Jun Shibanuma is the second Japanese climber, after Yuta Imaizumi, that we've recently reported on who has done five 8C's, including Hydrangea (8C) in Shiobara and Byakudo (8C) in Horai.

What is your climbing background?
I got to know about free climbing when I was a high school student. I was very interested in climbing but I could not start until I entered Kyoto-university and their climbing club. I trained and climbed outdoors for 6 years and also got my Masters. I prefer to climb outside than the competition.

I work in a company which has nothing to do with Climbing. I’m just an office worker but I work remotely so I could go to Squamish and Brazil last year. I enjoyed climbing while I was working during the daytime. I train on weekdays and go outdoors during the weekends. Sometimes I tried my project in the morning before work.

What does a normal climbing week look like for you?
I usually train on Tuesday and Wednesday and take 2 days' rest for Saturday’s best try. Then I enjoy casual climbing on Sunday. But it depends on the weather. If I have a project, sometimes I try it on Wednesday morning before work.

What is your next plan?
I plan to go to Squamish and Brazil again to revenge Dreamcatcher 9a and Origens 8C/C+ this summer. In Japan, I’m interested in exploring a new climbing area in Hiei. There are numerous untouched projects around the mountain. I’m also interested in challenging [myself to] V16 [8C+]. Nayuta and Floatin are on my list.

Kai Lightner reports on Instagram that over the last week in Santa Linya he has done Open Your Mind Direct (9a), Ciudad de dios (9a) and Direct into your Fabelita (9a). Just two months ago, he made the FA of a 9a+. (c) Iandzilenski.com

Can you tell us more about these sends in Santa Linya?
Initially when I came to Santa Linya, I had my eyes set on another route. However, it has been raining a lot in the cave, leaving limited options for routes that are consistently dry. One of those routes happened to be Ciudad de Dios, a route I always wanted to try but was nervous to commit to because of how opposite it was from my usual style. The first 7 clips is an extremely bouldery, short, and powerful section that requires a lot of tension and power endurance. Once you make it from there, you have three options: the farthest left line goes as Ciudad de Dios (9a/+), which adds on a bouldery 8c+ called Fabela. The second line is a route called Direct into Your Fabelita (9a), which connects into an 8c called Fabelita. The third option is going straight up into another bouldery 8c+ called Open Your Mind, which when connected into the direct start is Open Your Mind Direct (9a/+).

The bottom boulder problem challenged me the most; once I got it dialed, I was able to shift my focus to learning and pushing through the top sections of each route.

What is your next plan?
I only have a few days left in my trip, which is not a lot of time to pick new projects. So my goal is to sample some new routes that will hopefully be future projects when I return.

Doug McConnell, who did his first 8c+ at age 40, has set a new personal best by doing Fabela pa la enmienda (9a) in Santa Linya. (c) Iandzilenski.com

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind it?
I tried this route a bit last year but on realising it was too hard for the time I had available, I stepped left and did Rollito Sharma extension extension (8c+) which has the same (8b ish) ending. It was a stepping stone. This year I went all in on Fabela pa la Enmienda. I committed March to just trying this route. No training, no other projects. Having previously climbed Fabelita, there wasn’t much new climbing to put together and progress was surprisingly good except that the weather wasn’t playing ball. It was unseasonably warm and rain was looming. Finally, a single cool day was forecast before a week of heavy rain and the pressure was on.

Everyone at the crag was buzzing - knowing they could send their projects, but that it might be the last chance for weeks. I got through Fabela (8c+) on my second try of the day and then spent 15 minutes resting on knees and jugs by the anchor of the first pitch, before committing to the upper part. I was really nervous and pretty tired but felt better than expected leaving each rest in the upper part. It’s really stressful to climb this “pa la enmienda” part because there are really good rests separated by sections that you really need to commit to and are totally fall-off-able. These big routes don’t happen without a fight, and my battle lasted over 45mins. I woke from a dream at the chain - relieved and surprised and very satisfied. One of the reasons I love the Santa Linya cave is that it always feels like a family - everyone supporting each other, and I really felt that lift me on the day. The next morning I woke up to rain - likely to make it unclimbable for a month!😅

It’s been a clear goal since 2017 to climb a 9a route. And that was part of my motivation for trying this. I used a new sequence in the crux found by the genius Jonathan Flor. Time will tell whether this method is considered easier than the others…I mean it involves a kneebar so perhaps it's 8b now?! This is certainly my hardest to date and seems like a step up. I like what the skaters say - “two to make it true”!

Rachal Goldman, who previously has completed a dozen 8A to 8A+ graded boulder problems, has done The Thrilla in Manila (8B) in Hueco Tanks (TX), after trying it a handfull sessions. (c) Joe Kinder

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Very excited about that one, my first 😃 I first tried it with Maya Ene and her family, which was so fun. We both knew very quickly we could do it - in fact Maya did it the same day (her last!) and that was really inspiring. For me it was perfect test of training. But I had to come back a few more times, cut my toe really badly and had some trouble pressing on the foot for a while, then some dry fires, and so on - started to get worried, season in Hueco was ending and it was getting warm.

The climb is a thuggy roof to a decent rest and then a hard crimpy traverse, big foot cut & a little hero jump at the end. It all came down to getting really stretched out on a heel toe cam that wants to pop and keeping tight enough to be ready for the enormous swing!

Day of the send my partner Blake carried ALL the pads out for me which was very nice. For the send go I finally put on a new shoe (comp solution) for the silly slippy heel toe - and it worked. Love this rock climb!

