Jain Kim has won 30 World Cups and in 2014 she won the World Championship in Lead. In the Asian Championship, two weeks ago, she took bronze in Lead after having had an almost three-year-long break since she became a mother. In a recent interview by the Korea Alpine Federation the 34-year-old says.

"I think my challenge as a climber who is also a mother has just begun. My current plan is to go for the qualification to Paris 2024, no matter if I can qualify for the Olympics or not. Of course, I gained massive courage from the IFSC Asian Championships. I’m not sure if I can keep my performance at the same level I used to, but I want to do my best not to give up till the end."

Elnaz Rekabi from Iran climbed without a hijab in the Asian Championship. For this, she apologized on her Insta, although it is not known whether or not this was done under duress. Four days ago she posted on Insta, which has grown from 80' to 542' followers, that she was thankful for everyone who came to the airport to welcome her. Yesteray, Elnaz posted an Insta story.

"These days my heroes are people who pay a heavy price to have a normal life. Having a safe, normal and free life is the right of all human beings."

Alex Megos, who the last three weeks has done five 9a to 9b routes in Margalef, reports on Insta that he has done three more 9a and harder FAs. Furthermore, three 8c+, out of which, two FAs and a flash of Patan el Villano 8c. (c) Javi Pec

Chan Chan Bastards 9a+/b: ”The Journey P1 into the unfortunately chipped top of Café Colombia"
Pink Patatas 9a+: "The first part is a sit start boulder problem that checks in at around 8A+ (V12) and finishes on a good flake from which an 8c+ route starts. Climbing the boulder into the route adds up to about 9a+ I'd say. 50 moves in a roof make it very pumpy for sure 😅."
Patatas Pantera 9a: "I put my focus on a new cave found and bolted by Tom Bolger."

Obed Hardmeier has done Schwarz Mönch (9a), which is an extension to Renardo Rules (8c) that follows a beautiful black strip up the iconic wall in Gimmelwald. (c) Rainer Eder

"Two years ago I tried the route for the first time. Last year I seriously projected the route as far as it was possible and I had to end the season without an ascent. This year I already had some good attempts in spring which increased the motivation again. On Sunday there was a lot of Foehn wind, which is quite rare in Gimmelwald - in the first attempt of the day I was able to send the route immediately and was overjoyed.

As for the difficulty of the route, I am not sure. In any case, I find the route significantly harder than the 9a "Jungfraumarathon" and "Alpenbitter" next door. Further ascents will clarify..."

What is next?
Currently, I don't have a new goal yet I first have to find another project or finish smaller existing projects. What is for sure is that the season in Gimmelwald is slowly coming to an end. At the end of September, I started my Master's degree (civil engineer ETH Zurich) and still work about 20% besides my studies - so maybe my next goal/challenge is to find a way to combine full-time studies, work and climbing ;).

Sebastien BOUIN, who previously has done nine routes 9b to 9c, has sent Jumbo Love (9b) at Clark Mountain. It took him ten days and now he is working on a more direct and harder variation. (c) Clarisse Bompard

“An old dream came true last Wednesday. This king line has attracted me for a long time. It was a true inspiration to see the footage of Chris Sharma on it. I started climbing around 2005 and it was one of the most incredible climbing films I had watched at that time. Jumbo Love looked like everything I like in Climbing: A perfect huge orange steep wall in the middle of the Mojave desert.

I knew this line and this wall will be my pure climbing style. Climbing on this line is something I have been waiting for, for several years. And I am definitely not disappointed. It's an amazing line with perfect moves. But, Jumbo Love is not just a hard line, it's a whole adventure. I totally underestimated the total process, the drive, the off-roading, and the hike in. We changed our car three times because it was not good enough to get to the crag. We also changed two tires due to off-road driving incidents,... The 1h hike really takes it out of you. I am used to climbing for many days in a row. But, here, that would be a mistake. We had to preserve ourselves. And keep our energy and motivation up. We were sleeping some nights in the desert, so as not to drive every day. I did the route on my 10th climbing day.

My overarching objective would be to do the Direct variation of Jumbo Love, which is supposed to be harder. My approach was simple, find the best betas possible in Jumbo Love, in order to have the highest chances possible to send it coming from the direct (adding an 8c+ route before the 9b). In this process, I used kneepads for the send, in three places. This kind of rock (orange rock with pockets) is actually not the best for using kneepads, but I still found it helped a little, with some tricky ‘expert ++’ kneebars. I was falling half of the time, slipping from kneebars. I almost gave up with these kneebars at some point because it was to sketchy. I was thinking the route a bit more powerful without kneebars, but way more secure if you have the strength required.

