Solomon Kemball has done the first repeat of James Squire recent Paradise Found (8C) in Hartland. (c) James Whitehouse

”Paradise Found is at my local crag with a 20 minute drive so I was able to make frequent visits. I first had a little look at this last summer and immediately wrote it off as impossible until I saw that James had been trying it this year and I thought I would go back and have another look. The first session I had was awful I had no idea what to do and moved on quickly again but after a visit to the crag with James and watching him try it I came back and managed to figure out the crux sequence which revolves around a drop into the double undercut and used some slightly different foot beta which allowed minimal changes between the two moves.

At the time I was also trying another project on that roof which I was going backwards and forwards between depending on which had the better conditions. After figuring out the crux it took me another session to link the release and cut into the crux and then another to work out the top I managed to find some different beta for the top just as I couldn't work out how james was managing it and this allowed me to skip the roll around moves and just get a bat hang into the finishing jug. Although this reduces the amount of moves it requires a lot of tension and is very committing especially with varying beach heights.

The next session I managed to get it in two overlapping halves, the start into the drop down and from the cut to the top. At this point I had just finished all my other projects in the roof including Megladon 8B+ and Jaws sit 8B so i had all my focus on this, however, James had politely asked me not to get on this project which seemed reasonable as I would have had no clue how to do it if I hadn't seen his beta. So, after having a sneaky couple of sessions trying it from the ground, I decided to go do another 8B+ up at Biblins called Spaceship and on the same day James managed to get his ascent, so I spent a few days resting and managed to get the send next session 4 days later. Overall it took me about 7 sessions I believe and I think a run of form and psyche definitely was required for the send.”

Adam Ondra has done the FA of Hogo fogo (9a) in Deravá skala. "Probably THE line of this forgotten cave! Awesome tensiony short power endurance climbing in the roof. Upper end 9a? harder start(s?) to be done."

In total, the 29-year-old has now logged 195 routes 9a to 9c and if it was not for all his personal grades, his list would have included well over 200. The runner-up on this list is Alex Megos who is getting close to 100.

Knowing when to use stiff shoes and when to use soft shoes, as well as how to size them, can sometimes feel like quite the dilemma. As climbing shoe technology and our understanding of performance evolve, the growing trend has been to no longer downsize your climbing shoes to the smallest possible size. On technical, vertical and gently overhanging climbs using a stiff, comfortable shoe will often boost your foot endurance and help you stave off foot-fatigue, while also giving you a few extra cm of reach. Not a bad thing if you're a diminutive climber or find yourself shrinking a little with age (the author falls into both of these categories). That being said, strong toes still have their place. Using a soft shoe for training sessions, steeper climbs and warming up won't do your climbing any harm! Feel free to add any thoughts you have or any climbing shoe hacks you've discovered over the years.

Mathieu Bouyoud has done the FA of On a tous au fond du mental (9a) in Grotte des eaux mortes. “One more project done in the small cave near my home. I bolted this line four years ago but I never saw the line very dry. This year is different...all is dry with very hot temperature! It s a big roof with 3D climbing. I have tried this line during some ten sessions over many seasons. So good to finally do it”.

In total, the 32-year-old has done 32 routes 9a and harder. During the last 12 months he has done two 9a+ and four 9a’s meaning it is his best year ever.

Austria dominated the European Lead Cup at home-turf in Dornbirn getting four golds. In the female Youth A they had four girls in the Top-5 ranking. It should be mentioned that France and Switzerland did not participate, probably as they wanted to prepare for the European Championship the next week.

03: Sunniva Öyre-Eide NOR : Lovro Crep SLO
05: Annika Stöckl AUT : Raffael Grubber AUT
07: Flora Oblasser AUT : Julian Schrittwieser AUT

In the male Lead ranking of 2018, Sean Bailey was #18 and the highest ranked from the USA. The second highest was #43. In 2019, Sean had advanced to #9 and Jesse Grupper was runner-up as #21, working full time as an Engineer. During those two years, Colin Duffy got a gold and a silver in the Youth World Champions.

After the two first Lead World Cups in 2022, they are #1 and #2 followed by two athletes from Team Japan, who actually has four in the Top-8 ranking. Europe has had their worst start in the male Lead WC since it started in 1991. At the same time in should be mentioned that Adam Ondra has not taken part and that Jakob Schubert and Stefano Ghisolfi have just done one event.

Janja Garnbret was the only athlete to top out the final route and won her 20 Lead WC victory. Including getting the gold in also two World Championships, she has won 55 % of all the 40 WC's and WCHs she has participated in. Runner-up was Brooke Raboutou and then Natalia Grossman completed the podium. Among the male, Tasei Homma got his first-ever WC victory ahead of Jesse Grupper and Colin Duffy. Male results and Female results (c) Lena Drapella/IFSC

Homma: “In Innsbruck I felt very sad because of my result, so this time I felt that I need to try my best. First of all I tried to concentrate, just to be myself. In the semi-final I didn’t feel so good about my performance and after the semi-final I got a lot of messages from my friends in Japan, so that’s why I did my best in the final, because of the cheering of my Japanese friends.”

Garnbret: “I feel amazing, this was one of the best routes on the circuit. I feel that I was climbing with flow and just enjoying myself on the route. I was also climbing super fast, so I enjoyed it very much.

In Innsbruck I felt kind of rusty because I haven’t had any comps except Meiringen this year, but then after semi’s I felt in the flow so I could do the same in Villars, so it feels amazing. I feel that this was easier than Innsbruck. Innsbruck was really the hardest route I’ve ever climbed. This one I feel like at observation it looked harder, but the hardest part was just the last two moves. I really enjoyed it. It had some tricky parts where you had to be careful, but nevertheless I enjoyed it.”

Janja Garnbret was the only athlete to top the semifinal route in Villars. Runner-up was Chaehyun Seo and the third was Brooke Raboutou, which also was the final ranking in Innsbruck last weekend. Among the male, Jesse Grupper got the highest ahead of Colin Duffy. Interestingly, Team Japan got four males and two females to the finals, which are their best results. Team USA continued their excellent results and got two plus two to the finals. Overall, there will only be three females and two males from Europe in the finals, which just might be the worst ever result for the Europe that has dominated the Lead World Cup scene for like 30+ years. Male results and Female results

Ao Yurikosa, who was #2 in Innsbruck, won the Lead qualification ahead of Colin Duffy. Jakob Schubert and Stefano Ghisolfi did not participate, the latter commenting on Insta, "Covid got me (probably in Innsbruck), so I'm in isolation, but at home this time 🤷‍♂️."

Among the females, Brooke Raboutou was the only one to top out both routes and runner-up were Laura Rogora and Chaehyun Seo. In total, 84 males and 78 females participated. Female results and Male results (c) Lena Drapella/IFSC

China got all three podiums in the male Speed finals in Villars and remarkably, all were debutants in the World Cup. Long Jianguo won the gold in the finals finishing at 5.23 against Wu Peng 5.24. Kiromal Katibin, who set two world records in the qualification, fell in the quarter final.

Among the female, Deng Lijuan won stopping the clock at 6.87, beating her teammate Niu Di who slipped.