Enrique Beltrán Blasco, who did his first 8b just 2.5 years ago, has done Supernowa (9a) in Vadiello.

"The truth is that it has been a psychologically hard process since the beginning of the route shares the start with an 8c that I already did and then you enter a bouldery route that has three dynamic moves. The finish is a 7b slab in which I have fallen many times. This time I was able to climb calmly and chain it."

Bayes Wilder reports with an Insta video that he has done Lethal Design 8A+ in Red Rocks. In total, the 10-year-old needed to carry out some 35 moves over more than two minutes to take it done, out of the first very intense 28 moves were done without chalking up. Last autumn, he did his first 8c+ and during the winter break, he did his first two 8A+ boulders. His father Matt, a 9a climber back in the days, was kind enough to answer a couple of questions.

What was the process like?
He did the problem probably with about an hour or slightly more of work. He worked out the moves on several different sections quickly but the first third of the problem gave him some difficulty. He tried several different ideas and eventually found a good sequence. He did one link from relatively low through to the easier section. Then he started trying from the bottom. On his first couple of attempts, he had things go wrong but learned subtle beta changes. Then he got through the lower crux and climbed the rest of the problem to the top.

Is he still just training 3*2 hours a week with the ABC Team?Yeah, same training schedule.

How many other boulders did he do during the long weekend trip?
We actually came mostly for fun sport climbing and to play in Vegas so that problem was the only serious objective. He’s done a couple 5.12 sport climbs and we went go-cart racing and checked out an amazing pinball museum and also went to a super cool artsy place called Area 15.

Juliet Hammer has repeated Nicholas Milburn's The Last Samurai 8A (+) in Chattanooga, Insta video. "2nd ascent… wow!!! Very psyched to find a slice of Colorado crimping in the South. Felt like the perfect boulder - tension crimps to a committing (for me) top out. As far as grade goes… I talked with Nicholas and he says he’s a sandbagger :p so we will go with the upgrade. It’ll work itself out with more ascents."

Alex Johnson has done in Hueco Tanks (TX). (c) Allison Vest "It took several days to get into the groove in Hueco, and by the time Vest and I both felt it, it was time to leave. Put a couple of sessions into this one over the years and am super proud to have put it to rest. Felt insanely smooth on the send, really stoked it all came together for a hail mary on our last day of the trip."

Santiago de Alba reports on Insta that he has done First Ley 9a+ in Margalef after projecting it during some 30 sessions over three months. The Mexican competed actively until 2014 and his best result was #17 in a Lead WC and #25 in Boulder. After five years of climbing break, he started climbing again in 2019. (c) Eduardo Ruano Lin

How did you end up projecting First Ley in Margalef?
I began bouldering seriously almost two years ago and after doing some of my projects I decided to go to Margalef to try First Round First Minute 9b. I wasn't very sure because I was travelling alone but I knew some people here. I did know that FR is really hard but I love that line, the moves, the holds, the place and the history with Chris Sharma. I wasn't sure about FR but I was almost sure I could have a chance with First Ley, the less difficult variation. I did all the important moves on my first try and decide to go until the end.

The last route I did was maybe an 8c+ in México two years back, but I've been bouldering and this route is very bouldery. I think other climbers also did it without doing 9a before. I knew I had a chance, but mainly I was very in love with that line. I didn’t even think about doing other routes. I wanted that one. The (grade) 9a+ was an extra value, that was sometimes heavy for the mind because there was no one in Mexico climbing that grade. Now there will be a lot.

During the three months, have you trained on plastic or only on the route?
No plastic, I have been training on the route to get some endurance, and with some hangboard. I haven't been in a gym for months but I love training. I train a lot and before in Mexico, I was just training sometimes

What is next?
First Round First Minute, the route intimidates me and is a bit out of reach, but I will give it hell. And maybe a check the stuff in La Capella. I want to improve my realtionship with climbing and keep learning.

Allison Vest has set a new standard by, in a day, flashing Diaphnous Sea 8A (+) and Loaded With Power (7C+) as well as doing . (c) Alex Johnson

"A super good day out in Hueco. My first triple-double day. Was cool to try hard on some flash attempts.
I watched a lot of videos of diaphanous and knew it was my style. I had also been told it would be a good one to try to flash. I warmed up for a bit and was nervous to pull on and try but, AJ told me to just do it and that was the push I needed!"

Interestingly, during the last four months the 26-year-old has done ten boulders 8A+ to 8B+, which can be compared with a total of five previously. The reasons for this great progress are that she has stopped focusing on comps, and that leg injuries in early 2021 made her train lots of lock-offs and hangboarding. On Insta she has just published her 8B+ send.

How did you prepare for the flashes?
I watched a lot of videos of Diaphanous and knew it was my style. I had also been told it would be a good one to try to flash. I warmed up for a bit and was nervous to pull on and try but, AJ told me to just do it and that was the push I needed! We’ve been here for two weeks but I only now feel like I’m really getting used to the climbing.

How long do you plan to stay in Hueco and what is next?
I think I’m done climbing this trip. Only a couple of days left and I’ve got some body tweaks that are making me nervous. Might play around a little on the last day but mostly support crew for AJ!

IFSC informs that the Boulder World Cup in Moscow 1-3/4 is suspended. This means that the Boulder World Cup in 2022 will start with the event in Meiringen in Switzerland 8-10/4.

"IFSC President Marco Scolaris held several meetings today. During his discussion with the Ukrainian Mountaineering and Climbing Federation (UMF), he expressed the solidarity of the IFSC and the entire Climbing community with the people of Ukraine during this unprecedented crisis. President Scolaris added that he hoped the conflict in the Ukraine would end quickly and peacefully without any further violence.

The IFSC intends to relocate the event to another location, with an announcement to follow once a new host has been selected."