Domen Škofic has done La novena enmienda (9a+) in Santa Linya. The Slovenian is one of the best male Lead competition climbers in history. In 2016 he won overall and, in total, he has made the podium 15 times. Outdoors, the 27-year-old has done 20 routes 9a to 9b.

Tell us about the process?
I basically needed 4 tries. As soon as I sent La Novena Puerta I did the extension as well. I decided to get on this route because I wanted to do something new. I needed a break from Stoking the Fire and Catxasa to heal my skin on specific parts of my fingers… and it’s nice to create some sending momentum :)

How long are you staying and what is next?
I’m staying for the whole of March if the weather is nice. I enjoy climbing in the cave and I will try to do as many routes as possible besides my main projects.

Nico Pelorson, Insta, and Rob Denayer, Insta have done Le Pied à Coulisse which was put up by Guillaume Mondet in 2016 as the first 8C+ in Fontainebleau but it has later been downgraded. Pelorson is famous for having repeated and suggested personal downgradings of two original 9A's; Soudain Seul and No Kpote Only.

Denayer, on the other hand, has been more under the radar since 2017, when he was #2 in a Euro Youth Cup but stopped competing. Previously, the Belgian has done a handful of 8C's including The Big Island as well as a dozen 8B+.

What is your climbing background?
I've been climbing since 2008. My first trip to Font was in 2010 and I have been coming back every year as much as I can :) I tried competitions between 2010 and 2017 but always loved outdoor bouldering more so I decided to quit and only go outdoors.

Do you also confirm the downgrade of Le Pied... to 8C?
I think so...it suits me pretty well because it's a bit longer with a technical crux at the end...for sure not 8C+, I have no idea yet what that level feels like. Felt similar for me in difficulty as The Big Island.

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.