Advertorial: In 2002, Markus Haid, a previously lesser-known climber from Ötztal, managed to climb one of the most difficult lines in Tyrol. The very athletic line, which perfectly matches the aesthetic nature of the mystical Niederthai forest and crag, was Markus' first self-bolted route and first ascent. Mordor (8c+) and was also the initial spark for Markus' passion for bolting. Markus has now opened up over 300 routes, the majority of which are 8a and upwards in difficulty, and is still constantly on the lookout for the next great line. Happiness is the climber's latest achievement, a route that comes very close to his vision of a perfect line!

Join the Chillaz-Family now #chillazfamily
Instagram: chillaz_international
Facebook: chillazgmbh

In a somewhat surprising move, the Olympic Committee has announced a further path to Olympic qualification. In an effort to acknowledge climbing’s rich outdoor heritage, a further combined spot will be awarded to the highest ranked male and female climber in Vertical-Life’s Global Ranking Game between January 1st and June 1st of this year. As it stands these are the top-three male and female front runners below. Further news to come as this story develops.

1. Adam Ondra - Martina Demmel
2. Jorge Diaz-Rullo -Ainhize Belar Barrutia
3. Jonathan Siegrist - Jessica Pilz
APRIL FOOLS

William Bosi did the second ascent of Daniel Woods’ Return of the Sleepwalker (9A) in February. This was the third 9A for the former competitive climber who has already completed Burden of Dreams (9A) and Alphane (9A). The 25-year-old stopped competing in 2021 after having had his best year in 2019, twice placing fourth in the World Cup.

Marco Müller has repeated L'isola che non c'è (9a) in Amden. (c) Moritz Waldleben

”The route "L'isola che non c'è" is a hybrid boulder/sport climb first climbed by Fred Nicole 15 years ago. It is located in a cave near Amden, Switzerland, and it sit-starts at the lowest point following a logical and natural line about 15 meters long to the exit of the cave. It can be divided into three parts. The first part being a crimpy roof boulder [Ragtime (8B+)]. Then there's an easier middle part which goes straight into the last boulder, which is quite powerful. After that, there's an easier climb to exit the cave.”

Siara Fabbri has done Forever More sit start (8A+) in Brione. "Good send vibes and lovely feeling learning how to make the bottoms moves feel natural." (c) Simone Tentori

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
We came back to Ticino after a long time away and I was psyched to try this line! Fun climbing on smooth holds next to the river, with some crimps and a mantle. The process on this boulder was really nice. In my eyes, the first 2 moves (to arrive at the crimp) are the hardest and then it is fine after that. These 2 moves initially felt weird and difficult but ended up being technical, where drop knee, full crimp, and squeezing the pinch at first instead of crimping (focus on where to apply force) made them feel natural. Motivated to one day have this so intuitive to be able to flash a boulder like this!

Ana Belen Argudo reports on Instagram that she over the last four weeks has sent Open your mind (8c+) and La Novena Puerta (8c+) in Santa Linya, as well as, Joe Blau (8c+) in Oliana. (c) Javi Pec

The 21-year-old competed actively up until 2021 when she was #7 in the Combined Youth World Championship. Her progress sport climbing has been dramatic since leaving competitive climbing, and here is a mini-doc of her sending Cordia Maleficarum (9a) two years ago.

”We came to Catalunya at the beginning of February, to visit Patxi Usobiaga at his house and to climb around. The first crag was Oliana (just 10 minutes from Patxi’s house) and my first time ever at the wall. I tried the super classic ‘Joe Blau’ 8c+ A 50 meters route, a style out of my comfort as I’m not used to climb routes of this type of endurance and length that often. So at that moment we combined Oliana with Margalef and the 23/02 on my 4 day on the route I sent it.

After that I came for the first time to the famous cave of Santa Linya and I tried ‘Novena Puerta’ 8c+ a completely different style with kneebars, and very physical. So at that moment we started to combine Santa Linya too and the 03/03 I sent it. So I wanted to find a new project till the very top of the cave, so I tried the second pitch ‘La Novena enmienda’ but it has a veeery long move for my span. Patxi was trying ‘Direct open your mind’ so I decided to try ‘Open your mind’ 8c+ and I like it very much because this one was pockets style with various monos and very physical. I struggled with the boulder on the last part till after falling a few times there I decided to change the beta and the next day with very high temperatures and humidity I sent it (19/03).

So now we are back in Margalef to start to combine with ‘El raco de la finestra’ projects. Day 1 to try first “Perfecto Passat R2” 9a a route that I already give it a few attempts last year. And the Day 2 to Santa Linya to try “Rollito Sharma R3” 8c+ as I want to get to the very top of the cave.

In the past I have been always focus on just on one route at a time till I sent it. But this new way of face the projects, mixing styles and different crags keeps my motivation very high all the time and relieve some of the pressure or the mental fatigue that you have when you are trying just one route. I also feel myself a lot more complete as a climber and that I’m just getting better and improving in so many ways, and at the same time I’m happier during the process of working the projects.

From the end of 2022 and till April of 2023 I was injured and there were 5 months I could not climb. When I recover from the injury and could climb again, between May and December I did 15 routes of 8c and 8c+ in six different climbing destinations. This started from my desire to climb a lot after being a long period with out not being able to do it, so for my head sounded better the idea of climb as many route as possible than to focus on only one harder project. I set the goal on doing 10 routes what seemed very ambitious, but after doing 6 or 7 I thought that I could put the aim on 15 and the 28/12/2023 I could do the last one, very close to the end of the year.

During the last 3 years I have done 26 routes between 8c and 9a. One of my lifetime goals is to send 8c or harder in as many places as possible.”