The hot and sunny weather continued on the second day of the Leonidio Climbing Festival and 54 cars were parked by Sabaton, one of the few crags with shade the whole day. Alternatively, you could make an afternoon session in Montañejos Climbing Garden with a 1-minute approach, and be the only car at the parking. Aire Parani won the Vertical-Life climbing marathon by doing 15 routes in sector Theos.

In the evening, Anak Verhoeven and Nils Favre had a presentation, followed by an outdoor party with a lot of dancing. Anak has won several World Cups and done 16 routes 8c+/9a and harder, although having focused only on rock climbing for two years! (Interview with the “competitive” outdoor climber who has not booked her flight back yet, soon to be presented.)

Nils, on the other side, was a “lifestyle” climber as a youngster until some friends discovered his talent and he went from 6c to 8b in a couple of months. Later he got the silver in the Swiss Championship in his very first comp and started doing WC’s at age 23. Now, seven years later he is one of the oldest competitors and last year he got the silver in a Euro Cup. Even so, his ticklist outdoors is even more impressive and he does all disciplines.

On the last day it was raining in the morning and Aris T and Claude I moved their bolting workshop indoors and 50 climbers showed up for their more than two-hour presentation. Asking how much more potential there is to be found, they said more routes in the shade will be opened and also very close to the sea in Kyparissi.

Aris: “However, there are enough routes and our focus is to increase the quality and safety by cleaning and rebolting bad bolts, etc. Just send me a message about what needs to be fixed :)”

Enrique Beltrán Blasco, who did his first 8b just three years ago, has done the FA of A star is born (9a) in Foz de Zafrané.

”The first time that I tried the route was in april after the send of Supernowa (9a). A star is born is totally my style: campus, dynamik and powerfull but the heat came in summer and I left it. In september there are a lot of motivation in this sector because Daniel Fuertes did his project Excelsior (9a+) and I did good links but I needed to wait for good conditions for the send.”

What is the background of the name?
Dani got the news that he was going to be a father, for the second time, the day that he finished bolting the line.

Jonathan Siegrist has repeated Tommy Caldwell’s testpiece from 2003, Flex Luthor (9a+) in The Fortress of Solitude. Last year, it got its first two repeats and 9b was suggested.

”Very cool to revisit this crag after 12 years! TC is forever a massive inspiration for me - I didn't realize how important it would feel to climb on this route. Went fully A Muerte after getting through the bottom crux for the first time. On the grade, for me personally, the route does not compare to the 9b I have done or tried - that being said it is still one of the hardest in Colorado for sure.”

The 37-year-old is having his best year ever having done eleven routes 9a to 9b and in total, he has now done 68 such graded climbs. On that 9a list, he is #7 in the All-Time High list and in the 8a ranking game, he is #2 after Adam Ondra.

Andrea Chelleris has done in Arco. Last year, at age 12, he did Puro Dreaming (8c+/9a) and this year he needed eight more days to do the full link-up. In 2021, he also onsighted his first 8a+.

What is next?
I want to onsight an 8b and to find a new project in Arco.

Have you been close to an 8b OS?
Yes, two times, but I no longer had the opportunity to climb onsight because I started skiing and I preferred to send the routes that I tried in September.

How long do you travel for skiing and climbing and which sport do you like the most?
Ski from 2.5 to 5 hours, depending on the glacier. I climb in Arco and sometimes in Misja pec so from 2 hours to 5 hours. I like both and for now, I practice them alternatively so I can prepare for competitions. This summer I was able to climb a lot because the glaciers were closed due to lack of snow and maybe I feel less fit in skiing.

How much do you normally climb/ski nowadays and during the winter?
I ski every weekend and I climb the other days of the week. During the winter, I only ski but this year I'm doing online schooling so maybe I have time to climb.

The Leonidio Climbing Festival is something special with great interaction with the locals and the international climbing community. The municipality offers free dinner, T-shirt, climbing and yoga courses, lottery and climbing marathon with great prizes. In total, the municipality spent 40 000 Euro for their 4th festival and some 80% of the close to 600 registered climbers are international visitors.

Yesterday, Alex Honnold’s mother Dierdre Wolownick, put on a very interesting presentation. She tried climbing for the very first time 13 years ago and became hooked. Last year, she turned 70 at the top of El Capitan in Yosemite after having climbed it for the second time. “Go for your dreams by taking baby steps.”

The last days it has been 23 degrees, and almost the same in the sea, so climbers have mainly gathered in the crags with shade. Although most of the roughly 2 600 routes are found in the sun, mainly just above the city, crowds have not been reported.

The second day of the festival started with 40 climbers attending a yoga class at 8.00 and one hour later, the Vertical-Life marathon started. Log your routes in the VL App and you will be part of a prize lottery as well as a competition based on the 8a scoring points.

Gio Placci, who was #13 in the Innsbruck World Cup, has done Beginning (9a+) in Eremo di San Paolo.

