Giuliano Cameroni has done his fourth 8C+, Off the Wagon Sit in Valle Bavona, after some 80 sessions during six years. "Stand start from the ground from the same hold as the sit from the wagon. The difficulty doesn’t change but this way the line is nicer and more logical." In practice, he actually moved the wagon aside.

On Insta he gives the full great story how much the mental state impacts your climbing. Here is part of the lessons learnt. (c) Rainer Eder

"The day of the send, a sudden change happened: I was sitting underneath as always when I realized that I had a choice between having fun or desperately trying again. This realization put me in a great state of flow free of negative vibes and fear of failing. Right after I missed the final jug, which was my highpoint, and instead of getting mad I started laughing. I knew I was approaching the boulder the right way, so I stayed calm and happy. The next try I climbed it. Everything connected and all of a sudden I was standing on the top. A great sense of joy pervaded me and I remember wondering how it could happen so effortlessly when I had tried it for so long."

So what is next?
Next is La Force Tranquille, The Understanding and Hazel grace sit.

The Swizz is taking about two 8C's and doing the Sit FA of an 8B+ stand start. Previously, he has done eight 8C and harder FA's.

Mathieu Pauwels has done his fourth 9a, Coup d’état in fleron. "It is a route equipped by my friend Micha "The machine" Simon Lorenzi made the first ascent of the route last year and "the second machine" Thomas Salakenos the 2nd a few months ago. Otherwise, it is a short resistance type because there are only +/- 18 movements. I did the route fairly quickly in 4 working sessions. In any case, it is a unique route in Belgium and essential."

What is next?
I have another 9a project and I am trying a possible 9a+/b. My two projects are located at a small cliff called Le Trou Margritte. The first plan is to try to do an old project bolted by Nicolas Favresse which should be 9a. And then try a line that has never been done as well which would be around 8c/+. If I chain this line I will try to add a new start via another route 8c/+ route. The whole line must be 9a+/b? For me, this is finally the entrance to a new world.

IFSC has tested a new mixed team format where two females and two males try to make 12 tops on six different boulders. Only the coaches are allowed in the observation, and he/she is supposed to decide who will try the different boulders. There were nine teams participating and France won doing nine tops, followed by Belgium and Japan. (c) Vladek Zumr

Simon Lorenzi from Belgium, #7 last weekend, reports, "It was a super cool event! There is definitely something really motivating about climbing with/for your team! It was also really cool to share the beta, cheering directly on your friend being so close to the wall and brush for your teammate. It's a very fun format!"

1. France 911 (9 Tops and 11 Zones)
2. Belgium 710
3. Japan 610 (11 attempts)
4. Slovenia 610 (12)
5. USA-2 570
Complete result

Paul Robinson, who is 110 days post-surgery, has done two 8B+', Dictator and Little Richard in Camp Dick. The 33-year-old has done 1000+ boulders 8A and harder, which is the most in the world.

"I had my discs c4/5 and c5/6 replaced. I think the reason that I had to get the surgery was partly due to my genetics as well as taking 23 years of falls from bouldering. I did the surgery because I love pushing myself in climbing. I love trying to push myself to climb some of the hardest boulders in the world and if I did not get the surgery I would never be able to climb that hard again." More info on his Insta

Adam Ondra, who won the first Boulder World Cup 2021, was #1 also in Salt Lake City last weekend and here is his press release as well as his answers to two follow up questions from 8a. (c) Christian Adam

"I felt quite nervous in the qualifying and semi-final rounds. The style of boulders was a bit random - when a person made one mistake or did not think of the right method, he lost some time and then he could not finish the boulder problem," says Czech climber.

The finals followed the very same day and this time, the “final six” consisted of five Europeans and one Japanese. Ondra was the only one who managed to finish all four final boulders. He enjoyed the very friendly atmosphere in isolation and the amazing support of 3,000 spectators. "I think this feeling is kind of rare for both competitors and spectators and we all enjoyed it," smiles the Czech Olympian nominated for Tokyo.

Ondra himself admitted that this time he needed a little bit of luck. The style of American boulders was a lot about thinking: "During the whole race the boulders were quite technical, the profiles were not very overhanging and rather than strength or technique or agility it was more about finding the simplest possible way," comments Ondra, who will be competing at another World Cup competition in Salt Lake City next week, also with the Japanese Tomoa Narasaki.

