Jonathan Siegrist, who previously in 2021 has done two 9b's, has repeated Adam Ondra's Goldrake (9a+) in Cornalba, after just four sessions. "Incredible how there are really no great holds for the entire length of this awesome pitch. A true crimp strength endurance test-piece. The insane texture of the rock allows for some pretty exciting fights!" (c) Marco Zanone

The 36-year-old has posted an interesting write up on his Insta that begins with, "I think climbing your best is largely about quieting your mind enough to let your body do the work it’s been trained to do. I pride myself on being somewhat of a master in this realm but there have also been times when it feels next to impossible. Ultimately, I only succeed when my focus is the rock, the movement and the effort - and not on the outcome, consequences or my expectations."

Adam Ondra set all types of grade records being a kid and still when it comes to onsight, even the youngsters of today are far behind. However, in 2021 new redpoint records for 10 and 12-year-old's have been set. Here is speculation of what max grade levels needed to be Top-10 in the world per age group as of 2021 as well as the "world record". Girls are probably two grades lower, however, Ashima Shiraishi did her first 8c+ at age 11 and her first 9a /+ at age 13, which were records at that time.

10 years: 8a+ (record 8c+ Bayes Wilder 2021)
12 years: 8b (record 9a Gianluca Vighetti 2021)
14 years: 8b+
16 years: 8c
18 years: 8c+
Adam Ondra is the youngest to have reached 9a+, 9b and 9b+ being 15 (and one week), 17 respectively 19-years-old.

Adam Ondra has done the second repeat, after Laura Rogora, of Stefano Ghisolfi's Erebor (9b) in Arco. It should be mentioned that both Stefano and Laura called it 9b/+ and Adam comments, after having taken it down in just four days, on Insta, including a video. "Regarding the grade, my suggestion is 9b. There are easier solutions for the upper crux compared to the original method of Stefano that is definitely 9b/b+ in my opinion." (c) Vojtech Vrzba

Adam also says that he thinks that Laura's ascent is, "one of the most impressive feats in climbing ever". He underlines that the downgrade is just his honest opinion although he is aware that he can be criticised for downgrading a route done by a female.

Carlo Traversi, who did his first 8C out of ten in 2011 and first 8C+ last year, has done Flex Luthor 9b in The Fortress of Solitude, after some 15 sessions. "Dream route. No real opinion on grade, so going with Matty's suggestion for now. Definitely not easy."

It was opened in 2003 by Tommy Caldwell as the first 9a+ in America and last month, Matty Hong did the first repeat and suggested the upgrade. From Traversi's Insta.

"I’ve always been drawn to climbs that have both historical significance and an air of mystery surrounding them. In today’s day and age, that combination is getting harder to come by, with every piece of stone captured a million ways and cast out into the daily feed without a moments thought. While this sharing of information satisfies our immediate arm chair curiosity, it has the potential to rob us of a real experience complete with the trials and tribulations of understanding something for yourself. In American climbing, there is no route more shrouded in mystery than @tommycaldwell ‘s Flex Luther at The Fortress of Solitude."

What is next?
Doing Lead and Bouldering National Championships starting tomorrow. Then headed to Yosemite to try and free the Dihedral Wall. I also have a long time bouldering project in Yosemite that’ll hopefully go this season. So yeah, trying to stay at a high level in all disciplines.

The Pou brothers put up Orbayu as the hardest, 8c+/9a, multi-pitch in the world in 2009. They added five new hard intro pitches to an old aid route. Later the 500m route finishing at the top of Naranjo de Bulnes at 2 529m was downgraded to 8c. Now the 8c crux pitch of the famous photogenic route is reported to be badly hammered out, fixed gear and bolts were missing, besides more pitches being downgraded.

David Firnenburg has done Finite Infinity (9a) in Interlaken. In total, the 26-year-old and former competition climber has now done 10 routes 9a and harder. At the comp scene, he has 12 podiums in the IFSC youth series and as a senior, his best result was #4 in a Boulder WC.

"Gorgeous line opened by Matthias König in 2018. Great vision and a lot of work he invested in establishing the route. For me one of the hard classics of Switzerland. It consists of two bouldery sections, separated by a rest point on good crimps. The first boulder is reachy and physical on crimps, open holds and gastons. The second boulder is rather techy on slopy holds and small edges. I needed to climb fast but precise in this part in order to be as efficient as possible. After another rest, it‘s pumpy 8b climbing to the top. Happy to have finished it in only two sessions before the season for lead climbing comes to an end at many crags here in Switzerland. Winter season in Ticino ahead!"

Illya Bakhmet-Smolenskyi has made the FA of Bat wings (8c+) and Super Goliath (8c) in Çitdibi. The 16-year-old has been travelling around Europe with his parents for several years on a home schooling program. He did his first 8c+ at age 13 and in 2021, he has done three 9a's.

"Both climbs are long and third pitches. Bat wings goes as 6c, 8c and then a pumpy extension with two strange boulder problems. Super Goliath is 7b+, a long 8a+ with a crux right before the chains and then there is a super crimpy 3-bolt extension right after the first crux."

What is next?
I'm still working on two projects here. A really hard one (probably around 9a+ and a connection to it that could end up being 8c+ or maybe even 9a!