Michiel Nieuwenhuijsen, who previously has done five 8C's, has sent La Révolutionnaire (8C+) in Fontainebleau, wearing only one shoe. ”On to the next one!” Here is the Insta. Michiel projected it together with Tim Reuser who has also completed it, Insta video.

Can you tell us more about doing your first 8C+?
In January I went on a quick ‘recon mission’ with my friend Tim Reuser, both of us did all the moves on the first session. That made me really motivated to go for this one. The hard part of la Révolutionnare consists of 11 handmoves and about the same number of footmoves. So doing all single moves is great, but it’s still far away from sending. Having a project for motivation is great, but having the same project as your training buddy is even better! With full on motivation Tim and I tried to up our game, great sessions in the gym!

In March I went back to Font with La Revolutionnaire in my mind. Owww man, I was close! With just a few days more I think it could have worked out. The conditions where just amazing and the learning curve was steeper than expected. My goal of this trip was to make some good links, but I thought I would not be ready yet to do full on send tries. I exceeded my expectations and could do multiple send tries, even coming all the way to the end. Also shout out to my buddy Tim for sending, pure motivation there!

Now I went back for just 2 (climbing) days. Fully focussed on the send. It happened on the last day just before I had to go back home. Just before the send I had my best go, falling on the last move. I thought it was it, the tank was empty. But somehow it all worked out and I got the send. This little trip was a gamble with the weather, all paid off perfectly.

Why did you opt for just one climbing shoe?
This was the first time I used the barefoot technique. At first, I tried it with 2 climbing shoes and with different beta. Double toe hook into bicycle. But this transition was super hard for me. I am not so comfortable with toe hooks and I was afraid that I would suffer a lot from slipping toe hooks with this beta. Then I saw a video of the Charles of the FA. He (obviously) does i full barefoot and this gave me new ideas. The next time I was trying I was again suffering from slipping toehooks, so I tried some different things. This resulted in trying with just one shoe, that way you can squeeze your big toe in a pocket. And instead of a double toehook into a bicycle I can get this bicycle from the beginning. That way I can rely more on core tension and not solely on toehook power.

With the new beta, I felt way better in the section, which gave me a lot of confidence. But I had to find a new way for the beginning because I used to do that with a right toe hook and that would be super painful. I found a new way with a kind of heel toe cam. Luckily the rest of the footholds didn't give any problems.

How can you explain having progressed for so many years like a late bloomer?
Still not peaking 😉. Maybe in a few years. Hard to tell. I guess I am still hungry for more and it helps a lot I train with a young and strong crew. Training together is always a huge part in my progress. Spraywalling a muerte together.

What do you mean by, ”On to the next?”
The plans to late a look at Big Island assis together with Tim is already there...Let's see, why not? As I said, this is not my peak yet ;-)

William Bosi is the only climber who has repeated two 9A graded boulders. On Insta, he discusses and compares both with his hardest FA, Honey Badger (8C+). He says that the two 9A's repeats weren't at his absolute limit and that his FA of Honey Badger came with some luck and was on his absolute limit.

"Knowing this it makes me more confident that Honey Badger could be hard 8C+, Alphane soft 9A and Burden of Dreams solid 9A. Hopefully that made some sense 😂 and we can get more opinions soon!"

Connor Herson made his first 8a headline in 2018 when he did an 8c+, 2nd go at age 14. In the same year, he repeated The Nose 8b+ MP; and was #11 in the Youth World Championship. Short interview In the video, Connor sends Empath 9a (+) on gear, after previously having done it on bolts.

Roser Giralt, slab master,La Pedriza, Talo Martin better half, has done the FFA of Inuit (8b+). It was put up in 2011 by Aitor Bárez and the holds consist of crystals, smears and a few micro pockets.

What was your previous PB?
I did a 7b route in February and a 7a onsight, both slabs as well. Normally I climb routes 1 day a week in the gym and one day on the weekend, mostly bouldering cause it's easier with the kids. Although I did harder problems in the past, I climb in the 7A range.

How have you been training in 2023?
Not training as people train. I got a yearly membership at the gym to force me to go and I climb with a few friends but always for fun. I guess I'm lucky with my finger strength due to my job sewing and designing clothes.

What's your climbing background?
I have been climbing for 18 years and mostly bouldering. I did a 7C boulder 10 years ago-ish when I had my first daughter, which was also the first female 7C of La Pedriza.

What made you decide to suddenly start working an 8b+?
It was when I turned 39 in January 2023 that I looked back and saw that I spent 3 years fully dedicated to my entrepreneurial work. It has absorbed a lot of my time and now it gives me the time invested back. I wanted to prove to myself that everything I learned in bouldering over the years was applicable to a project of this magnitude. The thing is that I just wanted to try an 8a or so... My partner teased me telling me it was 7c... So I did it on top rope and I only hung once because my feet hurt. When he took me down he said, - Roser, you've done an 8b+ just for fun! Then on my second try on lead that day I fell on the easy 7a section having passed the crux due to my legs shaking a lot cause I was too nervous... So the send would have been a matter of time and tries.

