Luka Potočar (20) won the Lead World Cup in 2022, which came as a surprise to some. However, upon further inspection, his road to victory has been surprisingly steady. As a junior, he won four Euro Cups/Championships beginning in 2016, and in 2018, he took silver at the Youth World Championship. In 2020, he was #4 in the only WC, and last year, the 20-year-old was #4 overall and also placed second at the World Championship.

Could you tell us a little bit about your climbing background?
I started climbing when I was 5 years old. I was training in my hometown for 9 years. My first year on the national youth team was in 2016 when I won my first Lead European Cup in Imst and my first lead World Cup was in Kranj 2017.

What do you think made your 2022 season so successful?
2022 was really a season to remember. It was not easy after a good last season to get another season like that or even better. I used experiences I got from competing on the highest level and I think this was very important this season. Also thanks to my coach, I was in great shape the whole season.

How does it feel to have won the World Cup overall?
With so many strong guys around me, it really feels amazing and I can’t wait for next year to defend this title.

Who is your coach and could you describe how you train?
My personal coach is Domen Švab, and he is also on our national team. Training is planned and based on competitions, so the first part of the season is focused on boulders and the second on lead with some bouldering, but details are changing from season to season because the calendar of competitions is never the same. Normally we train five times a week for three to four hours on a spray wall in Radovljica.

How often do you climb outdoors and what are some of your personal bests?
I can't be proud of my rock climbing, to be honest, every year I go to rock maybe 3 to 4 times. I feel like after the season I need time to rest without any climbing and when I have competitions I don't feel like climbing outside and working on some projects. I have done a few 8c and that's it.

What would it mean for you to qualify for Paris 2024?
Olympic games are for sure something special for every athlete and yes, also for me. It is going to be hard to qualify for Paris but yes this is my biggest goal for the future and I am looking forward to giving my everything to get a chance to compete in such a huge event.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has been in Australia since mid September and has logged four 8c+ routes including one he upgraded and one he downgraded, each of which were Tom O'Halloran FAs. Last Sunday, Jorge flashed Tiger Cat (8c) in Blue Mountains. (c) Sasha Gerzha

On Insta, Jorge says it is his hardest flash ever. "A hard route with so much endurance, dynamics moves, technical moves and some holds that require so much precision."

Jake Bresnehan gave him the running beta. "I went up the climb in short sections (1 or 2 bolts at a time) and explained my beta and a few other options for the tricky sections I knew. We are very similar heights so my beta was pretty spot on. He was a little nervous with the first move and down climbed a few times to the ground to gather some composure. Once he committed he was in the zone and nailed everything. One of the most inspiring things I have seen."

Jonatan Flor reports on Insta that he has done the FA of Picasso 9a+ in Rodellar. The Spaniard has previously done 60+ routes 8c+/9a and harder making it as #7 on that list. (c) Pau Alonso Prat

Camilla Moroni, who has climbed five 8A to 8A+ graded problems over the last six weeks, has sent Jack's broken heart (8A+) in Magic Wood. "I'm super happy. Right after the Italian Boulder Championship where I managed to defend my title, I went to Magic Wood for only one day. I sent it in a few attempts, then I went to One summer in paradise (8B) but I fell at the very top. I hope for a drop in temperatures in the next weeks to start the Ticino season."

Davide Picco has done Ultimatum (9a+) in Arco, which according to FA Stefano Ghisolfi includes more than 100 moves that, "connects the first boulder of Underground, Reini's Vibes, downclimb some moves of Pietra Murata, the crack boulder of L'ultima Pietra with a crazy finger lock, and the last tiny crimps of Stonehenge."

What do you mean by your "Per il momento 🤣🤣🤣" comment on Insta?
It seems like recently it's become a fashion to downgrade routes, either because people find new ways of climbing them or because they try to diminish someone else's performance. But that's just my opinion, I still don't have the experience to grade these routes, I just know it was hard for me. That's what I meant with al momento, literally, it would be "9a+ until someone downgrades it" 😅.

How much time did it take?
I don't know, maybe 10/15 tries? But, I already knew the moves because the route is a connection of underground and thunder vibes, so I just needed to build up some endurance. I began trying the route on the weekends before leaving for my summer holiday trip in Rodellar. I needed a place with the same weather conditions I expected to find in Spain and Pueblo was the perfect match: hot, humid, and 40 degrees. I came back from Spain and trained mostly in gyms as the last competitions of the lead circuit were held here in Italy. Last week I went to check the moves and surprisingly found myself clipping the chain. 😁

What is your next/autumn plan?
Always in Arco! Currently, I'm trying a route in Padaro 😁

Abigail Humber, who last spring did her first 8c, has done Lawless Extra (8A) at Fayette Station. (c) Tara Bennett

"I’m super excited that I was able to send Lawless Extra, and get the second ascent, as well as the first female ascent! On the day I ended up sending it, I thought I’d sent this boulder in the morning, only to find out once I’d packed up and returned home that I had started in the wrong position… I decided to go back out to the boulder in the afternoon, and I managed to send even though it was far too hot and humid. I was able to get the send faster than I was expecting as well, only taking three sessions to climb the boulder!"

Chris Frick has done Stop Sika (8c) in Rawyl. It was equipped by Betrand Martenet and the FA was done in 2003 by Didier Berthod at 8c. The completely natural line – hence the name – became an instant classic and settled at 8b+. In 2019 Bertrand rebolted the route, establishing in the middle section a more direct and harder line. After Samuel Ometz Re-FA the consensus now it is back to 8c. (c) Isabelle Bihr

"What a journey! At age of 54, it’s still time to rock’n’roll! No need to give up, keep on living the dream! ‘Stop Sika’ is a beauty. Well, for my generation 8c still sounds like a journey to Mars! When I was already 20 years old this was the hardest grade at the time. So it’s intimidating. Anyway, I had to try! I said to myself better fail on a dream route at my limit than regret too late to have never really tried.

The starting point was one year ago by checking the moves. Couldn’t do the two cruxes. From there the process was underway. My last 8c send was in 2016 at age of 48. To regain experience and confidence I hopped on other 8c’s, foremost trying ‘Mind Control’ at Oliana that could be the sibling of ‘Stop Sika’. The wonderful Vanda Michalkova created a training regime targeting my weaknesses. For several months I lived a climbing monk’s life spending most of my free time training. I never took T-Level supplementals (unhealthy and dangerous!). I work 4/7 and I’m not sponsored."