another round of beta-testing by onboarding a further 30 moderators that are keen to have the utmost accuracy at their local spots on-hand in the 8a.nu database. Use this link to get started.

Mattéo Marobin, who last year did his first 9a, reports on Insta that he has made the FA of a project bolted in 1987 in Pène Haute, calling it Remise de Pène (9a) in Pène Haute. Here is the uncut video. Two weeks ago, the 18-year-old placed 5th at the Bouldering Euro Cup in Portugal.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Pène-Haute is THE cliff of the Aure valley, from where I’m a native. It is our little Céüse. Climbing there is known to be demanding. Good footwork and a strong mind are essential. Pène-Haute also marks the local history of climbing, written in the 80’s by great personalities of the valley. I was lulled by legends told by legends themselves. Climbing at Pène-Haute means following in the footsteps of this inspiring first generation.

This Christmas holidays, I spotted a line bolted, old and whose movements attracted me. On the guidebook the route was mentioned as “Project”, without grade. Alain Crenn told me that he had bolted it in 1987 because he knew that it was okay, even if they did not yet have the level at that time, because it was perhaps a 9th grade route.

So I spent every winter weekend there. The foot of the cliff was covered in snow, it was down to -7° [somedays], and there were [ice] stalactites on the route. Tuesday April 4, I finally sent the route. After 36 years, the route is finally free. That’s why I chose to call it “Remise de Pène”. It’s hard to grade a first ascent. I suggest 9a. The next repeaters will give their opinion…

Victor Guillermin, who last year made one podium in a Euro Youth Cup, has done the second ascent of Avaatara (9a) in Bataara Gorge. ”Incredible line in a sinkhole, bolted and climbed for the first time by David Lama.”

Can you tell us more about the Avaatara? It looks like a pretty unique line!
So I discovered this route back in 2019, when I saw for the first time the RedBull video of David Lama trying this route. Since I've always wanted to try this route, but I never had the occasion. Finally, I found the time to go to Lebanon and try this route. I wanted to make sure that I gave more than I took, so we came (thanks to Tenaya and Petzl), with climbing shoes for young Lebanese climbers and bolts for Jad El Khoury (the main developer of rock climbing in Lebanon).

Avaatara, is very particular, because it is located near a 100m sinkhole, so the access to the base of the route is very scary and dangerous. This took me a lot of mental energy during the trip. During the two first sessions, I managed to do all the moves and doing some sections, but when I started real tries at the third day, I fall in the crux, a hard dropknee to a half crimp. I kept falling at this move 20 times in a row, during 5 sessions but finally, I found an other beta, which was better for me, with heel hooks, two days before we took off to France.

In my last day, I felt better than ever, but conditions were really bad. It was windy, so the waterfall wet the holds and it rained a lot. But finally, probably on my last try, with a bit of sun, I managed to pass the crux and kept going to the anchor, with a huge fight and big screams! It was definitely for me one of my biggest fights and one of my proudest ascents!

I just would like to thanks David Lama for bolting this route, and also Jad El Khoury, but also Lea El Medawar (the photograph), Anthonin Salz and all the community of climbers in Lebanon! This country has just a craaaaazy potential for climbing🤯

What are your summer plans?
Haha nice ! This summer I don't really have a particular plan, but I will compete in different competitions. First European cups, and then maybe European and the World Youth Championships! Of course I want to try hard routes all over France like Trip tik tonik (9a), Supercrackinette (9a+), Le Cadre Nouvelle Version (9a), Beyond Integral (9b+), La moustache qui fâche (9a+)... A busy summer in perspective 🤣