1. Katie Lamb - USA
Katie has been the leader of the 8a boulder ranking for almost two years. In spite of that, the 24-year-old has been under the radar with, as an example, only 41 posts on Insta. In 2022, she did three 8B+ and five 8B's. Here is a recent recent portrait video featuring her fifth 8B+.

2. Alex Puccio - USA
Comments by Alex after sending her ninth 8B+. In total, she has done 250+ boulders 8A and harder which is the most by any female.

3. Allison Vest - CAN
A former World Cup climber who stopped competing in 2021. Last year, she did her first 8B+ and three 8B's as well as flashed two 8A's. Here are her
comments and here is a recent video portrait.

1. William Bosi - GBR 15 boulders 8C to 9A and 6 flashes 8B or 8B+. Will set a new historic 8a record with 12 335 points. Here is his comments on Alphane.

2. Shawn Raboutou - USA
Two 9A FAs and also two 8C+ FAs. As Shawn often does not publish his ascents as soon as they're complete, it might be that we need to put him on top within six months or so. Here he shed some light on his approach.

3. Aidan Roberts - UK
Alphane 9A, two 8C+ and a couple 8C's. Here are some comments by him after an 8C 2nd Go and his ascent of Alphane (9A).

Vroni Gaßner , who last year did five 8A's, has done Second life (8A+) in Chironico. "First of the grade - perfect start of the New Year!"

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I first tried this line during my Ticino trip in winter 2021/22 and already got close to sending it. But as I arrived several times with numb fingers in the end section I realized I need warmer conditions. During my second trip last spring, I couldn’t really try this boulder due to a finger injury. So I arrived really motivated this winter and climbed it already in my first session but with a small dab. This try gave me a lot of confidence and in the next session, I was finally able to send Second Life.

Here is our subjective list of the active 8a members aged 40+ crushing hard in 2022.

1. BJ Tilden (42) - USA
First 9a+ as well as first two 8B+ in 2022.

2. Chuck Odette (67) - USA
8a+ and 7B+ at age 67!

3. Daniel Fuertes (42) - ESP
The Spaniard continues to send 9a+' year after year. Last year, he also onsighted two 8b's.

1. Cathy Wagner (57) - FRA
The 57-year-old did her first 8a in 1993 and in 2022 she did 36 8a or 8a+. In total, she has now logged 868 and without all her personal grading, she would have been well over 900, which is the most in the world among females.

2. Julia Pfanzelt (52) - GER
Julia started climbing at age 32 and last year was on par with her best year ever. Interview from last august when she did an 8a+.

3. Delphine Chenevier (47) - FRA
Delphine is a former competition climber who did her first 8b+ and first 8a+ onsight in 2022.

Iziar Martinez has done La Bongada 8c+ in Margalef. Ramon Julian did the FA calling it 8c but later it was upgraded to both 9a and 8c+. (c) Bárbara García García Inés

In total, the 17-year-old has worked the route for three weeks during two trips. Last week, she did Bongadita (8c) which shares the same finnish. On Insta she comments, "¡Last day last try! 🥳Didn’t expect that, I’m so proud of myself. It was really hard to be motivated all the journey, some days were really hard because I couldn’t move in the first boulder and sometimes I just didn’t know what to do (rest, give another attempt, wait for the conditions… )."

Geila Macia has done in Santa Linya. Last year, she won one Euro Lead Cup and was the runner-up twice. The 14-year-old is the daughter of famous Spanish climbers Berta Martin and Israel Gacia. Berta has won the Spanish Championship several times and eleven times made World Cup semis mainly in Boulder.

"This is an amazing route, with a lot of resistance. It has good rests but at the end, there is a very intense long section. During the attempt, it was very stressful because I and another boy started climbing at the same time. He went in by another route but we both have the same anchor. I decided to rest in a good jug to wait for him to make his attempt before. He fell just before the quickdraw we shared and then I went for it. I’m happy because it doesn’t take me so many tries. Now I’m ready to try something harder."

Max Bertone, Lead Youth World Champion in August, continues to deliver in Rocklandsby doing Leopard cave extended (8B) and The Arch (8B). "Strange low ball with strange holds. I felt it clearly easier than The Vice (2 sessions to send it), in the same grade, but it is totally my style." In the 8a junior ranking game, the 15-year-old is #4.

Giorgio Tomatis has done Fuck The system (9a) in Santa Linya. The 19-year-old has previously done five routes 9a and harder, out of which the first at age 16.

"My trip to Santa Linya started on the 28 of December. I climbed some classic routes like Rollito Sharma (8b+) on flash. I did also Blomu L3 (8c+) and then I started to try Blomu L3 (8c+). This amazing route has two hard boulder problems with a good rest in between and then a jump to the last holds. I started trying it with really bad conditions and it made me think it's a tough 9a and maybe it takes me time to send but when the condition improved I felt better on the moves and the day after a really good links day I was able to climb it!"

The 19-year-old is also a successful competition climber having made the podium in Euro Youth Cups eight times, including winning one event in 2021.

What are your 2023 plans and ambition?
When I go back to Italy I restart my training plan and at the end of February, the boulder competition start. My ambition are to do some good result in competition, better then the past season!

Here is the, “8a juniors of 2022” list. Performances, relative to their age, in competitions as well as on rock are taken into consideration.

1. Oriane Bertone (17) - FRA
2. Chaehyun Seo (19) - KOR
3. Maël Musson (16) - FRA
4. Analise Van Hoang (14) USA
5. Iziar Martinez (17) - ESP

1. Colin Duffy (19) - USA
2. Max Bertone (15) - FRA
3. Mejdi Schalck (18) FRA
4. Andrea Chelleris (13) - ITA
5. Matteo Reusa (15) - ITA

Peter Kuric has done Wild Publico (9a) in Margalef. “Second 9a and on second go. Really happy. Epic route and totally my style.”

Could you tell us more about that 2nd go ascent?
First, I saw Vojta Trojan's video climbing the route (congrats to him too), and right away I knew it was my style. The next day I went to look at it and got really hyped. On Monday the forecast looked the best so I went to Espedeles to give it try. After my first try of the moves I was sure I could send this route during this trip. After half an hour I went for the second try. I did the first hard boulder and managed not to fall so I continued pumped and finished the route. This is my second 9a and I was surprised that I was able to send it on the second go. It is an amazing route and gives me amazing feelings for sure 🙂

BJ Tilden, who did his first 9a+ in June, has done Neon Desert (8B+) in Hueco Tanks (TX). The 42-year-old did his first 8B+ boulder last year and now he has done three. (c) Matt Pincus

How can you explain 2022 being your best year ever?
I think the formula is pretty simple. Staying healthy and staying psyched! I had consecutive finger injuries in the winters of 2020 and 2021. Finally staying healthy long enough to gain some momentum, and having a long list of things I really wanted to finish just lined up perfectly for 2022.