Interview Katrin Strobl: Your latest YT video shows you in an unusual situation - Jakob Schubert struggles for weeks with a single boulder. Do you win or lose in the end?
Definitely both! It was a last-minute decision to fly to the US at the end of January with two very good friends, Nicolai Uznik and Michael Piccolruaz. The destination was the Red Rocks near Las Vegas and a relatively difficult boulder. The video shows the process I went through on Sleepwalker, an 8C+ boulder. In terms of difficulty, it's the hardest boulder I've ever tried, and yet I thought I had a chance of doing it relatively quickly. In the video you can see the struggles, but also how great the atmosphere is when we boulder together.

You came home from that trip 'with no result' - in hindsight, would you approach the project the same way again?
I am still convinced that I would have been able to climb the boulder and that a few slightly different decisions would have changed the result. In such a process you always learn a lot about the boulder itself. On the first days it was much too cold and therefore much too dry, actually impossible to climb. We certainly invested too much physically and destroyed skin that I simply missed at the end. Going into a boulder like that with two cuts on your fingers is anything but ideal. One or two more days of rest and more skin for the better conditions towards the end of the trip - that would have been the better recipe.

For a fortnight, your whole focus was on one boulder. You set your mind on it and want to do it at all costs, even if it means coming home 'empty-handed' - is that doggedness or stubbornness?
In the past, I always enjoyed climbing many lead routes on my second or third attempt - difficult enough that I couldn't do them onsight or flash, but not so difficult that I had to try them forever. Sending as many of them as possible in one trip, that was my goal for a long time in bouldering, too. Of course, it's cool when you're in the Rocklands in South Africa for the first time, you have all the classics in one pile, and you just go through and do a lot of bouldering that is just below your level. That also fascinates other people, when you can practically do everything in a very short time.

In the last few years, I have increasingly started to look for a very difficult project and work on it. Perfecto Mundo is a good example - it made me realize how much I'm learning about my own climbing on the rock. Everything has to be perfect when you go to the limit like that. This approach is not necessarily more fun, but it helps if you want to improve. That's what makes it exciting for me. In bouldering, I have done relatively little projecting so far, and Sleepwalker was my first trip from this other point of view. Certainly, it wasn't as much fun as if I had tried a different boulder every day. However, I came back with the feeling that I had learned a lot. This time it actually didn't turn out well, normally I still get up there somehow and have this insane feeling of happiness. Now I've had to learn that you can't always get that and would therefore say that it was the right decision.

How do you explain this meticulous approach to outsiders? How does it look in your head when you are in such a project?
I still believe that 8C+ doesn't have to be my limit, it always depends a bit on the boulder and how much it suits me. With the Sleepwalker, I had this hope that I would succeed after a few days, but I quickly realized that I would have to invest more and that was a bit frustrating. After all, you have your ego in your luggage too. As a climber, you want to be good in every style, you want to have few weaknesses. On this trip, I and the whole team were shown a few deficits. Especially on the undercuts, I felt very lost at the beginning. In the evening after a session, I think a lot about what I can do better. In the beginning, it's a lot about finding the right variation for yourself. What can be the trick that works for me? Before I go to sleep, I go through the boulder several times in my head. On the day itself, it's all about timing everything very well, always concentrating fully on the attempt at hand and getting everything out of yourself in that go. After that, you need a break, not only physically, but especially mentally. You can only put yourself in beast mode a few times in a row.

In 2021 you did practically everything 'in passing', also downgraded many routes, were untouchable and now you start 2022 with a 'negative' result. Untypical for you. What do you learn from this?
Untypical situation - yes and no. It always depends a lot on where you spend your time. La Cappella, for example, has been extremely accommodating for me, Red Rocks with the Sleepwalker not quite so. Also, you're not equally fit in every phase, but it doesn't immediately eat away at your self-confidence. I feel very good again in training now and have concentrated on World Cup preparation, even though I have a lot of plans on the rock this year. What I certainly learned is that I'm nowhere near as experienced in projecting a boulder on the rock as I am in route climbing. Next time I will definitely have to approach it tactically better, in terms of rest days, attempts and mental preparation.

Jonathan Siegrist has done La Novena Puerta (8c+) and in Santa Linya. "I started trying it after Seleccio Anal, it was a great style change after such a long and super enduro pitch - to switch to something more bouldery. This route is kind of the classic hard one I think about when I picture Santa Linya so it was cool to finally get to try it. I found it quite hard! So many more here for me to experience, it's been so fun to learn about this classic hard cave."

In total, the 36-year-old has done 130 routes 8c+ and harder and actually his last year was his best ever, including five 9a+ and one 9b. In the 8a ranking game, he is #4 which also is his best ranking ever.

