Daniel Fuertes has done the FA of Excelsior (9a+) in Foz de Zafrané. The 42-year-old did his first 8a in 1997 and now he has done 1 258 up to 9a+. Last week he did another 9a+ and explained why he is sending harder than ever during the last two years. "Now, is more difficult for me to travel for climbing routes onsight and it’s more comfortable climbing hard projects close to home." (c) Nacho Fuertes Olles

Can you tell us a little more about your ascent and the process?
I started testing the route a few seasons ago when I bolted it. I tried days I climbed close to home, just seeing the moves, knowing the way. The last autum, I tried it more seriously but I couldn’t do it, so it became my priority this year. In spring, there were very bad conditions and I could barely focus on it, but this autumn I came back and felt good from the beginning and I managed to chain it in a few days 🤗. Now, I need some relaxation and enjoy climbing onsight different routes 🤗.

Gonzalo Larrocha has done La fuga de Picasso (9a) in , which Jonathan Flor did the FA of last month. ”I spent many days trying it during September, but now it is difficult to find people to climb there. The route is a real challenge on kneebars and I used some of the most technical in my life. The route has a first 8b+ section and after a good rest, you continue on to the main section. After that, you climb another 8b. It's more or less 45m, out of which in a roof, and the rest is really overhanging.”

In total, the 38-year-old has logged 1 823 routes 8a and harder, out of which 26 are graded 9a to 9a+. During the last 12 months, he has sent 142 routes 8a and harder.

How many days a week do you climb and what does your normal climbing week look like?
Usually, I climb 4 days a week and train 2 more days. This year I finish my job at 13:00 on Tuesday and Friday, and this is when I go climbing during the week, and also on the weekend. I like both long-time projects and multiple ascents. Now I don't have too many routes to do fast near home.

What is your next plan? When I recover my hand I would like to return to Margalef. I injured my ligaments trying , and now I don't have power on two finger pockets.

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."

Matteo Menardi, who previously has done eight 9a's, has done Zeitläufer (9a) in . (c) Weger Philipp "Queen of the valley, glad to finally climb this 40 meters endurance benchmark! Dolomites sport climbing at its finest: the first couple of draws from, "All In" then on to the right. Thanks Hannes once again for the vision and bringing it to the light."

Can you tell us a little more about your ascent?
The “Landro” valley (Höhlensteintal in German) has been for me probably the main summer climbing area since I began. Pangea was one of the last sectors that I had the pleasure to discover and climb in. In 2015, at the end of the summer season, I would then free the last of those long endurance dolomitic projects. 2020 went by and just before autumn a new outstanding project was born: Hannes Phfeifhofer (local long-time passionate climber and driving force for the development of these areas) bolted a new route on the right of “All In” with the same start, which follows a logical line up the orange/pale yellow wall. Alexander Megos, in one of his visits to South Tyrol, would also go up to Pangea on a freezing cold day and confirm that yes, this project is hard and in fact might be “9a or harder”.

I discovered it and took the decision to wait for the summer and start exploring. I dedicated at least five sessions to understanding the rock and its holds as well as figuring out the betas: some moves seemed really low percentage. But I insisted because I liked this challenge, loved being in (my) nature and it really made sense as Landro in general is just a short drive from my hometown. The season went by and it had all started to build up: sequences, links, power, endurance… So I kept on trying until it was too late because I had missed one detail, which made me always fall at the last quickdraw.

This year I knew how things were: the small pockets get humid easily and I personally really struggle with bad conditions on such long routes with few rests. Starting in July until late September I worked at the local tourist information point and focused on trying it at best in a few days, having great times with my friends who also patiently let me practice German! All in all this season it took me a dozen sessions and on October 7th, using another foothold and this tiny intermediate at the top, I screamed with joy holding the jug of glory.

I named it “Zeitläufer” because there are just a few good dry days for it and time flies! My approach to grading is based on other already established routes in the same sector like Open Project (8c+), discussions at the crag as well as personal experience. All in all, I propose 9a for one of the hardest routes in South Tyrol and the nearby province of Belluno.