"Too many tries ...... Amazing route to try. First real project of my life. This year went down in 4 days after I tried it 20 days last year 😅 The knee bar that Adam do it’s hard and too long for me ✌️."

How was it projecting it for so long?
I had no experience with “projecting” hard routes. My approach was completely wrong 😂. Instead of trying the sequence and spending time finding the best betas, I started immediately to try it from the ground, after checking the moves 3-4 tries. This approach le❌me to fail. I changed my betas during that time many times and even after 20 days of tries I did not send it. This winter, after my best comp season so far, my priority was to finish the business, my shape was good and even on the first tries of this year, the feelings were great! I needed just another 3 days of tries to send it 🤯, it felt amazing. I have learned a lot about “the art of projecting “ with this route, and now I’m ready for more!

"First 8B+ (v14) in the world by Fred Nicole. The crux involves a physical move off of a terrible left-hand undercling to a small right-hand incut crimp. Daniel did it the original way Fred did. There is a new way of starting the line which makes it easier and another way to do the crux which also makes it easier (once you get the right-hand shoulder you cross over with the left hand to match it and grab a right-hand crimp above. This makes getting the left-hand undercling easier). This new way is more 8B (v13). Daniel wanted to do what Fred did. The line is definitely contrived but history is history."

Sebastien BOUIN has done the FA of the long-standing project Jumbo Love (9b) direct start, calling it Suprême Jumbo Love 9b+ at Clark Mountain. (c) Clarisse Bompard

”The route is around 70m and the hardest part of this route is to combine everything. The first 9a is quite tricky, and it's easy to fall, even if you have the power. Then you have this Jumbo Love crux, where it's definitely possible to fall even if you have the power (missing the one finger pocket). Then you need this fresh energy to link all the pumpy part to reach the lip of the overhang. The last slab is not that hard, but if you are done, and you don't know it quite well... you can easily fall there too.

The first time I made it through the direct start, it was my third try of the day. I was definitely too spent to have any chance on the main Jumbo Love section. I knew I had to do the direct and the Jumbo Love crux on the first try if I wanted to have a chance on the pumpy Jumbo Love section. Sometime everything just comes together, shape, conditions, vibes, friends, cameraman, luck,... I know it doesn't happen that often, and I am very grateful to live such big moments. More to come about the history of this route, the grade reflection, and our adventures here. But at the moment, let's enjoy the suprême love. Thanks to everyone who contribuated to this ascent: Clarisse Bompard, Steven, Dustyn, Nate, Randy Leavitt, Alex Honnold & BJ.”

Katherine Choong has done E-space challenge (8c+) in Précipice de Corbière, bolted by Nicolas Glée. (c) Isabelle Bihr

“It's a battle of endurance, on a very overhanging wall that starts with a first pitch in 8a+ and climbs crescendo to the crux just below the anchor, a dyno followed by some very physical and challenging moves. After falling 3 times on the final dyno, it took me 6 days to reach the top without falling! Climbed without kneepad 😉”

Katherine is a former competition climber who some 30 times has been top-30 in the World Cup. She has previously done two 9a’s and several hard MP’s up to 8b+. In other words, her track record is one of the most impressive out there.

William Bosi has made the second repeat, after Aidan Roberts, of Shawn Raboutou’s Alphane 9A at Chironico. Bosi was reluctant to confirm the grade and says a recent 8C+ FA from him was more challenging. (c) Sam Pratt

From the press release: “Overall, Bosi spent 10 sessions working Alphane and 2 sessions previously last year with Shawn Raboutou where he explored and worked moves on the boulder before the final line and sequence was established.

Commenting on his ascent, Bosi commented,
"A few sessions back I was unsure as to whether Alphane would go on this trip, the temperature has been unseasonably hot, some rainy days had made it really humid and the route was damp in places. However, the crew out here managed to keep the psyche really high and the problem came together quickly. The moves on this line are so good and after a lot of time on the wall, I was really happy to claim the third ascent!"

Commenting on the proposed grade of 9A, Will was reluctant to confirm the grade.
“In terms of a grade, I personally felt that Honey Badger (8C+) was more of a challenge for me and proposing a grade for that at the time was daunting as it was my first 8C+. At the cutting edge of climbing, grading feels so much more difficult as the margins are that much finer and personal strengths and preferences really come into play. Is it 9A? Honestly, I do not know and as I gain more experience of climbing around this grade range I may have a better view, but it is a fantastic line established by Shawn and I look forward to seeing more experienced climbers comment on where the grade sits”.

The ascent of Alphane is another milestone for Bosi since his decision to switch full time to climbing outdoors. This spring, Bosi had a hugely productive trip to the Czech Republic to climb with Adam Ondra and in summer, he established the Peak District's hardest boulder problem, Honey Badger 8C+ at Badger Cove.“