Filip Schenk, who last week sent Tre Mou Polacche (9a), has completed Erebor (9b) in Arco. The 9a took just two days and the Italian says it is the best of it’s grade in the area and here are his comments for the 9b. (c) Crimp Films

”Erebor has always been a route that struck me deeply: rom the beauty of its movements to the variety of climbing styles it demands. This king line, first ascended by Ste [Ghisolfi] in 2021, features very small holds that require significant physical strength, but at the same time includes technical, body-positioning moves where you need to move well and climb with sensitivity.

The route starts right away with a section of 25 extremely intense moves that never give you a moment to breathe. Then you reach the final boulder, preceded by a good rest: that’s where you need strong mental focus, because while you relax, you also have time to think about the possibility of failing. And that’s exactly what has always motivated me to try it: you need to be a truly complete climber to send it.

I had my first attempts in autumn 2024, and I immediately realized it suited me well. The only part that gave me trouble was the first boulder: I couldn’t do it with the original beta, so I had to come up with my own sequence to get through it. Throughout last competition season, I kept thinking about when I’d finally return to try it again, and once November arrived, I decided to dedicate myself entirely to Erebor.

Since I already knew the moves from the two sessions last year and had trained specifically for the first boulder before November, I found myself clipping the anchor much sooner than expected, finally settling the score with Erebor this year after just four days on the route. It was an unforgettable feeling!"

How did you train specifically for the first Boulder?
I set the same boulder on my home gym with the most similar holds possible and trained on it.

Sam Weir, with three 8C+ ascents to his name, has repeated Giuliano Cameroni’s Poison the Well (8C+) in Brione after about 25 sessions. The 34-year-old did his first 8C in 2017 and then sent one every year, more or less, until the last two years, when he has done ten problems graded 8C and harder. He works full-time as a proposal/contract manager in the nuclear field.

”9A personal feeling. 7C+ intro leads to a one move 8B/8B+ to an 8B/+ section similar but harder than Hazel Grace stand style & difficulty. Really height and reach dépendant and it was at my full limit reach. 3 cm margin on the reach… zero margin for error on the move. Insane. Thanks Giul again for this masterpiece!”

Can you tell us more about the process behind the ascent and your thoughts about your peak?
I’m feeling good. Fingers are firing on all cylinders and been having a blast! I started trying this line over a year ago. The crux is this crazy double bump which was at my absolute limit of reach. After 8 sessions I did the move once. I thought if I could do this from the bottom once I could get it done but no!

After a big summer of training and antistyle climbing I came back stronger. This fall the crux went from having done it 3 times ever to doing it from the bottom 3 times in a row. I fell about 15 times even after doing the crux.. what a wild and special one. Personally it felt like I achieved a 9A effort so really curious to see how I get on now that I finished the last 8C+ I really wanted to do.

How did you train this summer and how have you maintained the power during the outdoor season?
Over the summer. I just did a lot of board climbing with my friends on our wall and basic weights. Plus I tried really hard on Clement’s [Lechaptois] boulders at Fionnay which I did not do which are really antistyle for me!

I work full time so I climb outside once a week plus one or two days I took off when the conditions were good! To stay in shape I just keep the hard board climbing. Watch my diet since volume drops a lot and some max effort work.

Austin Purdy, with four 8C+’ under his belt, has during one session made the first ascents Don't Fear The Reaper (8C) and Gojira (8C) in Wild Basin.

Can you tell us more about that double FA special day?
Both Don't Fear The Reaper and Gojira are sit starts to the existing boulders Two Sizes Two Big (8A) and XXL (8A+) in Wild Basin, with both start on the same hold which is well above head height and you nearly have to stack pads to reach it. I did the stand starts for the first time in October and was instantly captivated by the obvious sit start project. I decided to focus on doing Don't Fear the Reaper, which links into Two Sizes Too Big first, since to me it is the king line of the boulder. I made quick progress on the sit, but linking the whole thing turned out to be quite difficult. The sit start revolves around a crimpy and shouldery crux section that is in a very similar style to the crux on Two Sizes Too Big, which tired you out for the stand. That combined with the low percentage nature of the two move crux on Two Sizes made the link very hard to put together and I kept falling on the final low percentage crux bump to a small slot. I also ended up breaking a key hold on the sit start during the process which made the intro boulder feel significantly harder and less consistent and pushed the process on even longer.

Gojira on the other hand is much different. Even though the stand start, XXL, is the same grade as Two Sizes Too Big, it revolves around doing a powerful but consistently difficult crux section and then keeping it together for a 10m 7A+ highball finish. This type of climbing fits my style better and I though would be easier to execute so I would always run a lap or two on XXL at the end of my session so that I was ready to do Gojira once I sent Don't Fear the Reaper.

When the day came and I finally sent Don't Fear the Reaper, I was still feeling quite good and new I had a chance to send both lines in the same session. I took a long rest and gave an attempt, but I ended up missing the hold on the last difficult move of the boulder and fell. This gassed me out quite a bit and I also got a small hole on my finger this go and I thought I had missed my chance, but my partner convinced me to tape my finger and give one more good try. Without her encouragement I may have just given up and come back another day. To my surprise I was able to make through the beginning crux even with my finger taped and after a hard fight found myself carefully working my way up the highball finish with numb fingers to finish the climb!

Allison Vest, with 16 boulders 8B and harder to her name, has completed Mad Circle (8A+) in Price Canyon. ”What an amazing boulder, I have tried this thing off and on since Nov 22 and went from thinking I wouldn't be able to span the normal beta and cooking up my own method to just believing it would go and making it happen. Stoked. What a mega boulder.”