Alex Megos reports on Insta that he has done the FA of The Full Journey 9b in Margalef. The 35m route was bolted by Tom Bolger who did the FA of the first pitch, The Journey 9a in April. Last week, Alex made the second repeat, and then he needed six more days to do the full line. It has been estimated that the 17m extension is 9a in its own right. (c) Meri Mendez

"The first part is pure power-endurance on mostly two finger pockets with a hard mono move in the middle. The second part is a boulder with a rather violent dead point move to a mono and a few more hard moves after. If it wasn't for the good rest between the two parts this route would definitely be next level. With the rest it's still hard though. Both parts fit my style very well I'd say, so I'm curious to hear what repeaters think."

The German has done some 100 odd routes 9a and harder out of which six are 9b, or 9b+, meaning he has the second-best track record in the world after Adam Ondra. He is also well-known for being the first climber to onsight a 9a. When it comes to comps, he has been one of the best since he started to compete in 2008 as a junior. In 2018, he took the bronze in the World Championship, and in 2019, the silver. During the last two years, he has done half of the World Cups and twice made the podium.

Daniel Woods has flashed and made the third ascent of Compass North (8B+) in Fionnay. The super steep crimpy test-piece was put up by Clément Lechaptois and has been repeated by Aidan Roberts. Roughly ten years ago, the 31-year-old flashed Entlinge which was at the time a confirmed 8C, calling it 8B+.

Which one do you think is harder out of these two flashes?
I think this (Compass North) is harder than Entlinge… Entlinge could be more 8B rather than 8B+.

How did you prepare for the flash?
I just felt the holds from the ground and envisioned how I would move in between them. Since the climb has one way of doing it there isn’t much beta prep needed. It’s more about waiting for the right condition and feeling confident that you can execute the moves. This climb fit me perfectly so I had confidence that it could be flashed. I also watched Aidan’s video on Insta and Clem explained the beta to me as well.

How did you warm up for those crimps?
I did this 7C called Drug Addict and then did Scarred For Life stand which is 8A+. Both lines are crimpy so that did the trick.

Was it an epic fight or did you feel like you were in cruise control?
I wouldn’t say an epic fight but def. felt harder than I expect haha.

Have you been close flashing other 8B+ problems?
Ya, I fell on the last move of Mirta (8B+) in Capetown and on the last move of Inferno in Chile. Both these should have been flashed.

When it comes to boulder problems completed, Daniel has the most impressive tick list in the world with some 50 boulders 8C to 9A under his belt. He has also won one Boulder World Cup and completed roughly ten 9a+ graded routes.

Buster Martin has done Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura after projecting it for only five days. Wolfgang Güllich did the first ascent in 1991 and it is considered the first 9a in the world, although it was originally given the german XI grade which corresponded to 8c+/9a. Since Güllich's ascent better beta has been found and Buster comments. "Wolfgang's sequences look much harder, I didn’t even try.

As of today, Action Directe has been repeated 27 times, but it's only been climbed twice over the last three years. Another contender for the first 9a in the world is Ben Moon's Hubble (8c+) established in 1990, which some have thought merits the 9a grade including Buster who repeated it in 2020. (c) Hannes Huch and Buster's Insta about the actual send.

Can you tell us more about your ascent and the process? Did you use a replica etc?
I ruptured a pulley last year. The first part of my rehab involved lots open-handed grips, later when I was nearly back to full fitness I moved onto monos, to make sure I’d reconditioned myself and was prepared for whatever I might come up against. Then heading out to Cuenca and Margalef (lots of pockets) got me feeling really confident, a previous weakness of mine. I started to think about trying Action.

I headed out in June/July but it was too hot so I ended up climbing in Magic Wood and did my first 8B+, The Never Ending Story (8B+). The temps cooled and I got a couple of sessions in. It felt like it could have gone but I was slipping off a heel hook mid-way up the route. After a trip to Asia, where I traveled and did some training I returned in September and got it done, but only after a heartbreaker last move attempt.

