Doug McConnell, who did his first 8c+ last year, has done Coma Sant Pere (8c+) in Margalef. The picture by Kerrin Gale is from La Rubia (8c+)

Can you tell us about your latest 8c+?
I’m always drawn to big routes so my mate, Amos, recommended I try Coma Sant Pere. He wanted to try Tierra Negra (next to it) so it worked well to session them together. My partner Kerrin, and I drove to Margalef in early February and I climbed straight on CSP. It was pretty daunting at first because its so big. Something like 50m and steep (45 deg+/-). After a few sessions of refining beta, I started working on linking each of the individual sections. The route breaks down into 3 sections, each about the same difficulty (8a+/8b), with good rests between. On day 8, I climbed from the ground to a few moves above the last (17th) bolt. It felt like it would go down in the next day or two but I didn’t make any more progress on my next 11 days! In the end I fell above the last bolt 10 times from the ground. Mentally this was hard. It felt like I was “punting” off the top because the climbing is quite easy up there, but actually my endurance needed a bit of a top up to get it done.

Finally on my 20th session I didn’t fall off. It was bizarre. I could shake out in all the moves where I had previously fallen off pumped out of my mind. It's that kind of route. It probably has to feel easy when you do it. About the grade, I consider this to be pretty close to a perfect style for me and I’m climbing better than ever so I think low end 8c+ is fair. CSP is one of the most beautiful routes I have ever done. I can highly recommend it!

What is your climbing background and how are you managing to climb your best at 41?
I started climbing in about 2000. Mostly Trad climbing and bumbling around Tasmania. I did bits and pieces of route development. I never did comps or anything and I still feel uncomfortable calling climbing a "sport"...but I started to get psyched on climbing harder on a year long trip to Europe in 2010. Since then I've always wanted to come back to Spain. I love the big steep routes that euro limestone offers. Australia has some amazing rock and routes but there is lacking quality steep rock. There are some great crags but the nature of the rock type and architecture makes the hard climbing quite specific and not that easy to "train" on.

I'm climbing better than ever now but there's no rocket science to that. I've never climbed super hard before so its easy to improve on that! Also, fingers crossed, I've slowed my injury rate by being a bit smarter but the main thing is that, surprise surprise, living in a van and climbing all the time is really good for your climbing.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has onsighted his third 8c, in Santa Linya and he is #2 in the onsight ranking game after Adam Ondra. "I still can't believe! A nice special moment!" (c) Kerrin Gale

The next day, the 23-year-old did Ingravid shers pa la enmienda (9a). Then after a rest day, he sent one 9a a day for three days straight; JoeDan (9a), Fabelita r2 (9a) and Fabela pa la enmienda (9a).

Iker Pou, 46, has done the FA of Sa planxa (8c+) in Mallorca. (c) Maria Torres Ledesma

"Sa Planxa is an amazing route, bolted by my friend Kike. It is totally natural, full of crimps and long moves. The route is about 7 bolts at 40 degrees. I did the first ascent and it is for sure one of the best in Mallorca in his style. Now I have two weeks more for sport climbing, aerobic training and [hopefully to] finish a super nice multi-pitch that I'm opening with my brother. We leave for an expedition to the Himalayas (Pakistan) at the end of April for alpine climbing. After the expedition [we] try to put feet in climbing shoes again!"

Iker, besides being known as the climber always smiling, is perhaps most recognized for his FAs of big walls on all seven continents, his early repeat of Action Directe, plus a further 30+ repoints 9a and harder.

Hugo Parmentier has done Le pied à coulisse in Fontainebleau. It was put up by Guillaume Glairon-Mondet and has some five repeats. Hugo, who previously has done one 9a+ (b) route and seven 8B+ blocs, all in Font, calls this his first 8C. (c) Tess Rougemont

"It is a great satisfaction and achievement to have lived fully and consciously this ascent during a weekend rich in successes. I did my first 8A+ flash the day before. This is the result of several years dedicated to bouldering. About 4 or 5 years ago, I started to work on my weaknesses in order to pass a step in sport climbing that I was the most used to. It’s also a childhood dream to achieve an 8C boulder. Although it’s cliché, I’m learning to appreciate my path, to live well with failures, and frustrations, to live fully successes, to realize how lucky I am and also to congratulate myself on my choices. Long way to go 🤘 I’ve also done Le surplomb de la mée assis (8B+) the other day. For the next months, I have still some projects in the forest for this spring like the classic The Big Island (8C) and I’m currently training for the world cup circuit as well as some hard routes in south France."

The 24-year-old has been an active competition climber for some ten years and as a junior, he made it to the podium, three times in the World Championship. In the World Cup, his best result is #9.

Ignacio Mulero reports on Insta that he has repeated James Pearson's Le Voyage (8b+) trad in Annot. (c) Jaime Merino

Can you tell us more about the trip and your send of Le Voyage?
The trip in Annot was longer than expected, we went for a few days and in the end we ended up staying for almost a month after postponing our return. I started abseiling down Le Voyage but quickly all my attention was for the variant "Bon Voyage". Little by little I was doing the movements and making good links. But finally I couldn't do it. But it did help me a lot for future trips, especially to already have good methods and a good strategy for skin and climbing shoes. It is a super abrasive rock and it eats a lot of everything!! At the end of the trip I decided to try to do the original line "Le Voyage" and this one I could send!