Mei Kotake, #4 in the world championship in 2018, reports on Insta that she has done Era Vella in Margalef, giving it an 8c+/9a grade. The five-star route was put up by Chris Sharma and became quickly the most frequently repeated 9a in the world. Later a hold broke making it harder and during the last two years, it has only been repeated twice.

Previous on her trip, the 154 cm tall, has done Mind Control (8c) on her sixth try and Fish eye (8c) on her fourth go. Having competed actively for ten years, especially since 2016, including also Ice events, she has not been climbing that much outdoors beside the last two years. Her previous best was 8b+ and 8A+. Noteworthy is that just a few days before travelling to Spain she was #2 in the Japan Cup.

Could you tell us more about your trip and the hard routes you have done?
In total, I stayed 5 weeks in Spain. In the first half, I climbed in Oliana and sent Fish eye and Mind Control to get an understanding of how to climb such long routes.

The latter half was spent in Margalef, where I needed 13 tries over eight days to send Era Vella. On the first day, I couldn’t top it out even after two hours. The next day I had a new feeling. I could figure out some moves and then did all of the moves. After I climbed the second half of the route without falling. I was sure that when I made the first half of it, I could do it. Then the moment came.

What about competitions in 2022?
I will compete only in Lead world cups as much as possible. Competitions are a different kind of fun compared to rock. I don’t want to be obsessed with competition results, I just want to enjoy my climbing, so I’ll go back on the rock soon!

William Moss has done Friend zone (8c+) in Gunks (NY). He sent it last autumn but it did not make a headline although he was just 16 years old. Thanks to the 8a forum, we just recently found out that it pretty much could be considered a trad route and as there are perhaps just a handful of such 8c+ out there. Here we go:

"It was really fun getting into trad over quarantine with my friend Carter who taught me. I always was better at long sport climbs since I naturally have more endurance than power but I’m not near a lot of bolted crags in NYC so once I saw the lifer film with Sam Elias sending Brozone I knew I had to try it. After sending Ozone and Brozone (8b+) it looked like the next obvious project. Took me two seasons and a lot of attempts but it’s my proudest line to date."

Could you tell us more about the bolts on the route?
Ya, there are three bolts on it (two of which I clip). The first bolt protects a v7 (7A+) boulder at the bottom of Brozone and the higher bolt protects some blank 5.12+ (7b'ish) climbing on Ozone. From the next piece above the last bolt, it is a v10+ (7C+) crux into the final 12d (7c) roof.

So should we call this one of the hardest trad routes in the world or just a super hard mixed route?
Well, it just depends on how you define trad and mixed route. Many ascents of Brozone have claimed it a trad route because of the fact that the cruxes are above gear which is, even more, the case on Friend Zone.

Barbara Zangerl reports on Insta that she has done Mr. Teroldego 8c in Arco. "We visited some different areas around Arco and enjoyed the big variety of climbing styles this place has to offer. A week ago I tried Mr. Teroldego a very cool steep and powerful route through the middle of the wall. I was super happy to send that one. Such a cool line!" (c) Jacopo Larcher

How has the climbing winter been?
At the beginning of the year I have spent some time in the crag Pizarra also in Arco…..I love this wall and enjoyed some lines like Terra piatta, Riflessi, Dedifredi, Prospettiva Nevski, or Panem et circenses! All outstanding. Such a perfect wall! You don‘t have to travel far to find high-quality climbing…

The winter was a pretty tough time for me. Had some struggles with health. (Autoimmun inflammation of my intestinal). So I reduced training and other sports activities a bit. In general, I took it easier to have a better and faster recovery. Of course, the psych was higher than ever to go back on rock climbing after this winter and enjoy the time in Arco.

What are your 2022 plans?
We are going back to Pakistan at the end of June. Trying to free climb Nameless tower.

The qualification format in the European Bouldering Youth Cup for 2022 will be flash style without an isolation zone. The new format will be used for the first time in the Euro Youth Cup in Chambery 8-9/4. Previously the format has been group flash/redpoint style with some eight boulders and 60 minutes.

Just like in Lead, the route setters will demonstrate the boulders for the first starters. The advantage of this system is that the youngsters will not have to stay in isolation for several hours. Furthermore, the previous redpoint format led to queues with climbers missing out on their last tries on popular boulders, which this format eliminates. It may however create more pressure.

Some 15 years ago, IFSC made a similar change to their Lead World Cup format, introducing flash in the qualification.

Camilla Moroni, who last year did her first 8B and got the silver in the World Championship, has done Dreams are full of maybies (8A) and Bavona Jungle (8A) in Valle Bavona.