Did you set up and follow any training plan?
(Buster is a training coach who runs online coaching through Kaizenclimbing. Here is and interesting Insta post about weight training on finger board. )
I can’t say I did any campusing on 1 finger! My training wasn't anything complicated, the challenging part is adjusting and making the training fit around rock climbing and the rest of my life. I used the fingerboard to prepare my fingers in a slow, heavy and controlled way. 3-finger drag and half crimp for shorter more intense hangs as well as some slightly less intense hangs on monos and pockets. After all this training I could add 20kg for a Beast maker 1 arm hang on 3 finger drag and 48kg for 2 arms hang on the monos.

The fingerboarding was good but climbing on pockets on the (training) board really tied things together and got me ready. More contact strength and pulling through on holds as well as learning to relax on scary monos. On the board I was doing some limit bouldering as well as some longer boulder problems and intervals for the specific power endurance. For reducing injury risk and body strength, weights were an important part of my training. Deadlifts for tension and the strength in my hips to throw them into the wall for the dyno. Bench press for keeping the shoulders strong for some of the wide and compressing moves.

For power: high velocity pull-ups at bodyweight for power in the arms, jump, and catch exercises for contact strength. This trained the two separately but to put things together and get specific coordination and for history's sake I used the Campus board! Ladders on 2 fingers and some big moves, even building up to 1-6-10.

Which in your opinion is harder Hubble or AD? You marked both as, "soft"?
That’s not something I’ve thought about too much. They are both different routes and I climbed them at different points in my climbing career with different fitness levels. I climbed Action because it’s action and Hubble because it’s hubble, both of them massively significant in their own right and sharing a similar place in history. I love the history, but do we really need to compare the biceps between Ben and the late Wolfgang Gullich? Biographie and la Rambla don't seem to be leveled up or compared so why should these two routes? The consensus for Hubble seems to be 9a, and whilst that may change the history books, I don't think that takes anything away from the iconic Action Direct. The Monos, the line, the beautiful setting and most importantly the legacy of Wolfgang and the way he pushed things forward in sport climbing and training. A true legend and a legendary route, the best I’ve done.

Why do you think this is only the third ascent in the last 3.5 years, while at the same time we have seen possibly 500 ascents of much less famous 9a's?
Frankenjura doesn't seem like the most trendy place anymore, known for a savage and specific style, where you have to work hard for your ascent. I’m sure if Action was somewhere busier with better weather such as Catalunya it would have had many more ascents.

James Webb has repeated Drew Ruana's Insomniac 8C+ at Lincoln Lake. It starts by doing eight moves of The Wheel of Wolvo followed by a good rest and then continuous through We Can Build You (8B). (c) Wes Walker

"Insomniac took me around nine sessions, out of which five were in July when it was quite warm and rainy and then another four in good conditions in early September. Felt super good to be back after the longish recovery with my ankle. The summer was great, I spent another week in the backcountry of Wyoming trying to finish up some projects I tried last season. Now I’m back home in Tahoe and super stoked for the upcoming season here. There are loads of projects to do and we just keep finding more."

What does your typical climbing week look like?
A typical week here at home is mostly just climbing outside, hiking and searching for new boulders. There’s just so much potential here it’s hard to even stick to one project or area. Sometimes it’s hard to stay in the fittest shape because for me I’m more motivated by being outside and discovering new stones. I do spend some time training but that’s usually only when I’m getting ready for a trip somewhere.

What have you learned in 2022 that's made you a better climber and enjoy climbing more?
This past year I feel like I’ve found more balance in my life. Climbing is and always will be a very important part of me but recently I’ve found motivation and happiness in other things too. In my opinion, it’s helped me stay motivated on pushing myself and when I have down periods in my climbing I tend to come back even more psyched and clear-headed. Climbing hard is important for me but these days I’d say it’s taken a big back seat to develop new and amazing lines of all difficulties.

Do you live solely off of sponsorship or do you have a part-time job?
No, I’m lucky enough to be fully supported by my sponsors.

How many projects are you working on currently?
I have too many projects to count haha. Some hard few movers, some long power endurance blocs. Kinda have a good mix going at the moment so I’m not getting too caught up in one single bloc. Certainly helps with the sanity of projecting.

Katie Lamb has done and in Squamish. “ Xtremely fun. Rare squamish board style.”

In total, the 25-year-old has done 41 boulders 8A+ to 8B+, out of which 14 during the last 12 months. Katie has been the #1 in the 8a ranking game for over two years.

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