How did you prepare yourself for SLC in terms of competition simulations, technical and physical training?
I definitely did not expect that boulder problems (especially in US) would be that technical and requiring very little physical power except for B2 in qualifiers and B3 in semifinals. The trend of the last two or three years was obvious - just technical and coordinative skills are not enough, you need to be strong as well. So I prepared myself for both - doing simulations on technical and coordination boulders in Hangar gym in Brno, as well as climbing a lot on spray doing more basic moves, mostly on slopers, but mixing up some crimps as well.

How do you deal with the mental pressure in the isolation in between boulders when you hear and notice other send or struggle?
There is no way how to avoid hearing the crowd, so you just have to deal with it. In the semifinals and qualifications I just stay focused even in the breaks between the problems, and try to focus on myself and not on the others. There are longer breaks in between final problems, so in the finals some distractions are welcome, a few minutes before the actual climbing are enough to recompose myself back into the fighting mode.

Jonathan Flor reports on Insta that he has done the FA of Picacho 9b in the Ali Baba cave in Rodellar. "...without a doubt, the hardest I have climbed in its grade in the cave." The 24-year-old has previously done the FA of Ali Hulk Sit Start Extension Total 9b in the cave. (c) Inga Patarcic

Pichacho starts with a squat start in the middle of the cave, which is an 8B+ boulder problem before traversing to the right joining the other 9b, Ali Hulk... The only link-up that is missing now in the cave is to combine the 8B+ start with another 8B boulder, doing a more direct and harder line in the cave, before tying in with a rope doing the extension total.

The first Speed World Cup of 2021 will take place this Friday in Salt Lake City. Surprisingly, only 25 females and 40 males are registered to compete. In practice, this means that several non-Speed specialists will advance to the final and possibly several Olympians will get some extra training. Tomoa Narasaki might just win as only four of the Top-25, and non of the Top-9, ranked in the 2019 World Cup will attend.

Among the females, five of the Top-12 in the 2019 rankings are registered to compete but besides that only 20 more females are listed. Among the Olympians, Aleksandra Miroslaw, has chosen to only participate in Speed and Aleksey Rubtsov has done the contrary, only competing in the Boulder WC's in Salt Lake City. It should be mentioned that also Michael Piccolruaz was missing from the Speed starting list and once we asked him why, he contacted his Italian federation and he was signed up.

Cameron Hörst has done his first 9a+, Bone Tomahawk in Fynn Cave. (c) J.P. Melville "WOOHOO! My hardest climb yet, next level for me. 15+ sessions of work over the last month and a half. The route has settled at 9a/+ grade range. However, I've sent 9as, and worked a ton of them. This thing is on a whole different level (at least for me). But hell, I'm confident in my abilities and I know other ascensionists have expressed similar views to mine. Regardless, amazing route. So special to have the first ascensionist (Joe Kinder) as my partner during the process! Gang."

The FA Joe Kinder graded it 9a+ and in total it has five ascents out of which three have thought it is a 9a+. Cameron did his first 8c at age 14 but he has only been climbing full time for two years as he during high school, has been a successful quarterback. Cameron's father is the famous coach and author Eric Hörst.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has done the first repeat of Ramon Julian Puigblanque's Victima Perfecta in Margalef. "Ramonet", well known for his hard FA grades, put it up in 2008 and originally graded it 8c+, but Jorge gives it a 9a/+ personal grade. "Even harder than Gancho Perfecto (9a/+), although Ramón Julián said between 8c + and 9a... Pure continuity in the overhang into the line to the left, incredible! I fell 3 times in the last move, good training!"

The 21-year-old has now 43 routes 9a and harder in his scorecard which can be compared with 51 for Ramonet up to 9a+. However, based on the recent upgrades suggested for the 39-year-old's FA, it just might be that Ramonet in practice has done 55 up to 9b. Ramonet, who is 159 cm tall, has won 21 World Cups and the World Championship two times, and only Adam Ondra and Alex Megos have better tick lists in the world. Jorge is #7 in the world and he has been #1 in the 8a ranking for the last two years.

Gonzalo Larrocha has done Las Meninas 9a (+) in Rodellar. The 36-year-old bolted it one year ago and Jorge Diaz-Rullo did the FA.

"It is a very steep route with a focus on crimps. I was working on it, during the autumn, now I send it on the fifth day. It is over 30m long but the harder section finish at 20m.

After I clipped the first anchor, I tried to continue but fell two quick draws before the second anchor. I was frustrated but at the same time really happy. Now, I will try some days more to link this 50 meters route. The second pitch is 8b+ (more or less). But it is a really technical roof, where you feel that your legs are going to explode.”