Miles Perry, who last year did the FA of a 9a, has completed Grand Illusion (8C+) in Little Cottonwood.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
This one has always been on my mind but for a long time it felt like it was still out of reach. Then last spring my brother Eli Perry was able to put it down. This got me stoked watching his process on it and the fact that he said I definitely had a shot at doing the climb pushed me to start trying from the ground this season and after about 20 days up there I found myself on top definitely one of the most enjoyable climbs of my life.

In 2021, Irmgard Braun completed her first 7c+, Open Box at age 69. Last year she sent Le string à Fredo (7c) and in 2025 she did Junge (7c). The German author started climbing in the 80'ies and was later part of the German national team. A new profile video of the 73-year-old has just been released, see below.

How is your training organized?
In climbing holidays and in the summer season on rock I only climb and train my flexibility on rest days. But I try (for me) hard routes with difficult moves at my limit, sort of bouldering with a rope, what is a lot of fun.

Real Training I do in winter. For about 10 weeks for about two times per week I do relieved pullups, (I can do only a few without) with 3-4 sets with 8-10 reps. And 2 times per week pushups and some antagonist and core training. I find that quite exhausting. For the fun I go to the climbing hall and do quite easy routes ( rarely more than 6c) about 2 times a week. And for 6-7 weeks before the rock season starts I hang on small crimps and pockets, about 2 times a week. And I forgot: 2 times a week I use a crosstrainer for cardio (40 minutes).

How much do you climb outdoor during a year?
My outdoor-season is from middle of march until middle of november; considering there a times of rain and - what is necessary in my age – a lot of restdays, it might be around 80 days.

What is your status on your 8a project and how many sessions have you put in?
I do not really remember. More than 10 sessions (all toprope), I reckon. I did all the moves except two, which I could only do with a little help with the rope.

What are your strength and weaknesses?
Fingerpower with small crimps. And I am really bad with biceps power and dynamic climbing.

What is your driving force?
Joy in the movement when I am climbing. And the tension and curiosity if I succeed trying hard, especially when I am going for a onsight.

What are your onsight level the last years?
On rock: quite a lot graded 7a+. This and last year I failed very close at 7b. In the climbing gym I onsighted sometimes 7b.

What about start logging your routes?
I will think about it - considering my memory will get worse getting older. And I really like the website!

Chaehyun Seo has onsighted Humildes pa Casa (8b+) and redpointed La Morenita (8c+) in Oliana. In November, the 22-year-old has sent nine routes 8b+ up to 9a+ and she is number three in the VL ranking game.

Can you tell us more about those ascents?
Humildes was hard because I didn’t have a knee pad! I had a good fight for the last section of the route because I’m not really adapted well for tufas.

For the 8c+, it wasn’t super hard for me at the Marroncita section but the final crux was way too hard. Somehow I managed the move but fell there twice before I finally stuck it!

Sam Richard sent Soudain seul (9A) two weeks ago and here is the Vertical-Life interview with the 18-year-old.

Dylan Chuat, who previously has sent eleven routes 9a to 9b in 2025, has made the first ascent of Terre sacrée (9a+) in Rawyl. The 24-year-old is runner up behind Laura Rogora in the VL ranking game.
”Last week, I did what is probably my most beautiful first ascent. Not the hardest route I’ve ever climbed… but definitely one of the most incredible, if not the most incredible. When Jean-Élie told me he had bolted a new hard line in Rawyl, I instantly knew it was meant for me. Rawyl has always been a special cliff for me. Every time I climb there, I feel good, light, disconnected from the world but deeply connected to the rock. That flow state we’re all searching for in climbing… I find it almost every time in Rawyl. And it’s a drug I never want to come down from. That’s also why no route in Rawyl has ever demanded much work from me — I’m completely in my element.

Yet, it started off pretty badly. For some reason, during my very first “warm-up” go, I decided it might become an actual send attempt. And it almost worked: I stuck the upper bloc but fell in the jugs right after from a flash pump + a hand slip. On my second go, I put in the perfect run — pure flow. I didn’t have to fight at any moment, I floated through the upper bloc again, reached the top out with jugs in my hands… and this time my foot slipped. And yeah, I was not happy.

But on my third try, completely unexpectedly, I topped out this king line. I think I loved this route so much that my subconscious wanted to send it three times in one day — which is basically what happened 😂. Lesson learned: don’t neglect the easy top-outs…

Sacred Ground starts from Cabane au Canada up to about three-quarters, then moves through ten easy but super flowy moves to a solid hanging rest. From there, you hit a first mini-bloc with two super stylish moves: a high lolotte to reach far into a perfect crimp, then a shoulder “clock move” to switch onto the left hand… and that’s where the real bloc begins, on the best rock in Rawyl.

The holds are absolutely wild: a tiny magical pinch, a 6 mm crimp, a flat pocket worthy of Céüse, a key flat edge, then a series of beautiful positive crimps. All of this with tiny feet — just enough to make the line perfect, demanding, and unforgettable. A true king line. Huge thanks to Jean-Élie for the vision and the bolting. I’m convinced this route will become a classic — maybe even historic — in our little country. And thank you to Charlotte for all the belays. Soon it’ll be your turn to shine in Rawyl ✨”

Jakob Schubert reports on Instagram that he has made the first repeat of Nicolai Užnik’s Mount Doom (9A) in Schleierwasserfall, after eight days of work. © Moritz Klee/Nodum Sports

”An absolutely amazing line! Long, steep, crimpy and sustained until the top - so very much my style.”

Interestingly, Schubert comments that Janja Garnbret broke a key hold creating a new mini crux which took two extra days to solve. The Austrian has previously sent Alphane (9A) and made the FA of B.I.G (9c). Furthermore, the 34-year-old is a four-time Lead World Champion and a three-time overall World Cup winner. He also secured Olympic bronze in the combined event at both the 2020 and 2024 Games.