It's no secret, we all know by now that climbing is booming and that boom is accompanied by greater climber impact and access challenges. This topic might sound like a broken recored to those of us climbing longer than what we can count on five fingers; but, it's worth remembering that climbers who get introduced to the sport indoors and those traveling through and/or visiting a new-to-them crag, might not be aware of access problems, and might need some guidance when it comes to their first visit(s). Although there is often info in guidebooks, topos, facebook pages and written signs, it's not always enough, and the best way to ensure that access and other etiquette and area specific issues are respected is through in person conversation and polite intervention when needed. Calling out climbers on social media that have used the wrong parking place or behaved badly at the crag, after the fact, will never be as impactful as a face to face human exchange. More info on Human waste from the Access Fund.

Babsi Zangerl is the best female multi-discipline climber in the world where her big wall ascents stick out. At the start of her career, she was one of the best female boulderer in the world until she got some back problems which made her more focused on rope climbing. Le Voyage was set up by James Pearson in 2017 including some pre-placed gear which also Babsi seems to use in the video.

Aidan Roberts has done the FA of Everything the Light Touches (8C) and the second ascent of Kim Marschner's Forgotten Gem (8C) in Ticino. Yannick Flohé has repeated them both after first having done (the stand start) The Kingdom in just one session, giving it a personal 8B+ grade.

"Everything... (The Sit) is actually a different boulder. You start below the starting hold of Kingdom and make a big dropknee move to the left to a small crimp and then come into the second hold of kingdom with your right hand instead of your left hand like on the original start. Kingdom sit shares most of the holds with Kingdom stand but the moves are completely different."

Noteworthy is that Roberts has also flashed Vecchio Leone 8B, as reported on Insta. Furthermore, Flohé, who got the bronze in the world championship 2019, is not on the starting list of the Meiringen World Cup 8/4. "I broke my foot at the beginning and of the year on poison the well this 8c+ so I’ll need some more time before jumping on volumes again I’ll compete in Salt Lake and two European cups before that WC."

Jonathan Siegrist has done in Santa Linya. "Haven't climbed anything this enduro in years! I really loved trying this route. After all of the breaks in the bottom and top it feels quite solid at the grade. No knees."

In total, the 36-year-old has done 20 routes 9a+ and harder which puts him as #5 in the world on that list after Adam Ondra, Alex Megos, Stefano Ghisolfi and Seb Bouin. The American is also the one having done most 9a+ in the united states with eight, out of which six FAs.

Shinichiro Nomura, who previously has done ten 8C's, has done the FA of Gakido (8C+) in Chigobutai. "Finally, I sent the old project, known as one of the biggest Japanese routes. In addition to bad holdings, I struggle with the worst positioning that I’ve never felt, compared with some other V15 (8C) projects. However, I managed to send by the sequence that I found. Although the Japanese routes require a lot of moves and are hard to connect as a whole. This route is short and severe but the shape of the boulder is awesome so I’m really happy that I sent it."

The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC)’s 2021 Annual Report was officially unveiled at the IFSC General Assembly today in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The report was distributed to all National Federations’ delegates attending and the great news is that there is a digital version.

Stefano Ghisolfi has done Trofeo dell'Adriatico (9a+) in Arco. "I tried the route for five days. It is amazing. The wall is one of the best of Arco, very close to the city, and the view is incredible. The crux is in the middle, a hard sequence after a good kneebar rest and then it continues on a beautiful tufa up to the top." (c) Onsen productions

What is your next plan?
Condition are still amazing and I'm trying Excalibur, 9b+ project that felt possible in the past days. I didn't start with the attempts yet but I'm linking some very good parts. (Video from both routes tried together with Adam Ondra.)

What about competitions?
I'll compete in the first lead World Cup and at the World Games.

Emilie Gerhardt reports on Insta that she has done Wrestling with an alligator 8B in Maltatal. In 2013, she got the silver in the Youth World Champion but she stopped competing in 2016. Overall, she has done more than a dozen 8A and harder out of which two 8B's. (c) Julius Westphal

”Due to busy work in our boulder gym “Steil”, rock climbing has been rare the last months. So I was pretty psyched for bouldering in Maltatal for a week ! I’m happy that training paid off and I could climb Klem Loskot’s classic “Wrestling with an alligator”.

Hamish Mcarthur finished the 2021 competition season by first getting two golds in the Youth World Championship and then being #3 and #7, in Boulder and Lead, in the World Championship. Outdoors he has done two 8c+/9a (in just two sessions each) and last year he put in five sessions on La Dura Dura 9b+, in the picture from his Insta.

What is your climbing background?
I started as most kids do; climbing trees, buildings, playground equipment, my parents... To this day nothing brings me as much joy as going adventuring in the vertical plane. I can't step outside without my mind racing at the possibilities of what I can scale. As a result, my parents took me to a gym when I was 5 to redirect my energy. I got hooked quickly. I crave challenge (in any form) and climbing is the perfect symbol of just this.

How can you explain the great progress in 2021?
An amalgamation of many factors so it's hard to unpick the effect to find a single cause. A big factor however was my isolation during the lockdown. For a good few months, my training was exclusively on an 8ft² wooden board in my parents' shed. In this period (with no comps on the horizon) I was forced to change my approach to training from doing it to improve my climbing to doing it to improve my life. This minor shift in perspective has allowed performing so much more freely as suddenly nothing is on the line quite like before. I'm just doing it through love and passion rather than fear.

What is your plan and ambition in 2022?
Simply put, I want to dominate the competition scene then fly to Spain and send la Dura Dura... I know this is incredibly ambitious, but that is how you push the limits. If you don't aim for it there is no chance at all you will do it.