Sebastien Bouin has done the FA of the 130m Nordic Marathon 9b/+ in Flatanger. It starts with Nordic Plumber (8c) and continues into Thor's Hammer 2 (9a+) followed by a 50m easier pitch on the vertical wall above the of the amazing cave. He has previously said on Insta that there is an alternative 9c link-up starting via Move (9b/+). (c) Marco Müller

“When Adam told me about his project to cross over the cave, and go from the ground to the summit, I was immediately amazed by this idea. The main goal of my trip was to check out this monster link-up. The idea was big, really big. But it's definitely the kind of challenge which attracts me. The bigger it is, the more motivated I am.

As I explained in my Instagram post last week, there are three possible starting routes for this link-up, each offering a different grade. Starting with either:
Nordic Plumber 8c, Or Thor's Hammer 9a, Or Move 9b/+

Whatever the start, it is then followed by a cruxy 9a+ (Pitch 2 of Thor’s Hammer), with a repoint crux at the end (at 80m). My ultimate goal would be to do it by the hardest possible combination: Move. Previously I have already made four trips to Flatanger to do Move (9b/+). Imagine starting from this one and finishing by a cruxy 9a+. Wow!

However, I knew this would be too hard for a single trip. So first I decided to start from the easiest line (Nordic Plumber 8c) in order to get an idea of the challenge, and to be psychologically ready for the end when I start trying the harder version. After first working and sending the second (9a+) section by jumarring into it, I then started trying from the ground, trying to link into it from Nordic Plumber. It changed so much the end. Coming into the 9a+, with my arms already so pumped in the last crimpy crux after 80m of climbing was insane. I was falling there a few times. And then falling on the previous cruxes as well.

The sheer size of the route makes it hard mentally. You can have one go every two days. It's so much climbing, in one intense burst that you simply can't give two goes in a day. Then if you want to be as fresh as possible, you need a rest day in between. So it was quite hard psychologically to only give it one burn every two days. The pressure felt so high in this last crux. The rope drag was also insane. Even if I had already switched ropes once during the route - I had to untie my knot and free-solo the last 5/10 meters (really easy climbing)."

Advertorial: The Association of British Climbing Walls is excited to announce this year’s Conference and AGM which will take place on the 15th & 16th of September. The conference will be held at the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham, near Sheffield, and will feature an expanded exhibitor hall and greater delegate capacity. As well as a great range of exhibitors from throughout the climbing industry, including wall and hold manufacturers, distributors, equipment manufacturers, and much more, the conference will also contain a variety of exciting workshops and speakers – including Hazel Findlay and Gavin Scott.

Hazel will be delivering a talk on the power of the mind in climbing, using examples from her epic adventures and big climbing projects from around the world. Her talk will be surrounding the question; “what would the experience of climbing be like if we weren’t afraid to fall, or to fail?” And what better person to be discussing the topic of fear and head game than the first British woman to climb E9 trad?! Other talks and workshops will cover topics such as Customer Service 101 with author and podcaster Gavin Scott, Staff Retention, Routesetting, Maintaining Quality Standards, Sustainability and Your Wall, and Claims Defensibility with Partners&. For more information on the 2022 ABC Conference & AGM, and to buy your tickets, head over to the ABC Walls website.

Press release: "On Saturday the 23rd of July 2022, Babsi Zangerl and Jacopo Larcher succeeded in free climbing ‘Eternal Flame’ (VI 7c+ [5.13a], 650m) on the south face of Trango Tower (6240m), also known as ‘Nameless Tower’, in the Trango Group of Pakistan's Karakoram range. The big-wall route is widely regarded as one of the world's hardest free climbs above 6000m.

The pair spent 6 days on the wall, from July 18th to July 23rd, and managed to free climb each of the 24 pitches. They climbed without a single fall during their ascent, which was made in one, continuous push. Something never achieved on the route, until now. All but the first two pitches can be considered as onsight flashes. They had already free climbed those first 2 pitches (also flashed) on their previous expedition, in Summer 2021. Babsi and Jacopo chose to ‘swing-leads’ - meaning they each led alternate pitches. However, they also decided they would both lead the four hard crux (7c-7c+) pitches on the route. All removable protection was placed on lead, as they climbed. They worked their way up the wall, over the 6 days, freeing each pitch consecutively (in the right order). On the 2nd, 3rd and 4th day of their attempt, they made limited progress up the route, due to the warm sun melting the snow and ice and causing the route to become wet. They chose to be patient and were rewarded with good conditions on the 5th day - leaving just 3 easy pitches to climb on the final day, before they were standing on the summit.

