Advertorial: For the SS2022 collection, La Sportiva releases the new version of the Katana Laces shoe, which enriches the climbing category and is presented as a multi-purpose, high-performance model. Katana Laces is available for both men and women featuring several common elements such as the tongue in soft, breathable fabric, the lacing system made with 100% recycled laces, and technical details that allow an optimal adjustment of the volumes. The XS Edge Vibram Sole, in a high-performance rubber compound, offers unparalleled grip properties and allows to distribute maximum weight even on smaller supports. Furthermore, the P3 system allows Katana Laces to keep its shape and all its features unchanged even after many hours of use.

The women’s version, in unisex colors, differs in the construction elements and is designed for climbers with lighter weight thanks to softer materials and with reduced thickness able to flex more easily adapting to the roughness of the rock.

Last year, we made an interview with Lena Müller and the ecological crises. She is currently doing a PhD at the University of Innsbruck about the effects of climate change on mountain ecosystems. In the documentary video she takes her bike 350 km to climb two dream cracks.

Lucie Hrozová has done Prehistorik (8B/+) in Labské Údolí. The picture is from last month when she did Rustam Direct (8B) in Holstejn. In the female ranking game, she advances to #4.

How was the sending day fighting your compartment syndrome in your forearms? It seems like a long boulder?
Yes, it is a long one but at least it is the first moves that are hard. Then I rested for a long time in the hole on my knee (no knee pad) so I got some bruises 😅. I had a good day for my arms 🙏🙏 , very happy and grateful for that, because I know it could get worse really quickly.

How much and how have you been training/climbing lately?
So like now, I was trying one day on, two days off. I want to try one on and one off. If I have boulder I know I will only make a few tries, I want to try like just a bit Saturday and a few tries Sunday. To be climbing the whole weekend it will be somewhere farther away, let's see, it is not predictable at all, how the arms will be in the future.

How many sessions did it take to send?
I don't know exactly. I tried it a few times last year but I had a big pain in one of my fingers so I stopped trying it. This year I tried it again but I wasn't sure because the finger is not completely ok if it goes. So I pretty much really surprised myself.

The 33-year-old has won 14 WC medals in Ice Climbing and she has also done one of the hardest mix routes in the world, Saphira M15-. This career came to a halt due to a serious shoulder injury. Then in 2019, she did an 8c but she had to stop due to Compartment syndrome. Instead, in May 2020 she started bouldering and within six months she did her first 8A+. More info on comparment syndrome from an 8a training article in 2010.

"I do 95 % of the training on the wall. I am not doing any finger boarding. I am not doing any fitness. I am training six times a week for four hours on the spray wall and that is it.

I kept repeating to myself, "if I am not having fun, then I will not win". It is as simple as that."

Janja also thinks that in the future there will be no gender split in competition. "Everything depends on the route setting. I can win a round in the men's but also I can not make semis."

Owen Whaley has done his second 9a, Dad Bod in Robber's Roost. "Psyched on this one! Good knee bar down low makes it slightly easier. Top was exiting when a hold broke going for the clipping jug. Super Fun." (c) Matt Levy

Could you say something about the process how you took it down?
Last year, I climbed Manphibian (9A), Andy Raether’s extension to his climb Spyfiction (8C+). In the fall, I decided to try Dad Bod (9A), another great Andy Raether route that is a harder start to Spyfiction. It’s bouldery almost immediately off the ground. The two-move crux comes at the fourth bolt. Then, you have to keep it together through Spyfiction to the anchors. I found a good kneebar right before the crux that made the clip and intro moves before the crux easier. I had tried the route a few times this season in between competitions. When I returned from a week at the North American Cup Series, I decided to go out and have a fun day on the rock. Surprisingly, I was able to do the route on my second try of the day. Excited to spend more time trying hard routes this summer.

Ben Hanna did the second repeat of Nathaniel Coleman's Lee Majors in Dry Canyon in January, giving it a personal 8c+ grade. In the portrait video he talks about his climbing lifestyle and struggling with anxiety. He has been competing actively since 2012 and in Meiringen last month he was #9 in the qualification and later #15 in the semi, which was his best result ever.

Courtney Arnold has done her fifth 8A+, Blimp roof in . The 22-year-old only needed three sessions to take it down and she is #11 in the female ranking game. Interesting is that she only started climbing in 2016 and it was not until 2019 she begun climbing outdoors.

"Blimp is probably the coolest thing I’ve done so far. Sick roof moves lead to a crazy foot lead to get onto the head wall and then there are some awesome hero moves to the top. Another all-star line by Matt. Wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support from good friends!"

What is next?
I’m not too sure what is next yet. I suppose just trying to refine my roof climbing skills this summer in Flagstaff.

Maho Normand has done L'irrévérence (8c) in Orgon. As can be seen from the picture from his Insta the 16-year-old did it during the night. Previously he has done three 8c+, out of which the first in 2020. During the last six months of 2021 he had a break because of injuries and motivation, which he explained in an article last month.

"This 8c is really good. I loved climbing in it! I put one session in it one week before. Back to Orgon Friday evening to be able to climb this 8c and in my project in 9a+ during the two days of the weekend! Arrived at the parking during the evening on the crag to be able to climb early the next morning! At 10 p.m. I hit the wall and I felt that the holds were all dry and I wanted to run! I prepared the route and arranged a spotlight on the ground and finally a frontal on the head!! Warming up on the board and then going up the route and the moves felt really well! First run in the route at 11 p.m. and did the sequence with a good fight. Great satisfaction! Now will have to do my project!"

Cathy Wagner has during the last 12 months done eight 8a+, out of which four in 2022. Her first 8a, was done in 1994! In total, the 56-year-old has done 844 routes 8a to 8b which should be most of all females and also her grade pyramid should be for the record books. It should be noted that a large part of her sends are done second go as well as she is honest with the gradings like for her latest 8b, Salsa-Burricado, which she logged as 8a+.

"A must-do! 8b in the guidebook, which makes sense if you climb this long traverse without any knee-pads! I've used them a lot right from the beginning and again before the final cruxy boulder section, for which I had to readjust the beta after falling twice. The thing is you have to recover after a 20-move section into a good knee-bar rest before that boulder. Thanks Pires for sharing your beta with me 😊. I reckon it's (a soft?) 8a+ with pads."