Yet, I was still thinking about how to approach the direct version. With the normal start, you are coming into the jumbo Love crux really fresh because there is not so hard climbing before (around 8a to reach the crux). So I still had a lot of power reaching the crux from the original start. Yet, in the objective to start from the direct (which add an 8c+ route right before the crux) I would need to find some less powerful beta, even if it's more technical. That's why I stuck with my kneebar beta. The kneebar help so in this route, I don't think they are changing the grade. It's not like "Iron Curtain" or "Change" where the kneebars are making a big difference. I think Jumbo Love stays on the same level, with or without. This route is really stunning! Incredible and futuristic vision from Randy Leavitt to bolt this one in the 90's... Thanks for the futuristic vision and the line, and thanks for the inspiration Chris Sharma and Reel Rock.”

Marine Thevenet reports on Insta that she has repeated Compass North (8B+) in Fionnay after just some 5-6 sessions. (c) Clement Lechaptois, who did the FA and commented. "Starts as Underground paradise and Fuck the system, and goes straight into the grey 45 panel in the other side of the big cave. Basic climbing on crimps!"

Can you fill us in on this climb and your send?
I tried a few with Clément when it still was a project, but at that time I couldn’t figure out the crux (mostly due to a pulley injury). I came back in good shape after Rocklands and I focused on the end to be sure that, when I will pass the crux I will not fall! The reality was really different 😅 I fell quite a lot in the "easy part"!

After sending Zima Blue (8B) in august I tried it from the bottom! I did a lot of Moonboard to have contact strength, and some stamina on the Smartboard cause the boulder is a little bit long!

Anak Verhoeven reports on Insta that she has repeated Dani Fuerte's No pain no gain (9a+) in Rodellar. (c) Leoni von Ristok

"I was focused, but not as nervous as during my first try a few days before. Lots of things could make me fall, but I tried to climb in a relaxed way nevertheless. When I reached the end of the last crux, I fought to stay on and managed to keep going. A big rest brought relief and gave me the energy for the last tricky boulder. And then I clipped the chains. :)"

How many days of projecting did it take?
Some 8 climbing days before sending.

What about going for 9b or even 9b+? It seems you have the level.
Maybe ;)

Anak was previously a very successful competition climber. She has won three World Cups and was runner-up eight times, almost always behind Janja Garnbret. The 26-year-old Belgian stopped competing in 2019 due to an elbow injury she first sustained in 2017. In 2020 she ruptured a pulley and had to undergo surgery. In total, she has now done 16 routes 8c+/9a and harder putting her #2 and just behind Laura Rogora on the leaderboard of hard redpointing.

Camilla Moroni has done her fourth 8A+ during the last three weeks, Primitivo Stand 8A, which originally was 8B, in Valle Bavona. The 21-year-old Italian was #9 in the World Cup this year and in the 8a ranking game, she is #5.


What's next?
At the beginning of November I will start training again so I will only be able to climb on rock on the weekends. I would like to send some 8A+ (lines) in Ticino (like Second Life and King of Sonlerto) and start trying Heritage (8B+).

Alex Johnson has done Blackout (8B) in Joe's Valley (UT) and here is the video. (c) Melina Costanza

”My thoughts have been absorbed by this thing for months, waiting for temps to drop in Utah. Getting on Colorado crimp lines this summer only made me obsess over this one more. I tried it once last year with Allison Vest when she sent, and it was one of those climbs that just sunk its hooks into me. Quintessential crimp pulling test piece; the epitome of my climbing style. After dropping the end last weekend in maybe the biggest punt of my life, I’m real content with putting it away, and where I’m at with my climbing and fitness right now. What’s next? Unsure, but I know without a doubt this isn’t my limit.”

The 33-year-old first made headlines on 8a in 2008, when we followed up on her victory at the Vail World Cup 2008 in an article. The same year she did her first 8A+ and was also #1 in the 8a ranking game. In 2010, she was overall #4 in the Boulder World Cup including winning one event. She stopped competing in 2015 and took it up again in 2019, trying to qualify for the Olympics. Outdoors, she is having her best year ever in 2022 with two 8B’s and five 8A+’.

Karoline Sinnhuber has done Smeagol (8B) in Zillertal. "How much struggle did I have on the last 3 moves? - YES! Sososososo happy I could finally keep my shit together and top it out 😍"

In total, the former competition climber has done 46 boulders 8A+ and 8B. Last week, 8a reported that she had done her first 8A+ in eight months. The Austrian explained that she in June partly ruptured her pulley and later in July/August suffered from further inflammation.