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 😊

Ainhize Belar Barrutia, who did her first 8c at age 14, has done her fifth, L'espiadimonis (8c) in Margalef.

Can you tell us more about your trip to Margalef and doing your fifth 8c?
I was in Margalef for a week The first days I tried L, espiadimonis 8c and I was able to do it the third day. Then, we change the crag and we went to Finestra, where I sent Via del kim 8b+, niña mala 8b and freeman 8a.

What does your typical week of climbing look like?
I’m studying first year of high school. When I finish class I train every day from 2 to 4 hours and on weekends I usually go out to the rock here in the Basque Country.

What are your plans for 2023?
This year I’m going to focus more on rock and lead competitions. For this, I have the help of the Sputnik team, who supports me and do everything possible for me to improve (trainers, psychologists, nutritionist, physios...).

Sven Lempereur, has done Supercrackinette (9a+) at St Léger after a 1.5 years battle falling 35 times on the last move. (c) John Thornton

Can you tell us more about sending Supercrackinette?
After my 21 birthday, I decided to focus on outdoor climbing, and I really wanted to find a big project that would motivate me and would make me progress on the projecting process. So, I decided to go four days on the route during the autumn 2021 to check what it was like to climb a 9a+ and what I needed to accomplish it. I chose this route because one of my best friends, Sébastien Berthe, did it a couple of years ago. I know that the route suits my style, with lots of crimps and resistance. This route is on a corner in the middle of the St-leger crag. I really like this place because it is not too far from my home (8 hour's ride), so it is possible to come here just for one week and there are always some strong guys to share my climbing days with.

For me, it was important to climb as fast as possible so I could be fresh for the top section. A fun fact is that I shared the progress with Jules Marchaland. We timed our attempts, and we tried to set a record between the first move and the mono movement. This fun thing helped me a lot to arrive as fresh as possible to the last part of the route. For me, the mono movement was not too hard because it’s perfectly my style. After this move, there are just 5 movements left to the final jug. I fell on this part more than 35 times. Most climbers don’t fall after the mono movement, but I didn’t manage to hang on the resting hold, and I fell a lot on the last move. For this, an important challenge for me was not damaging the skin on the side of my finger. In this resting hold, my finger was compressed against the rock, and I opened it every time, because of my big fingers and soft skin.

This route was a real mental battle because I was close to sending pretty quickly, but I just kept falling so many times in this last move. I was not able to find the solution in this last move from the ground, and I knew that I wasn’t able to do the move when I was tired. I remember calling my coach or my friends every trip and saying, "ok, I give up and I come back home", but they helped me each time to find the motivation to try again.

The game changer for me was that after my last trip in January, I decided to focus not just on trying hard boulders or hard routes but on the main goal of sending. In order to do that I chose some classic 8c routes in Belgium and just continued to try them until I sent them. The day before my send, I decided to retry an old beta for the last move and I train to do it 10 times in a row. The result is that work and I didn’t doubt or hesitate in this last move. After this send, I’m a little bit lost because the process that motivate me all this time is finished, but I have some nice projects in my mind like hard multi-pitches or the objective to be the first Belgian guy to do 9b.

William Bosi has done the coveted second ascent of Nalle Hukkataival's Burden of Dreams (9A) in Lappnor, Finland, confirming the 9A grade. It was put up as the first-ever 9A boulder in 2016 after Nalle had projected it for three years. Last July, Will made the FA of Honey Badger (8C+) and in October he repeated Alphane (9A), after 12 sessions but he did not confirm the grade as he thought his 8C+ FA was more challenging for him. (c) Diego Borello

Burden of Dreams is characterised by a pure style moving through tiny crimps and crystals on a 45 degree angled boulder and has repelled some of the very best climbers in the world who have attempted it until Bosi’s ascent. Will spent fourteen days on the boulder as well as ten days on the replica back in Sheffield at the Lattice Headquarters so twenty-four days in total spent working on the problem. This is the longest Will has spent on a single boulder problem and he confirmed the grade as 9A/V17 as well as being the biggest bouldering challenge he has undertaken to date.

Commenting on the second ascent, Bosi said “It feels unbelievable right now! I came to the boulder today thinking it would be too hot to climb but the warm up felt incredible and on the send I flew through the bottom section and after dropping the top hold previously, this time it all came together!” On the grade of the problem: “From the overall experience on this boulder from working the replica to finally sending it, I think it’s a step up from everything else I have done and it is a huge step up from any 8C/+ I’ve done. Therefore I think it definitely deserves 9A!”

What was most challenging about projecting a 4-5 move 9A boulder?
I think the hardest thing is being patient. As each move is so hard you need good skin and to be rested. So you have to take a lot of rest days and have short sessions. Which can definitely be frustrating as I just want to keep climbing.

How much did you benefit from the replica training?
I benefited so much from the replica training! I feel like every replica session was as good training as a session on the actual boulder. Therefore I got an extra ten sessions.

How was the cooperation and camaraderie with the other guys projecting along with you?
It was extremely useful and like my Alphane experience, it helps you learn so much micro beta and the psych you get off each other is incredible.

What lessons have you learned and what does the ascent mean to you?
The ascent means so much to me as I never thought I would ever climb a boulder like this. So, I think I’ve learned that I am capable of more than I thought I was and I’m looking forward to finding my own BODs in the future.

Hannes Puman, who was #18 in the last Boulder & Lead World Cup in October in Morioka, is back in Japan for the Boulder WC start in Hachioji. During his preparation he managed to do a quick send of Asagimadara (8C) in Mizugaki. (c) Moty Tezuka

Can you tell us more about your first 8C and your comp plans for 2023?
I went to Japan a little before the World Cup in order to adapt to the time difference and get a few training sessions in the great gyms in Tokyo. I’m also happy about getting out climbing in Mizugaki and seeing such a classic area. I was guided by my friends Kaito and Motoki and almost the first boulder they took me to was Asagamidara, I checked the top with a rope and climbed it after a couple of tries. Beautiful boulder with a tricky heel hook in the beginning and rather consistent climbing followed by an easy section but it’s quite high so falling there is not good.

My plan is to compete at most World Cups this year, but skipping the one in Salt Lake City.

Claudia Ghisolfi got a bad shoulder injury in the 2021 Villars World Cup. 14 months later she was #9 in the Edinburgh World Cup. Two weeks later she sent her first 9a, TCT (9a), which her brother Stefano had done the FA of in 2014.

"The route is in Gravere a crag near Turin, my hometown! It was freed by my brother Stefano in 2014. It's a connection between an 8c (you have to do the entire 8c) and the end of the route is an 8b+ (10 hard moves). I did the 8c in 2018 (it was my first 8c) and I did the 8b+ this august so I decided to try the 9a and I did it after another five sessions! So happy! I had shoulder surgery 14 months ago, I can't believe I can climb a 9a after that big injury!"

It's with great sadness that 8a has learned of the tragic and senseless passing of one of Germany's most promising and most liked up and coming climbers, Christoph Schweiger. As reported by Pareti, Christoph and his girlfriend were tragically struck by a car at a crosswalk while on vacation in Arco this past weekend. Christoph's girlfriend remains in hospital but it is stable and recovering. Besides excelling competitively, Christoph also completed the coveted Font boulder, The Big Island (8C) this year. He will be missed by many.