Cody Roth has repeated Laura Rogora's Corvo Morto (8c+/9a) in Ferentillo. When he was 19, he made it into a World Cup final, and over the years the American has FA'd a 9a+, flashed 8b+, greenpointed 8b+ and bouldered up to 8B. Just a few weeks prior, he also did Solitary Souls (8c+).

"Corvo Morto combines two 8c's, Il Corvo (The Crow) and Die Hard, two regionally historic lines from sport climbing's dark age of 1994 (also the year I started climbing). I did Corvo a year ago and Die Hard on Christmas day. To be honest, Corvo Morto wasn't on my radar but my wife and I were in the area for a truffle festival and with the weather being colder than we expected the conditions were good for Gabbio (the sector this climb is at). If you've already done Corvo and Die Hard then you have a pretty massive "home-field advantage" on this one. The connection move is hard and I broke a foot, which made it a little tougher, but it's mainly just a question of having that extra bit of fitness. After checking out the connection move and applying a pretty creative sequence, it took me four further tries. Credit to Laura for reimagining these two as it makes for just over 30 moves with very little opportunity to rest. The aesthetics are low but the flow (as well as the beauty of the place) is high."

What does climbing look like for you nowadays and how is it to be peaking at age 39?
I'm not sure if I'm peaking... I'd say I've managed to adapt and not get much worse thus far with age, while everyone around me and younger than me has gotten better! I climbed my first 8c (assuming it hasn't been downgraded) when I was 17. In retrospect, I probably could have climbed more 9a's when I was in my 20's had I been less of a raging bull. I didn't really understand tactics and I didn't have much patience at that time. I also lacked the financial resources and independence that I have now, which makes it a lot easier for me to climb as I want without feeling any extra distraction or worry. I don't regret experiencing it, but I'm happy to not feel that extra pressure and angst that I felt at times in my 20s when I was trying sustain myself through climbing.

It's a bit of a relief knowing now that any climb that I do, or don't do, doesn't change much of anything; and doesn't change my worth as a person, for better or for worse. As far as what climbing looks like for me nowadays, I try to climb at least two times a week, three whenever possible. I climb pretty much only on rock, I do less than 10 gym sessions in a year. I wouldn't mind doing more but it's hard for me to fit in, alongside my work, other hobbies and desire to be social. I hangboard a couple times a week (I just started doing weighted hangs this winter) and I use a rowing machine and run here and there. Over the last year I've also gotten really into white water paddle boarding. I spend a couple days a week doing that or surfing a standing wave near our condo in Arco. There's times when it bangs me up and makes the next day climbing challenging, but it helps my overall physical and mental fitness.

Since moving to Italy, four years ago, I've also made it a point to not limit my climbing to trying just one project. Zeroing in on one climb I've found kills my fitness and slows down my progress. I've found I do much better and enjoy climbing more if I have a couple things going at any given time plus days where I onsight climb as well as casual sessions with my wife where we set up top ropes on a couple of climbs and just playfully run laps.

Katherine Choong has done Les Nerfs à Vifs 8c+ in La verrière. The 31-year-old is a former competition climber and already has two 9a’s and several hard MP’s up to 8b+ under her belt. (c) Mélanie Cannac

Can you tell us more about Les Nerfs?
Before the start of the multi-pitch routes season, I really wanted to find a project to get back in shape after a little winter break where I couldn't go to the crag because of the weather in Switzerland and my job. Finding an 8c+/9a route that fits my small size is always a bit complicated. Fortunately, Cédric Lachat is the best climbing partner to find a good project for me, he is the one who told me about a hard route which could suit me located in La Verrière, not far from Millau (France). Indeed, no morpho movement, physical sections on tufas, underclings, crimps, and a long fight of resistance until the end, the perfect route for me! So we spent 7 days there in February, at the end of which I fell in the very last hard moves. I really wanted to finish this route so I came back as soon as I could in April. When I arrived, several key holds in the crux sections were wet and on my first day, I got a split on my finger that wouldn't stop bleeding. It was pretty hard mentally but fortunately, I really managed to just focus on my performance, no matter the conditions or anything else.

Last Monday, on my first attempt of the day, I fell at the very first crux, my hand slipped on a wet hold. I tried again, but I fell again at the very top. The sun was coming up, I only had time for a short break before a last try, I fought on every move, close to falling on the last moves before the belay, not being able to see the holds anymore because of the sun that had reached the top of the route, until finally clipping the anchor! What a fight! Many thanks to Pierre Soulé and Julien Mayet for bolting this amazing line, and Matteo and all his family for their kindness, the betas and the precious support.