I did the route on the penultimate day of the trip, I had not put my focus on it during the trip because I preferred to invest my energy and skin in the other. But the truth is that it's a 5-star line and I couldn't leave without it. It was a pleasure to be able to do it with James on the other side of the rope. And very good motivation to share trys and methods with Caro!!

How you train? Also, for routes like this, do you do anything special?
I don't train or do anything specific thing, I just climb and that's enough for me. I value time in nature more than being in the climbing gym although this might make me stronger.

What's next for you?
The next thing I have planned is to go to Jossingfjord (Norway) on April 18 with the intention of making Recovery Drink. I was able to try it last year and I left it close to doing it. I hope that on this trip I can send it!

Jules Marchaland, who has redpointed a 9a+ and another 9a, in the last six weeks, has done Supercrackinette (9a+) in St Léger. (c) Théo Ravanello

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I tried the route 3 times x 3 days. On the first six days I fell on the mono (1st crux) and on the last three days I fell on the last move (2nd crux). Very nice endurance route. I climbed it as fast as possible to be good on the last move (1m25sec for 30 moves🤣).

How long is the route and how many clips?
Maybe 20 meters and 9 quickdraws but I only clip 6. I ran [up it] very fast🤣🤣, besides the 2 meters of the easy slab at the end.

Richelle Hepler has done Barefoot on Sacred Ground (8A) and Dark Age (7C+) in Hueco Tanks (TX).

Can you tell us more about these ascents?
After healing from a torn rotator cuff, I went to Hueco on a long trip to slowly ease back into climbing hard. I surprised myself by sending a few crimpy 7Cs (V9, Banana Juice, and Eurydice). I started working Dark Age (8A/V11) on and off with a local friend, Michael Rosenbaum, but felt the bottom was too difficult and the top too scary. After sending Flower Power (7C+/V10), my confidence was high, and I started warming up on See Spot Run to prepare for Dark Age. I was so scared on the top out because I saw at least 3 ankle injuries during the spring break period at Dark Age. Dark Age finally came together, and I pushed past the mental block and executed.

After returning to Colorado for work for a week, my boyfriend convinced me to come back to Hueco. No one was there, but I like warmer temperatures and got instantly psyched on Barefoot On Sacred Ground. It took about three more sessions before I stuck the left chicken wing move from the bottom. Once I did that, I took it to the top!!!

Luca Bertacco has repeated Adam Ondra's Biologico (9a) in Arco, which was bolted by Loris Manzana.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I started trying it in October after sending Elephant man (8b+) but due to an injured finger and also to mechanise [lockdown] the second part, I started trying the easier version Bibita Biologica (8c). This route has in common only the second part of Biologico so it skips the first crimpy boulder that was painful for my finger. After having sent Bibita Biologica I was feeling better so I started trying the original line, soon found myself falling at the end of the second boulder. Then some time passed because I was studying to graduate and also injured my leg while heel hooking on a boulder. In this last week, I went there three times and by adjusting a little my beta, after falling at the same move over and over again and also by falling at the very top where you are not supposed to fall, yesterday all went smooth. Everything was perfect so I was able to enjoy the climb to the chain!

How did you get into climbing?
I started climbing by the age of 9 at a gym named King Rock near my home. I have competed for many years but my main passion was always climbing outdoors. During this time I also started to love doing long multi pitches in the mountains like in Dolomiti and the last year also go bouldering outdoors. Thanks to a lot of friends at my gym I can keep my motivation very high so I can have days outdoors like this one. For some years I have been working as a trainer with the youth competition team of my gym so I can take a lot of motivation even from them, maybe also to come back in competition mode 😁

Romy Fuchs has been on a two weeks trip to Ticino and has managed to send six boulders graded 8A and harder including Versace (8B) in Brione. Here is a video from the trip. (c) Kim Marschner

The 22-year-old was an active competition climber until 2019. Of late, she has been somewhat under the radar, but she has quietly ticked (at least) three 8B's plus the five-pitch Corsican benchmark, Delicatessen (8b) in Corsica.

When did you get into climbing and what types of climbing are you most motivated by currently?
I‘ve been climbing since I was 8 years old. In [my] youth I was more focused on competitions, as a member of the German youth team I did a lot of comps all over the world and really liked it. Right now I‘m more into rock climbing. Bouldering, sport and since last year, also multi-pitch. As of 2020, I‘m studying medicine in Nürnberg which means I'm not super focused on training the whole time, but it’s nice with Frankenjura close by.

What are your next plans?
Just a few days in Magic Wood and then back to Uni. At the end of the year I'm planning to go to South America and check out the climbing there :)

What's the secret to your recent bouldering success?
Hmm hard to say.. recently I definitely spent more time bouldering outside than sport, so I think there I can push myself more to make harder moves :D

What about trying an 8B+ as your 8Bs went down quickly?
I am actually thinking about touching New Baseline soon, but I think the gap between 8B and 8B+ can be very hard haha :D but yeah, I’m curious about what’s possible if I start a more long-term project :)

Lucien Martinez has made the first repeat of Seb Bouin's Le playboy rôde sans complexe (9a+) in Lourmarin. Fanatic has made an interview with Lucien, where he among other things say.

”Two reasons motivated me to try: first, it’s a king line. The route is 55 meters long, and the higher you climb, the more it’s overhanging, which gives an incredible wall, and the moves are crazy, with a big dyno in the middle. The second reason is to repeat Seb’s route. The problem with Seb’s routes is, in addition to the difficulty, they are long, overhanging, demanding,…which means that to repeat them you need like a kind of special devotion.”