What are you motivated for next? Casual climbing weekends or going for an 8c?
After having reached the highest women's grade in bouldering a decade ago and the highest women's grade in sport climbing La Pedriza nowadays, I would love to be able to seek my highest grade on MP climbing. Although combining MP climbing with kids is more difficult, I will surely end up trying an 8c and bouldering every weekend sooner. During this process, we had the support and help from many friends and this send is also theirs 😜

Jonathan Siegrist, who has previously completed four 9b’s, has repeated Chris Sharma’s Stoking the Fire (9b) in Santa Linya. ”A spectacularly hard route - and one that pushed me physically and even more so, mentally. Many big lessons to take away from this wild experience! Immensely, almost immeasurably stoked... My hardest. Now onward! -I used one left kneebar to clip before the first crux.” (c) Victoria Kohner

How long did you work it, and was there any small or subtle thing that got you to the anchor?
I tried the route for 6 weeks, I started feeling close a few weeks ago but no matter how hard I fought, it felt impossible to get all of the stars to align (conditions, skin, psyche, body, mind, etc). Because it's an intense mental battle - the most intense of my life, the trick was only to keep showing up and trying even when my ego, confidence, and hope was near to zero. I just kept fighting and got lucky with the last day, last try.

What’s your next plan and further 2023 plans?
I fly back to the states to get Married :) and then the plan is to return to Europe for the rest of the year. Just climbing "A muerte". We plan to live in France. Fingers crossed that I get the Visa...

Alex Ventajas, who previously has done two 9a+'s, has sent Halupca 1979 (9a) in Mišja Peč.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Halupca is a 30 meters endurance test, but at the same time, it’s very cruxy. That’s why I think that doing some bouldering in Switzerland on the Easter holidays helped me clip the chain sooner than expected. I first tried this line last November, when I recently had my ankle sprain, so I gave it two or three tries but I couldn’t do the hardest boulder entirely. This time I didn’t imagine sending the route so fast! On the first try, I managed to do all the moves dividing the route into sections. I felt very good on the holds and I finally sent the route on my second go! Everything went just perfectly! This style of “roof climb” fits me, and such as some other climbers before me, I think it’s not a solid 9a, but still, I’m very happy about the result!

Eva Hammelmüller has had two great trips to Arco where she first flashed Pappataci (8b), ”So happy to have flashed this KINGLINE! Felt pretty unsure about giving it a try because it was my 4th climbing day in a row, but it worked out perfectly well!”.

Later, she redpointed Gaucho (8c), Prospettiva Nevski (8c) and Dedi fredi (8b+).

Can you tell us more about your trips to Arco?
Arco is amazing for escaping cold and bad weather in Innsbruck; additionally, it offers many great climbing areas and cool routes! During the last month, I spent two weekends in Arco and, in a total of 5 climbing days, I sent three 8c’s, two 8b’s, one 8a+ and two 8a’s!

David Bermudez Carbonell, who started climbing less than three years ago, has done Potemkin (8c+) in . In total, the 13-year-old and 145 cm tall has now done more than 50 routes 8a and harder including two onsights. We spoke to David's mom, Isabel recently. (c) Javi Pec

What does a normal climbing week look like?
David normally trains in a climbing wall 3 times a week. He loves to do infinite movement traverses, although he trains in a self-taught way. The climbing wall where we train has nothing to do with the current climbing walls, it is a climbing wall set up by a group of climbers with density walls very focused on the transfer to the rock. Nobody tells David what he has to do and he decides what he will do each day. Without a trainer, nutritionists or psychologists .... He is also passionate about watching videos of climbers of all times and loves to climb everywhere in the house (including the living room table 😂). His talent, motivation and passion for climbing make him achieve the accomplishments he is making with his small stature and young age (13 years old). Best of all, he always enjoys the process.

David climbs every weekend and is a climber who always gives his all, he climbs at the top of his game on every pitch. He has a lot of endurance and self-confidence. So as soon as he finds the right method to solve the hardest pitches on the routes, he never fails.

He loves to onsight climb, and although we usually climb on weekends on a regular basis in Cuenca, he usually tries some onsight climbing (below his grade) before trying his project. Also when we go on a climbing trip on holidays, he always climbs onsight.

Mathieu Bouyoud has done La novena enmienda (9a/+) in Santa Linya.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
When I saw Adam do it in 2008, I wanted to do it too. I did the first part in 2010 and the second part in 2022. But all the time the third part was wet and not possible to climb. This year is very dry, nothing wet in the cave. La novena enmienda is the straight line in the middel of the cave ! Perfect for endurance 😊