Pedro Bergua has done Monster 8c+/9a in Alquézar, which is a 50 meters link-up of two 8c+'. The 40-year-old has a PhD in Sport Science and has climbing training blogspot. (c) Miguel Ángel Campo

"I tried this route in 2015 for the first time. That winter I sent four 8c+ routes in the same Alquezar cave. My daughter Julia was born and I had to work a lot on my doctoral thesis. After a six months break from any training or climbing, I never came back to try it. Later I have not been motivated to focus on any really hard route. I wanted to climb more routes and faster.

This year, due to circumstances, I had to climb closer to home. One day this winter I accompanied a friend to try his project in the cave and I almost did an 8b in that day. Because of that and the fact that I'm not too bad at cave style, I got motivated and kept going. I did a couple of 8bs and two other fast 8cs and decided to give a new opportunity to "Monster". I worked on it for three days and, to my surprise, I did it in a perfect try in which I had no expectations and I simply went up to gain rhythm on it."

How can you explain peaking again at age 40?
About my state of form, what to say. I'm turning 41 this month and I'm physically "far" from the shape when I was younger. But the long routes of the cave are not as demanding in terms of specific finger strength and endurance as the shorter routes. Yes, they are very psychological because they don't have super hard moves, but you can fall on all of them until the end. So an important part of performing here is learning them very well. Let's say that, at the level of specific indicators, these routes are not that demanding. In routes that are more demanding of your fingers or do not have such good rests, now I could not perform at this level. The most important thing for me about doing such a hard route (apart from having removed the thorn from 7 years ago) is that I have learned to control the process and understand how much I have to rest to be recovered and what I have to train to improve in each moment. The day of the send, I knew that I was recovered and that I had the skills that the route demands..., and I took advantage of it!

In the schedule for the Boulder World Cup 2022 there are six events as the one in Japan has been postponed. Many countries have started with their selection comps. Tomoa Narasaki and Nanako Kura won last weekend in Japan.

Schedule
1-3 April: Moscow in Russia
8-10 April: Meiringen in Switzerland
29-1 April/May: Japan postponed
6-8 May: Seoul in Korea
20-22 May: Salt Lake City in the US
27-29 May: Salt Lake City in the US
22-26 June: Innsbruck in Austria


The first Lead World Cup, out of seven, starts in Villars (France) on July 8th and finishes in Wuijang in China on October 2nd. In the IFSC schedule, there is also a Combined event in Chongqing in China 6-9 October. In this competition, the new Combined format, scoring by points, will be tried out for the second time. The first test will be done during the Euro Championships in Munich, Germany August 11-21.

Alberto Gotta has done Perfect Man 8c+/9a in . It was found by Andrea Gallo and later rebolted by Matteo Gambaro, who made the FA in 2016.

How was the process taking it down?
I think something like 20 sessions but only during weekends because it is not close to my home and I'm a full-time worker. I sent it after trying it occasionally over some years because it is not that close to my hometown. That's why I needed some years. Differently from Matteo, I rested with a kneebar that I found just before the last hard section so that's why I proposed the 8c+/9a. It's a very nice powerful route under the main roof of the crag. A visit is definitely worth it.

You have not done many hard routes the last three years and now you started 2022 by doing three routes 8c+ and harder?
That's because I was almost a professional climber while studying at the University so I climbed a lot both in competitions and on rock. When the University finished, I immediately started working and the time for training drastically reduced affecting my performance. Lately, I found a good work/life balance so training is in full swing and I am able to climb hard again. (In 2016 and 2017, he was Top-21 six times in the World Cup, as well as doing his first 8c+.)

Fanatic Climbing reports that Nico Pelorson has done the ninth ascent of Super Crackinette 9a+ in St Léger. The French has previously done eight 9a's, out of which six FAs. (c) Lucien Martinez - Grimper Magazine

"What motivated me was this rather radical effort: 30 difficult movements without rest. It gives goes of 1 minute 30 on average with a really nice effort. Also, I was quite curious to see what the first 9a+ flash (Adam Ondra) of the history looks like!"

In Bouldering, he has repeated Soudain Seul, aka The Big Island Sit, and suggested a personal 8C+, video. For No Kpote only he was more drastic taking it down two grades to 8C. He is also famous for having done 22 boulders 8A and harder including five flashes up to 8B in Targassone during only four days, video, as well as having done an 8C with just one shoe, video.

The IFSC has presented the invite quota qualification system for the World Games, which will take place in Birmingham, Alabama (USA) July 14th-16th. The Games are situated right in between the Chamonix and Briancon Lead World Cups. In total, 72 climbers will be invited, with 12 male and 12 female climbers competing in each discipline. National federations will be limited to sending just two athletes.

It's worth noting that Tomoa Narasaki seems to be out, even though he was #2 at the Boulder World Championships, as Japan will have already filled their quota. Other big contenders that are likely to miss out are Alberto Gines Lopez, Nathaniel Coleman, and Miho Nonaka. It would appear that only Jakob Schubert and Adam Ondra as well as six female competitors from the Tokyo Olympics will be invited based on the criteria and our assessment, and that all will accept their invitations.