"It was a nice weekend spent in Bavona between training and competitions. Bavona Jungle is in my opinion 7C+... Probably the first move is easier if you are short like me. I managed to send also "Dreams are full of maybes" a nice crimpy line. Then I tried Heritage (8B+). I'm satisfied with my first session on it but probably it will be the last of this season because this weekend the temperatures were already high. I really hope to go back on it next fall to give it some proper tries!"

What are your comp plans for 2022 and how are your feeling before Meiringen?
I feel quite in shape for the WC season, but from the first WC stage, I don't expect anything because I feel good on the wall but maybe others climbers are much stronger than the last year. After testing the waters in Meiringen I will be more precise with my goals. This year I'm going to do all Boulder WCs and some Lead Wcs. My main goal is to be in shape during the European Championship which will be the first competition with the new Olympic format.

How do you like the new point-scoring format with two zones?
Before saying if I like the new format I should try it but I hope the style of the boulders does not change with the two zones🤞🏻

Barbara Zangerl has been one of the leading female trad climbers for 10+ years and when it comes to multi-pitch climbing the 33-year-old Austrian is among the most accomplished, independent of gender. Trad ethics have been developed and shared over the years but there are no fixed rules etc. Ethics can often vary between different locations and there is also a grey zone of what is allowed. Babsi was kind enough to share her opinion on the sometimes delicate questions. The origin of the talk comes from her latest video where she does Le Voyage 8b+, using the pre-placed threads (slings) that FA James Pearson left. "In general I think… all options are open you just have to be honest about how you approached a climb…"

How do you create such fixed slings and why?
You put a sling through two connecting pockets and then a knot 🪢. It is called sanduhr in german. Like connecting holes in the rock, where you put a sling through. You can do that while climbing as well, but often that kind of protection is fixed on some routes. I guess it was James who put them there. Also on Muy Caliente and some other routes in Pembroke or other places, there are fixed slings like that… especially on face climbs. Of course, on crack climbs you don’t need or find anything like that

Everybody should decide on their own! I repeated „Le Voyage" with the same ethics that the FA used. It is not a hard sequence where you clip the fixed slings on Le Voyage—it is where you can take a big rest.

What about pre-placed cams and nuts?
I think that a clean ascent should be without pre-placed gear. Placing gear takes time and sometimes it can be even tricky to place gear while climbing. So it adds some difficulty to a route I would say. If everything is pre-placed, you are faster and don’t lose any power for taking the time to place gear. So it makes a difference if you climb a line pre-placed or place all the gear while climbing.

What about placing gear and then down climb and then continue to use this as fixed protection?
I start climbing and place the gear while climbing. I never tried down climbing to have the gear placed before I do a real try. But I guess that is ok as well. But I think it doesn’t really help. It even makes it more complicated, I would say. It depends if the down climb is hard or super easy.

What about fixed pitons and removable beaks etc? Does it make it a "mixed" route?
I know there are some routes in Europe/US where there are old rusty pitons. They are still called trad lines… so I guess that is ok. As long as you don’t hammer in a new one, which is questionable. Beaks are aid climbing gear and trad climbers often use them as protection. You can put them into very small cracks… You can place it while climbing on a clean line… or you can hammer it into the crack.

Would such protection still be included in the clean trad ethics?
Yes, if you place them while climbing, not using a hammer. If they are pre-placed it is not clean anymore. But, probably still a trad climb if there is one old beak or piton from back in the days.

What about replacing an old rosty piton?
I would say no… but there are lines that are mixed… and you should ask the people who put up the route…. Before you change anything. In the Dolomites, there are many alpine routes with super old gear on them. Some stay like that forever and some get new pitons. In the past they were safe routes but now, probably not anymore. You can take a hammer and hammer lose pitons in again; I think that is ok… but for placing new ones you should always discuss with people who put up the line.

What about having a safety rope on the side or at the top ready if the climber wants to bail out?
Nope… this is not something that you want to use on trad.

What about protecting trad climbs with crash pads?
I think it is all fine… you just have to mention it.

8a.nu is about to publish an article about an 8c+ route in which you, on relatively easy terrain, clip two bolts but then it goes on natural gear. Should this be considered trad or mix... I mean, let us say somebody makes the first 9a+ "trad" climb in such style, I do not think you should call it the hardest trad route in the world? It is a grey zone again? Should it be published as a trad or a mixed climb ;) ?(Journalist dilemma)
It can be a trad line… but I would definitely say that there are two bolts and it is not completely clean. It is mostly trad but there is a sequence where you clip bolts.