Joint statement from Babsi and Jacopo:
“Eternal Flame – A Dream came true!
An incredible line through the stunning 6240m high Trango Tower.
A sequence of 5 star pitches which we’ve rarely seen before, with the crux pitch being above 6000m. What a journey!
We are both exhausted and baked by the sun, but we’re super happy to have climbed this iconic line, without any falls.
Now it’s time to recover in Basecamp and enjoy our last days in this beautiful country.
Big congrats to Edu, for also realising his dream!"


Barbara Zangerl should be considered the best female multi-discipline climber in the world, by a country mile. When it comes to big wall climbing there's very few individuals that have a tick list as impressive as hers as well as Jacopo's. In 2019, she was given The National Geographic Adventurer of the Year award. Barbara has done four routes 8c+/9a and harder and Jacopo seven. When it comes to trad climbing, Jacopo has established what is potentially the only 9a+ in the world and Barbara has done 8c+.

IFSC has published a conversation with Jesse Grupper, who won in Briancon, and the personal story of the Mechanical Engineering graduate is just as amazing as his last results. The runner-up in the overall World Cup 2022, works part-time at a Harvard University Bio Design Laboratory helping to design exoskeletons for stroke victims as well as assisting in writing a paper from a recent study he was part of. As a matter of a fact, helping others have always been a big part of his life.

- In high school I joined this organisation called ‘Peak Potential’ which works with people, mainly children, with physical disabilities and teaches them how to climb. I feel fulfilled in climbing, but this was a chance to work with others and help them improve.

"Following a study period in Cape Town and seeing firsthand the inequity and challenges South Africa faced, Jesse was inspired to help co-found the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for his home organisation. Jesse has a chronic condition called Ulcerative Colitis which is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease. It has affected him in the past as he’s been weaker at competitions and avoided eating to avoid any awkward moments during competition."

- It’s a chronic thing that I need regular medication for. For example, I have to fly back to the US in between this and the next event to get an infusion.

He comes from a musical family both his parents play the guitar and his sister plays ukulele and banjolele. Jesse uses yoga and music as stress relievers which helps out with his chronic condition.

- I like the twang of a banjo and you can’t really make a song sound too sad on a banjo. As far as music goes it’s a happy instrument to play.

When it comes to rock climbing (not included in the conversation), he has done Jaws II (9a+) and Hades 9a but most impressive is a flash of Livin' Astro 8c+. His hardest boulder is Book Club (8B+). website

Lynn Van der Meer, who last year won the Euro Cup in Laval, has done two 8c's in Frankenjura, Roof Warrior (8c) and , "Sooo happy I climbed this line! The route was completely dry and mega beautiful to climb! A really flowy route which fits my style perfectly :) Pretty happy I could send it the fourth time I went in the route." (c) Roman van der Werf.

"Last 2 weeks, I went to Frankenjura two times for 5 days (4 climbing days) with a few days at home in between. On the first trip, I took it slow because I injured my finger back in April. Due to my finger injury, I couldn’t join the international competitions. So I decided to go outside. On the first trip, my finger was feeling good so on the last day, I decided to check out the moves of Father and Son. I went in the route twice that day and could do all the moves and linked some parts of the route together. After this, we went back home and I trained for two days. Last Monday we were back in the Frankenjura. I put the quickdraws back in, repeated the moves of Father and Son, and climbed it in the next go :)

The day after I climbed Father and Son, we went to Roof Warrior, a route I wanted to try for a long time. This time I felt ready to try it. I had the same approach as in Father and Son. First, check out the moves, second time linked parts of the route together. Then I took a rest day and came back the day after. There was one part at the end of the roof that still felt unsure. So when I went up to repeat the moves I searched for other beta and found a kneebar that worked quite well for me. I could send it in my third go that day. Super excited I could send both routes quite fast because now my focus is back to training for the European championships and after that to school. So probably no outdoor climbing for a while."

Eduard Marin has done the first repeat of the Huber brother's Eternal Flame from 2009, which is a 650m 7c+ to the top of Nameless Tower (Trango Tower) at 6 251m in Pakistan. Already in 1989, a team including Kurt Albert and Wolfgang Güllich made it to the top but not free. The Spaniard, who won the Chamonix World Cup in 2006, did it in a single push and was assisted by his brother Alex and their 70-year-old father Francisco. Edu spent 28 days on the wall, out of which 13 alone sleeping at The Snow Ledge at 5 700, waiting out bad weather, most of them without leaving the tent. Edu made it to the top also in 2021 without freeing two pitches due to bad weather. More info on his Insta.

