Luis Gerhardt has repeated Martin Keller's Der mit dem Fels tanzt (8C) in Chironico. "This one got on my nerves after falling twice at the mantle that day! After another silly foot slip close before the end I wanted to finish the session. I felt pretty exhausted but wanted to give one more try before it got dark! Not sure how but on the last try I found myself standing on top of the boulder!" (c) Nora Pailer

How many sessions did it take?
It took 8 - 10 sessions including the other variations (Insanity, Delusion, Einfisch) :)

David Graham and Clément Lechaptois report on their Insta (DG) and Insta (CL) that they have repeated Shawn Raboutou's Roadkill (8C) in Valle Bavona. (c) Kim Marschner

Dave and Clement worked the high-class problem mainly together and did finally a team ascent and Dave's Insta is as always full of intense details. "After 5 sessions I was confident I could climb through the crux down low; two very low percentage moves with my method, a tripped out ghost kneebar into a low percentage jump. I had rehearsed the top section many times, but felt extremely anxious about the technical mantel moves at around 8 meters followed by the last 10 meters of slab climbing which is not particularly hard, but revolves around trusting your feet and climbing very confidently in a true no-fall zone." He continues by saying that Lechaptois had a much scarier ascent with a headlamp.

Adam Ondra has done the FA of Kout pikle (9a+) in Moravský kras. "Really hard to grade, could be 9b for sure. Amazing 8Cish boulder to start in a dihedral (!!), then power endurance of 8c to the top. I love this line. Such a cool style, ultra technical and ultra physical too."

More pics on his Insta where he also says. "The grade is somewhere between 9a+ and 9b, but let's be on the safe side with 9a+😅"

As was mentioned in an editorial grade article yesterday, "If it had not been for guys like Adam Ondra and Alex Honnold etc giving their honest opinions, the grade inflation had been much stronger. My personal recommendation is that whenever you are in grade doubt of a FA, go for the lower one."

It is probably a well-known fact that Adam Ondra is the one among the top climbers suggesting most personal grades, including also some upgrades. As an example, Adam made the first 9a onsight which he thought was 8c+ and if he had not suggested so many personal downgrades, he would have done well over 200 routes 9a and harder instead of the 194 he has logged.

However, if we include everyone who regularly sends 8c+, Alex Honnold is the #1 when it comes to personal grades. In November he did his second 9a, The Eggporkalypse, calling it 8c+ and possibly for around 20 % of his hardest routes he has suggested a personal grade, including many also in Kalymnos.

From a historic perspective, we can see that grade inflation is a dilemma for the media as the difficulty of many of the reported ascents were not correct. If it had not been for guys like Adam Ondra and Alex Honnold etc giving their honest opinions, the grade inflation had been much stronger. My personal recommendation is that whenever you are in grade doubt of a FA, go for the lower grade. The hardcore climbers known for giving the hardest FA grades are Alex Huber and Ramon Julian Puigblanque.

Stefano Ghisolfi has done the FA of The Lonely Mountain (9b) in Arco. It is a direct and harder version of Ghisoli's Erebor 9b and also the original line he bolted 18 months ago. (c) Sara Grippo

Full story at his Insta. "It felt very hard at the beginning, then I changed almost all the betas in every section and finally climbed it today. And it's even harder to grade it, so I can suggest a symbolic 9b, even if it is harder than Erebor."

What are your 2022 plans?
I'll do both competitions and rock climbing, maybe fewer comps than the previous years and a trip to Flatanger in August.

Jernej Kruder, Euro Champion in 2020, has repeated Jimmy Webb's La Rustica (8C) in Valle Bavona. "I'm dreaming..." (c) Vladek Zumr

Previoulsy the 31-year-old has done 17 boulders 8B+ or 8C but just one 8B+ in 2021 and that was in February. On Insta, Jernej comments that he has lately struggled to send hard and La Rustica did not come easy and he also faced some pain in his arm, hamstring and ribs. "Endless tries lifting my ass off the ground until boom...I stuck the pocket 🤩. That's where the game began. Two heels hooks on painful hamstring, getting pumped, bad night vision, numb fingers, but desire so high there was no place to fail."