Alex Ventajas, who in the last 18 months has done ten routes 9a and harder, has made the FA of El Osteopata 9a in Mula, Murcia.

Can you tell us more about the first ascent?
I can’t imagine a better way to start the new year. The route is a project bolted in 2014-2015 by my friends Rafi and Oscar. I gave it a try back then, but it seemed too hard for me. For the Christmas holidays, I went back to Murcia to visit my family and I felt motivated again after seeing some videos of other local climbers trying the route.

It’s a quite “old school” line: a technical roof climbing, with chipped pockets, very small feet, and a lot of body tension. There’s no place for mistakes and saving as much energy as possible in every section is crucial. Even if it’s not a natural line, all the boulder problems are great climbing and I enjoyed refining every detail to find the perfect sequence to send the route! I went to the cave for four days and I finally managed to send it on my ninth attempt. About the grade, I think it’s 9a. I hope other climbers will repeat it soon and give their opinion too! After the Santuario sector was shut down, this could be the region’s first 9a.

"Project Big is a line that I bolted in 2013. It has always seemed like the most improbable part of the Flatanger (Norway) cave, looking just too intimidating to be climbed. Bolting it and finding out that there were actually holds was just mind-blowing, yet I was still too intimidated actually to start trying it for many years! At the same time, I knew that line was too perfect just to let it go. I was sure that one day I just had to climb it."

Max Bertone, lead youth World Champion in September, has done The Vice (8B) in Rocklands. "Super classic of the Fortress. I felt this roof harder than in Font. 7 sessions needed to send this force test of 13 moves."

Previously, the 15-year-old has done two 8B's and three 8c+. Max is a sibling to Oriane Bertone and it has been a tradition for the family to visit Rocklands during the Christmas break for several years.

Michaela Kiersch sent Dreamcatcher (9a) last year after five days and now the video is out. Here is the article from 2021.

What was the key to sending it so quickly?
I trained specifically for this route for weeks. Focusing on increasing endurance, finger strength, and campusing power.

What was the crux for you? Did you have to invent a new beta being shorter (152 cm) than the previous repeaters?
The crux for me was the final boulder problem. My beta is relatively similar to everyone else, maybe just higher feet.

In April she completed her doctoral degree in hand therapy and immediately went for her first extended trip only focusing on climbing. During three weeks in Magic Wood, she did two 8B+ and another 12 boulders 8A and harder. In total, the 27-year-old has done nine 8c+' and last fall she did her first 9a, Dreamcatcher after just five days of projecting. Here is an 8a interview from this summer.

What is your plan and ambition for 2023? Any specific climbs you want to do?
Several 😉 but as always, you’ll have to wait and see! I’m looking forward to seeing where 2023 takes me, I feel stronger than ever and have more time than ever. I’m surrounded by a lot of love and joy right now.

Moritz Welt has done a very fast ascent of Dreamtime 8B+/C in Cresciano. ”Tried it for one session last winter and was quite surprised to feel that good on it. Unfortunately couldn't go back to try again because I injured my foot a few days after. This trip it was my main objective and today was my Dreamtime session. Just checked the moves again and had one or two send burns until I finished it off.”

The 21-year-old is mainly a route climber having previously done one 8C but 17 routes 9a and harder.

Iziar Martinez has done Bongadita (8c) in Margalef. The 17-year-old needed more than 10 sessions for the send and says, ”It’s the hardest 8c I’ve done. It was like endurance training.”

What are your plans and ambition in 2023?
Good performance in international comps and keep growing. Finals in the European adults cups would be great.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has onsighted Memoria de Peix (8b+) in Margalef. Previously, the 23-year-old has onsighted two 8c’s and nine 8b+ meaning his onsight track record is one of the most impressive in the world. In the 8a ranking game, he is #4.

Can you tell us more about the onsight?
It is a very short route, like 5 quickdraws, the same as all routes in Laboratory crag. Powerful with little pockets 😁.

Oriane Bertone, who was #6 in the World Cup, has done a quick ascent of Oral Office (8A+) in Rocklands. ”I was so surprised to send this incredible dyno so quickly !! Second try of the second sesh.”

Do you have and plans and ambitions for the Olympics?
Actually, no plans or ambition for it right now… I want to get better and stronger, and we’ll see later for the Olympics!!

What are the plans for the last days in Rocklands?
is the main one, Out of Balance (8A) for sure, and Barracuda (8A)! I only have 2 days left, hope I can get things done!

Amandine Loury has done Bleurp (8c) in . (c) Jean-Luc Jeunet

”The classic sectors in were wet this holidays, so we went to the Simpson sector which is drier and sunnier. It’s perfect for winter days, the routes are shorts (around 15 meters) and pumpy for twenty movements. I tried Bleurp a few years ago, and I never came back because it’s not the best rock quality in Saint Léger. This year I needed three sessions for send this route which is pumpy and harder and harder going up.”

Katie Lamb has been the leader of the 8a boulder ranking for almost two years. Even so, the 24-year-old has been pretty much under the radar with only 41 posts on Insta. In the portrait video, she does Book Club (8B+), which was her fifth 8B+, all of them done in the last 18 months.