In 2019, the 37-year-old made the FA of the world's hardest multi-pitch, Valhalla 9a+ in Getu in China. The 17 pitches overhang 300+ meters and he projected it for some 170 days including 50 just bolting. In total, he has redpointed some 20 routes 9a or 9a+ and onsighted some 15 routes 8b+ or 8c. In other words, he has one of the most impressive multi-discipline track records in the world.

Allison Vest has done in RMNP (CO) after trying it for some four sessions. In the 8a ranking game, she is runner-up after Katie Lamb.

“I’ve always wanted to try this boulder since I saw the video of Shauna Coxsey doing it. After a very successful first session on it, I thought it would go down quickly but the very first move proved to be very hard for me. Regardless, was pretty stoked to put it down!”

Kwon Gaeun has set a new standard for youngsters by doing Ixeia (8b+) in . Last week, she belayed her father, using an OHM, who also climbed it. In total the 134 cm tall South Korean climber needed eight sessions for the send which was done in 36 degree (celsius) weather .

“It was my first time to come to Spain for a climbing trip with my dad and mom. I was so happy that I could make my project without difficulty on my first trip. The mountains and valleys of Rodellar are so beautiful that I was happy to have a good time every day. Especially, playing in the water every day and, I will miss the ice cream I bought when I walked back to the accommodation after climbing🥰🥰.

This spring she did her first 8b and her father commented. “She trains in my gym four days a week, about five hours a day. Three hours of endurance training (at her spray wall), one-hour bouldering and she does campus board training and cool-down stretching for an hour. She trains in the indoor gym like this on weekdays and goes rock climbing or on outdoor lead walls on weekend.”

How did you prepare for this trip and what is the next plan? We didn't prepare anything in particular. We trained in my gym as usual and have been climbing on the rocks in Korea. We will be onsight climbing for the remaining three days and plan to visit Sharma gym in Barcelona for two days before departure.

1. Tasei Homma JPN 2990 - Janja Garnbret SLO 4 000
2. Jesse Grupper USA 2 522 - Chaehyun Seo KOR 2 795
3. Colin Duffy 2 390 USA - Brooke Raboutou USA 2 560
4. Yannick Flohe GER 2 200 - Laura Rogora ITA 2 520
5. Luca Potocar SLO 1925 - Natalia Grossman USA 2 370
6. Sean Bailey USA 1 525 - Natsuki Tanii JPN 2050

Team ranking
1. USA 11 882
2. Japan 11 215
3. Slovenia 9 984
4. France 6 214
5. Italy 5 493


Until 2018, the IFSC Lead World Cup has been dominated by Europe and Japan with the USA normally around #8. The amazing progress by Team USA started when they began focusing on the Olympics and established a national centre in Salt Lake City run by Josh Larson. Noteworthy is also that all the four first WCs have been run in Europe and that two of the three remaining also will take place in Europe. (c) Lena Drapella/IFSC

Jesse Grupper got his first World Cup victory in after having won each round in Briancon. Previously in 2022, the American has been #3, #2, #35 (stepped outside the wall), #4 (in the World Games) and he is #2 in the overall ranking. This is of course a big surprise but on the other hand, he actually finished the 2019 season being #7 and #5. IFSC Insta interview and her is what he said in the live-streaming.

“I’m still pretty much in shock and super psyched! I feel like that was probably one of the worst climbed routes of my life in some ways, but also I was just so psyched to keep fighting through each move and it felt so good to pull it off. It was very intense and I was very nervous about this move, but I was just like ‘you just have to get this next hold and it will get better, you just have to go one more move’. I think just having that mentality paid off in the end.”

Runner-up was Taisei Homma from Japan, who leads the WC after having been #9, #1 and #2 in the first three events in 2022. Alex Megos from Germany got the bronze on countback against both Tasei and Yannick Flohé. Complete results
(c) Lena Drapella/IFSC

Janja Garnbret won her seventh consecutive Lead World Cup and in total, she has now won 24 WCs and WCHs. Out of the 42 such events the Slovenian has participated in, she has 37 times (88 %) made the podium. “I was really excited, at observation the route looked super cool and I really enjoyed climbing. Some sequences seemed tricky at observation, but then it was all okay – climbable and super nice.”

Runner-up was Chaehyun Seo from Korea just one hold after Janja and then Natalia Grossman got the bronze ahead of Brooke Raboutou, on countback. Complete results