Provisional Lead Invitees
World Championship Invites: Jakob Schubert AUT and Seo Chaehyon KOR
World Cup 2021 Invites: Stefano Ghisolfi ITA, Sean Bailey USA and Masahiro Higuchi JPN, Janja Garnbret SLO, Natalia Grossman USA and Laura Rogora ITA
Youth World Championship Invites: Hamish McArthur GBR, Haruki Uemura JPN, Nonoha Kume JPN and Sara Copar SLO
Africa Invitees: Mel Janse Van Rensburg RSA, Lauren Mukheibar RSA
European 2020 Invitees: Sascha Lehmann SUI, Viktoriia Meshkova RUS
Pan Am Invitees: Benjamin Vargas CHI, Cloe Coscoy USA
Asia Invitees: Min Hyunbin KOR, Tanii Natsuki JPN(Japan has filled their male quota)
Oceania Invitees: Harrison Cambell AUS, Jessica Pilz AUT (No female from Oceania has participated)
Host USA Invitees: USA's country quota male is still to be selected, and the female invite will default to Dinara Fakritdinova RUS as the USA has filled their female quota.

Provisional Boulder Invitees
World Championship Invites: Kokoro Fujii JPN, Natalia Grossman USA
World Cup Invites: Yoshiyuki Ogata JPN, Adam Ondra CZE, Sean Bailey USA, Janja Garnbret SLO, Oriane Bertone FRA, Brooke Raboutou USA
Youth World Championship Invites: Hamish McArtur GBR, Hannes Van Duysen BEL, Nailé Meignan FRA, Sara Copar SLO
European 2020 Invitees: Jernej Kruder SLO, Viktoriia Meshkova RUS
Pan Am Invites: Joe Goodacre USA, Valentina Aguado ARG
Africa Invites: Mel Janse Van Rensberg RSA, Lauren Mukheibar RSA
Oceania Invitees: Cambell Harrison AUS, Grace Growley AUS
Asia Invites: Lee Minyoung KOR, Futaba Ito JPN (Japan has filled their male quota)
Host Invites: Manuel Cornu FRA Default to Camilla Moroni ITA (USA has filled their quota)

Noteworthy is that the program is very intense with the Bouldering qualifying and final 15/7 and then Lead qualifying and final 16/7. Furthermore, the Lead World Cup in Chamonix finishes 10/7 and then the next Lead WC starts in Briancon on 22/7. It just might be that some athletes focusing on the Lead World Cup will skip the World Games or just take part in Lead. In case of an unused quota place, the next best athlete in the same event will get an invitation. As an example, if Viktoriia Meshkova skips bouldering, Chloe Caulier will get her spot.

Sera Gearhart has, within a week in Red Rock (NV), done her two first 8A (+)'; and . Video on both on her Insta. (c) Rob Murillo

What is your climbing background?
I've been climbing for 15 years (!!). I grew up doing the competition circuit and started climbing outside more in college. I work full time remote and have been travelling with my partner (Taylor McNeill) since the fall!

How much do you train/climb per week?
I don't train at all right now, but I climb outside probably 4 days a week (as much as I can without losing all my skin).

Stefano Ghisolfi has done the FA of L'arenauta (9b) in . In total, the Italian has now done ten routes 9b and 9b+. On Insta, Stefano says it was bolted 20 years ago and this was his second trip working on it. (c) Sara Grippo

Congrats! Could you fill us in on this new route?
The first part, the less overhanging, is 7a to the first chain. From there starts the roof part, around 20m almost horizontal roof. The first section of the roof is not super hard, around 8b+, and then there is a bad kneebar and from there starts the real challenge. A hard section on pockets with very bad feet, some ten intense moves. The line does not cross any other route, it is one of the purest and most logical ones, straight in the middle of the roof. The place is amazing, close to the beach. (It is actually just 20 meters to a huge and popular beach).

Simon Lorenzi, Lead Youth World Champion in 2016, had his best year ever in 2021 twice being Top-7 in the Boulder WC and making the FA of Soudain Seul 9A (8C+). Interestingly, until 2019 he almost only focused on comps but struggled to get into the semis. Later, he focused more on outdoors and his comp results improved significantly.

Have you improved on comps because of focusing more on outdoors?
My results in the world cup and my performances outdoors are not very linked in my opinion. I performed more outdoor because I spent way more time on the rock during winter. In comps, I did better mostly because I changed the way I train to focus a lot more on my weaknesses (strategy, technic and my mind).

What have you been up to lately?
Since the end of November, the goal was to start the preparation in lead and bouldering for the upcoming world cup season. Unfortunately, I injured my finger so I had to train only on big pinches and slopers on a spray wall because it was the only thing not painful for my finger. Fortunately, I went to Font to try Big Conviction. The three left crimps of the boulder were good enough to take them open hand.

Could you describe a normal training week and one normal session? I train 5 days a week and most of them with my trainer. I always have a good and efficient warm-up to be ready to give everything during the session. Every week is different and the training is more focused on my weaknesses or what I need the most to perform better in competition. The sessions last between 2 and 4 hours depending on what I do.

What are your plans and goals for 2022?
My goals are to perform at the highest level in the world cup in both disciplines and I still have the last project to send in Fontainebleau this season 🙂, "La révolutionnaire " 8C+ from Charles Albert.