Close to 700 images were uploaded from roughly 300 members, covering close to 500 crags around the globe, in the inaugural March Gallery Raffle. The images shared highlight climbing’s diversity, and remind us that it’s hard to beat a good day cragging! This month's raffle winner was Lotte Lies, who took this solid pic of, Sapiens (7c)

In addition to rewarding a lucky raffle winner with one year of Vertical-Life Premium + Friends we’ve also given the same prize to the image that earned the most Vengas, Tillmann Fünfstück redpointing his long term project La lune de la miel (8a+):

Everyone who participated also scored one month of Vertical-Life Premium for their uploading efforts. If you were one of the 300, check your inbox if you haven't already!

The Gallery raffle for April is already on, and this month three lucky winners will find themselves with a new pair of La Sportiva Mantras! To get in on this giveaway go to the gallery, and upload some of your favorite moments climbing. The more Vengas your uploaded photo gets, the higher your chances of winning, as each Venga earns you an additional ticket in the raffle draw. At the end of this month, we will announce three lucky winners. Make sure to upload your shots before the 30th so that you don’t miss out!

Séb Berthe, who did La Rambla (9a+) in January, has flashed James Pearson's Le Voyage in Annot, which is an 8b (+) trad with two fixed threads. In total, the superb line has now been repeated ten times, out of which five in the last month, including ascents this week by
Mathieu Miquel and Robbie Phillips, who took the picture of Séb.

Berthe: "I thought about trying this route since the first time I saw info from Jame Pearson doing the first ascent back in 2017. The wall and the route looked so perfect. Then when Jacopo, Siebe and Babsi did it not long ago, I thought it would be nice and challenging to give it a ground-up attempt. At the beginning of this week, I went for a short trip to Annot (France) in order to give a ground-up attempt. I knew I was in great shape and I took the opportunity of having my Scottish friend Robbie Phillips working the route so I could have good info about the route and the betas.

I spent one entire day looking at the route, collecting betas and info from Robbie and Mathieu Miquel (a french young climber who also sent it this week). I also spent quite some time watching videos and pictures from all the previous ascensionists. I had to remember everything: footholds, handholds, gears, ... There is so much info to keep in mind... How and where to put the gear? Where to rest? What beta to choose depending on my fatigue? I am really proud of the work I made there, a true studying mission.

On the day of the ascent, I woke up a bit nervous... Always the case with flash attempts: you only have one chance ahah. I warmed-up (which didn't start that well actually because I fell on my second 7a 😅😂), organized my harness with gears put in the good side of the harness and the right order, revisualised the route in my mind,... and went for it in the middle of the afternoon. The conditions were not that good, it was warm, but there was a small and nice breeze and I was too excited to wait for another day.

On the first easy part, I didn't climb very well: I was shaky and nervous. But as soon as the hard part began I felt better and climbed really fast with a great flow. I didn't make many mistakes (apart from one moment where I almost fell, on an easier section), until the crux where I gave everything to make it happen... And it happened! I was through the boulder, still on the wall, shaking my forearms to recover for the last section. The final bit isn't that hard but is still a bit tricky. I climbed really slowly and carefully on the final crack!

It is the first flash-ascent of this route, and maybe, as far as I know, the first time someone flashes a trad route of that grade. It was a great moment in my climbing life, and I am really happy I dared try it flash. About the grade, it is hard for me to give an opinion as I was flash and don't have much experience on E-grade, but I have the feeling that the route is quite easy for 8b+. But I also have to admit that I feel in really good shape. Future will tell."

Mathieu: I started trad climbing about a year ago but not regularly. At first just some limestone routes around Grenoble and a few easy multipitch routes in Chamonix. I liked this style of climbing immediately because it adds a new thing to climbing, it's not just about working the moves and the route but with trad it's also about finding the right gear to protect yourself, and you have to be quick about this when you're onsight. So I had the feeling to discover a new discipline in climbing and be a beginner again and that was really motivating. I also liked the purity of this style, it's really incredible when you can protect yourself in a hard route because in a hard route, you don't have many big holds.

For the grade, I think it could be easier than an 8b+ especially if you are strong in this style of climbing. It's really technical with some little handjam and footjam (even if it's not crack climbing) so the first time I climbed in it I found it hard but the more I climbed in it the more I found little tricks and beta so when I send it I have the feeling to climb something around 8b but with the gear to place in the same time it was not so easy ahah. For the British trad grade system, I think it was graded E10 7a, I don't have experience in this grading system but I could discuss it with the British climber Robbie Phillips, who sent the route the day after me, and he thinks that could be more an E9 6c. In any case, that is in agreement with our feeling of the route being more 8b than 8b+.

I want to say that I don't want to downgrade it because I don't have the experience and legitimacy to do that, it's just some personal reflections.

