Toru Nakajima reports on Insta that he has repeated Dai Koyamada's Epitaph in Horai. Due to several broken holds, he upgrades it to 8C+. However, it might possibly be 9A now since the crystal of the key hold broke on his send, which happened on his 13th session.

The 29-year-old did his first 8B+ at age 15. In total, he has done more than a handful 8C's and he is well known for his extreme projects. One of them, free-soloing a 500 meter waterfall. He has also made two trips to Finland in order to repeat Nalle Hukkataival's Burden of Dreams 9A. "I chose a strategy of doing short trip at a high frequency and training with replica holds in between. This was rather successful, and I think it was close on the second tour." Then Covid-19 came and four trips were cancelled and then a new missed trip two months ago.

Brooke Raboutou, who was #5 in the Olympics, presents a great video from her Ticino trip earlier this winter when she did Kings of Sonlerto 8A+, La Proue (8B), Heritage 8B (+) and Iur (8B+). On friday she will compete in the Bouldering WC in Meiringen as one of the favorites trying to defend her #4 position overall.

Loose rock is one of the biggest risks for climbers. Especially after the winter season when frozen water has expanded. It's not unheard of for seemingly solid sections that have been climbed on for decades to cut loose. Chances are you've come across a loose hold or feature marked with an X. One of the challenges is very few people take the time to properly mitigate new loose sections.

Due to many new routes being put up last year, and many gym climbers climbing outside for the first time, the risk of rock fall might be higher than ever. A newcomer might go further to the side of an established route or possibly dyno to the X hold. It is important that all experienced climbers spread the word about loose rock in order to avoid bad injuries, and do what they can to mitigate them whenever possible.

Another risk is that more experienced climbers are trying old forgotten routes as they have run out of climbs at their established local crags. Just last week, I fell into this category, as I tried to top rope an old-school mixed route and suddenly a one-kilo pinch cut loose on me. After further inspection, I realized the entire section was dangerously loose, and after 30 minutes of cleaning, we had removed roughly 20 kg of rock. Pictured is a separate, loose 50 kg stone that we had to put a bolt into in order to lower it, as it was found 50 meters off the deck, and just above a trail.

Lucien Martinez has done hist first 9a+, Papichulo in Oliana after some 20 sessions. Previously the editor-in-chief of the French Magazine Grimper has done ten 9a's. (c) Williclimb

Could you please say something about how you took it down?
I tried it on and of for several years (It was my side project of Fight or flight, which I failed once again this year). So quite a lot of sessions! I have done a lot of endurance training at the gym before the trip, with and without a rope. Maybe four sessions a week where I did endurance "a muerte", sometimes 15 routes between 7c and 8a+ in 3-4 hours at the gym. I think it's good training for a route like Papichulo which is more or less all about fitness.

How do you compare it to the other 9a's you have done?
I think it is my hardest. You really need to be in good shape to do it, so very very low end of 9a+, but still 9a+ in my opinion.

Zach Wilson, who did his first 8B+ last month, has done Sound of Violence (8C) in Joe's Valley (UT). On his first Insta for 15 months, he comments the posted video. "Had to sit down for 2019 due to nerve damage in my finger 2020-2021 I had multiple surgeries on my knee and shoulder. Didn’t touch rock again until last august."

Could you tell us about how much climbing/training you have had since 2019?
I got about three months of climbing/training in 2019 before the nerve injury in my finger I got from a slot crimp/finger jam. By the time it recovered I got two or so months of climbing in 2020 until I got the knee and shoulder injuries. In December 2020 I had surgeries on my ACL, Meniscus, labrum, and bicep. I got out of my sling and knee brace in the summer of 2021 and started bodyweight rehab then got to climb in the gym for the first time again in July 2021. So besides those few months split up between 2019-2020 I was not climbing/training at all, full no activity resting.

How did you get that bad injury in 2020 and are you fully recovered now?
An awkward fall while bouldering at my local gym. It was a dyno to a duel Tex grip and I slipped off at a weird angle while controlling the momentum. Yes, I’d like to say that I’m fully recovered now. I decided to try Sound of Violence to test the limits of my recently repaired shoulder and knee on its hard drop knee and gaston swing. So psyched to be back climbing.

The World Cup season starts once again with the Bouldering event in Meiringen in Switzerland. The qualification starts on Friday 8/4 followed by the semi and final on the weekend. From the starting list, we can see that there will be 17 competitors from Switzerland, 16 from Japan, 13 from Slovenia and 10 from France, Great Britain, Germany and Israel. There are also four competitors from Ukraine that will participate and as previously mentioned, Russians are not allowed to take part.

In practice, each country is limited to fielding five males and five females but extra spots are given based on the results from last year, and the host country is allocated extra spots. The big names not taking part are Adam Ondra, Jan Hojer and Shauna Coxsey (pregnant) and Akiyo Noguchi who stopped competing after the Olympic Games.

Friday, 8 April:
9:00 AM Women's Boulder qualification
4:30 PM Men's Boulder qualification

Saturday, 9 April:
11:00 AM Women's Boulder semi-final
6:00 PM Women's Boulder final

Sunday, 10 April:
11:00 AM Men's Boulder semi-final
4:00 PM Men's Boulder final

Marine Thevenet reports on Insta that she has repeated Fred Nicole's White Strip in Brione. In total, the full time lawyer, has now done some 70 boulders 8A to 8B. (c) Clément Lechaptois

"White Stripe is just one hard move; good holds and a jump up to a big crimp. I tried the basic beta but I couldn't even imagine touching the good crimp! So I am pretty happy that a little crimp decided to exist between the first hold and the good crimp! It allowed me to figure out my own beta and not miss my chance in this super line ;)"

Dave MacLeod reports on Insta that he has done the second repeat, after Steve McClure, of Neil Gresham's Lexicon in Pavey Park. The original grade was E11 (7a) using the British grade which takes into account both how hard and how dangerous it is to onsight. Neil has said the climb itself warrants 8b+ due to the risk of falling 25 meters doing the final 7C boulder crux, which is the reason why R has earlier been added to the grade. If it would have been a risk of death then it would have been an 8b+ X, while it would probably have been an E12.

Dave reports that he found an extra gear placement and also that he did it on his first attempt having worked on it since last autumn.

Noteworthy is that the average age of the three climbers is 47 although Dave is just 44 years old. He has been cutting edge for 20+ years and just recently done 8B+ and 9a. Full detailed story on Dave's blogspot:

"Unfinished climbs have always been a source of chronic pain to me, an ache I can tolerate for long periods when there is no other option. But the minute I can change the picture, I’ll do anything I can to resolve it. When I say ache, I mean that in a good way, like the ache of burning muscles in training. It’s good pain! The minute I resolve it, I’m almost instantly looking to cause it again and have lived this way for 25 years. There is an expression that pain is the cost of being alive and as far as I’m concerned, it’ll stop when I’m dead."

Jonatan Flor reports on Insta that he has done the second ascent of Alex Garriga's Malleus Maleficarum 9a+ in Cuenca, which was bolted by Dani Andrada. (c) Javi Pec

A few days ago he also did El Subnormal Del Antihydral 9a and earlier this spring he has done El carnicero de Rostov 9a, Cordia Maleficarum 9a and more than a handful of 8c/+ to 8c+/9a. On the 8c+/9a and harder list, he is #7 with some 65 such hardcore routes. The 25-year-old started making 8a headlines ten years ago when he did his first 8c. Interesting is that almost all of the hardest routes he has done since 2019.