Sebastien Bouin reports on Insta that he has done the FA of Ariégeois Cœur Loyal (9b) in his home crag Pic St Loup. "I am happy to send this mega line in my home crag Pic Saint Loup. After falling once in this last hard move, I could finally control it in the send last Friday. The move is not hard, but somehow it was hard to stick the left hand in the send. I bolted this route 5 years ago when my grandpa passed away. His wood worker name was Ariégeois Cœur Loyal (Loyal ariégeois heart). It was a great opportunity to keep him close to me all these years. I was close to send it last Autumn, falling on the penultimate move, just before my Jumbo Love trip. This spring was a great opportunity to finish the job. This route is a huge effort, combining two hard 20 meters sections. About the grade, 9b (5.15b) should be appropriate."

Ariégeois Cœur Loyal is a 20m extension to Legend (9a) which he made the FA of in 2017 after it had been a project for 20 years. In total, Seb has now done some dozen routes 9b to 9c, out of which seven FAs. (c) Sam Bie

Peter Kuric, who started 2023 by doing a 9a second go, made quick work of, Sanjski par extension (9a) in Osp/Misja Pec.

Can you tell us more about Sanjski?
Over the Easter holidays, we went to sunny Osp for a few days, as it started snowing in Slovakia. We knew that there would be many people in Osp, so our goal was to do more easy routes and relax a bit. I wanted to show my girlfriend all the sectors as she has never climbed in Slovenia before and we also visited Mišja peč, where I wanted to try some more challenging routes that I have not yet climbed. I've been looking at Sanjski Par for a long time. First, the first pitch for 8c+ was on the line. I gave it a try and surprisingly it went smoothly. The second attempt was already sharp, and I fell one move before the top. I rested for 10 minutes and sent it on the third attempt. After the send, I checked the extension and decided to give myself a rest for the rest of the day. The next morning I managed to climb the extension for 9a on the first attempt. So together on the fifth try. A beautiful relaxing trip 😀.

What are your next and 2023 plans?
I want to check out some projects in home crags. We have so much potential around grade 9a. In the autumn is waiting for me Wild west 9a/9a+ in Margalef 🙂

Dylan Barks has done Selecció anal (9a+) in Santa Linya after having projected it for seven sessions. The 28-year-old did his first 8c+ at age 16 and he also bouldered the same grade, two years ago.

Can you tell us more about your trip and doing your first 9a+? I came to Spain with the intention of locking into one hard route for the trip, and ‘Seleccio anal’ became that. I wasn’t sure where my shape was at exactly for the trip, but on my first day, I was able to onsight my first 8b+ (Rollito Sharma) which gave me the confidence to try something near my limit. Trying Seleccio at first, the upper section felt very powerful and I couldn’t really imagine climbing through those moves from the ground. I had quite a few goes of climbing through the bottom but quickly fell in the upper section. After about a week and a half of trying, however, I had everything aligned and I was able to break into the upper section feeling unexpectedly recovered and I fought my way to the chains!

What's on the horizon?
The next goal is to sample as much as I can in my remaining week in Spain. After that, I’m not exactly sure, but definitely want to continue climbing routes in the States!

Sera Gearhardt, who uses the moniker, Sera Potato on 8a, has added to the four 8A+'s she did last year by sending, Cinderella is Dead 8A+ in Ogden. (c) Oden Dillman

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I tried this one before the snow started in the fall and thought I'd do it quickly! Went for a few really promising sessions, then spent the winter trying to get weather windows pretty unsuccessfully. Got COVID and was out for a month. By the time I made it back, my old beta felt really awful and I was pretty discouraged. Luckily, some friends helped me with a new method and I managed to do it before it got too hot!

What are your spring and summer plans?
I'm going back to Colorado for the month of June to try to finish up Evil Backwards (8B) from last year in Mount Evans! Got super close last year and had to walk away because it was hurting me, hoping that doesn't happen again! If that goes well I'll also go try some things in the park:) no other major plans!

Lair Thibault, who previously has made five 9a's, out of which four FAs, has done Papichulo (9a+) in Oliana. Two days earlier he did the FA of Fake news (8c+) in Suberpène, which was his sixth 8c+ FA, only during the last 18 months. (c) William Barcelo


Can you tell us more about doing your first 9a+?
It's been four years since I started working the route without being very regular. This year I needed 3 times 3 days to do the route. A big goal was achieved with the ascent of this mythical and mentally super hard route. I felt in good shape at the end of last year and I decided to give myself the means to progress even more by asking Patxi Usubiaga to train me. After 3 months of intensive training with Patxi, I really gained strength, which is my weak point.

How come there is a three-year gap since you did your last 9a?
Indeed, it's been 3 years since I did a 9a but it's not because I was less strong. For 3 years I have done a lot of 8c+ FAs that I worked alone. I equipped and tried harder routes than 9a, I think, which I haven't realized yet. All that combined with my work as a carpenter.

What is the status of Papichulo and Oliana after the fire?
Regarding the fire in Oliana, a huge cleaning and repair work was done by a group of people. I thank them once again for this work. There are still a few lanes that have not yet been cleaned.