The Combined result in the European Youth Championship in Russia last week was calculated by the rankings of everyone competing in the three disciplines. Slovenia won all three golds among the girls and Bulgaria won the two youngest boys categories. Lucia Tarkus got the overall best calculated result by being second in Boulder and then winning both Lead and Speed. (In reality she was #3 in Boulder, #1 in Lead and #10 in Speed, including the Speed specialist only doing that duscipline).

It should be mentioned that Paul Jenft, who won in both Lead and Boulder in the oldest boys categories, would have been Combined Champion, if he just had participated in Speed. Nikolay Rusev got the best overall results being #4 in Lead, #1 in Boulder and #2 in Speed. Noteworthy is that Alberto Gines Lopez, who has qualified to Tokyo, was just #3 among the oldest boys. Here are the winners with including their score.

02: Lucija Tarkus SLO - 2 : Lawrence Bogeschdorfer AUT - 9
04: Liza Novak SLO - 4 : Slav Kirov BUL - 4
06: Lina Funa SLO - 18 : Nikolay Rusev BUL - 3
Complete results

Irina Kuzmenko has done Eliksir molodosty natoshak which her boyfriend Vadim Timonov put up as an 8A+ in Triangular lake. "In my opinion that’s one more like 8B. Too hard for 8A+ but so nice one!" The Russian, who got the bronze in the Euro Championship in 2019, has previously done twelve boulders 8A to 8B.

"It took two very short and two quite long sessions. During the first two sessions, it was no chances to make one separate move and it felt like “hmmm what I am doing here, maybe I should try something different”. Then I came back again, did all the moves in 20 mins, and decided to rest for recovery. This boulder is crimpy and the hold is sharp and usually, you need two days to make skin good again. So after 2 days I just came back and did it very quickly! So happy :-)"

If you can do 8B so quickly, it should be possible to do at least 8B+?
I already did one session in an 8B+ and did all the moves in 40 mins 😅 so maybe you’re right!🥰

Projecting a hard route often means that you must spend several sessions just solving and learning all moves. In practice this means that you hang in the rope and just try different sequences. So how long should you work the crux sequences and links and how long should you rest in between tries?

In general, this is personal and also related to what kind of moves you are trying to solve. However, a rule that can be used is that once you stop feeling progress you should take longer rests and if you anyhow notice that you are getting weaker, you should come to the ground and rest for at least 20 minutes. It is better to have several runs, with a rest in between, instead of getting totally wasted during your first push. When it comes to longer steep sequences where you easily can get pumped you can probably just do a couple of tries before getting to the ground and make sure that you rest at least one minute in between tries.

If we are talking about the crux moves you can not solve, try to isolate them and do them one by one. This means you can try to do them over and over again, which will improve your max recruitment and coordination. Once all the moves are done you can choose the "safe option" to then work sequences and later also try to link the upper part and later start lower and lower. This will often mean you will not get that pumped so you can project the route several times during a day.

The other option is to start with redpoint attempts, meaning that you will either send it more quickly or you will pump out and need longer rest or even return another day. In the long run, the latter more risky approach is the best as each attempt will make you train you how to fight. If you instead choose the safe option, you will probably send it faster but you will not have learnt as much during the process, since you had more control. Note that all top climbers have taken the risky approach.

Maya Ene (11) has had a good week doing God’s Own Stone 8b+ and Swingline 8b in Red River Gorge. During the last three months, the 137 cm tall and 30 kg, has also done two 7C+'. Her father Ionel (46), finished his World Cup career in 1999 by being #19 in Speed and #43 in Lead in the World Championship. His personal best 8c, he did in 2003 and recently he also did God's Own Stone.

"Both, my wife and I have been climbing for 30 years, so Maya was exposed to climbing at an early age. Plus, we own a small climbing gym in New Jersey so it seemed like just a matter of time before Maya started to take climbing more seriously. About three years ago I participated in a Psicobloc competition in Canada. She was so amazed by the cheers of the crowds that she decided to be "as strong as my father" as she would say. The determination of getting stronger grew bigger month after month. About six months ago, we went to a local bouldering area and she was able to hold very tiny crimps (the size of the edge of a credit card), so we decided to have her try harder stuff. She went from 5.13a (7c+) to 5.14a (8b+) (God's Own Stone) in five months.

Maya doesn't have a particular climbing training routine, however, we are both climbing three times a week. We take any occasion to climb outside since this is what we enjoy the most. While she does both, sport and bouldering, I believe she has a predilection for sport. It's amazing to see your child climb as strong as you."

Chaehyun Seo, who has qualified to Tokyo, has done Seoknangil 8c+ in Seonunsan. Three years ago, the Korean did her first 9a and in 2019, she won the Lead World Cup in a superior style and her worst result was #3 out of six events.

Illya Bakhmet-Smolenskyi, who did his first 9a at age 13, has done the first repeat of Alex Megos Turkish Haircut 9a in Citdibi, after some 12 days projecting during two trips. "Puff, it was a long story with shattered skin, damaged tendon and tons of Footslips. So glad to finish this line, a really cool and unique climb!" (c) David Kaszlikowski/Verticalvision.pl

On Insta he describes the whole process taking it down. The 16-year-old has been travelling together with his parents for several years. "I have this separate homeschooling class. The school gives us works to do to get the annual grades, we have deadlines for them and we should fit in. We study and search for materials on our own or with help of side teachers)."

Top climbers often climb two days in a row followed by a resting day. The reason for resting is to have good quality sessions, sometimes twice a day, and to save the skin. However, some people climb like 10+ days in a row.

There is normally no problem climbing several days in a row even for regular climbers. However, to avoid injuries you should avoid doing the same type of hard moves over and over again. Furthermore, if you get totally wasted and pumped several times during one session, it is probably best to take a resting day.

Flexibility and adjustment to how your body feels are crucial. Do not just follow a strict scheme that says you cannot climb a certain (sunny) day followed by several rainy days. In the long run, for the intermediate climbers, it is better to climb several days in a row focusing on your technical skill on easier routes compared to go full on ending up resting three days a week.

Marcello Bombardi, who won one World Cup in 2017, has done the third ascent of Lapsus in Andonno giving it a 9a+ personal grade. Stefano Ghisolfi put it up in 2015 and it is an extension to Noia. The first repeat was done by Adam Ondra. Marcello has previously done five 9a's out of which four the last year. (c) Enrico Veronese

"So happy and relieved that my longest battle with a route so far is over! This route challenged and taught me a lot and I'm grateful for that! About the grade... I was able to use a kneebar that allows to recover before the last final boulder. It is not an easy kneebar, especially coming from below with a tired leg, but I think it could take away the full grade. I'm not good with grades and I've never even done more than 9a so this comes just from my consideration. Future repeaters will tell!"

How many sessions did it take in total and did you have to do any special training?
It took me 20 days spread over 4 months. I already climbed years ago Anaconda which is the 8c route in which Lapsus ends. Then last October I started to try Lapsus. The only special training I've done was about the kneebar. I've spent some session wandering around the gym and trying the most difficult kneebars. Everything else was just normal training for the competitions and trying Lapsus.

On Insta, he gives more details, "It has been a long adventure, the longest I have spent so far on a single route and it has put me to the test. From believing to be able to do it quickly, to changing the method too many times to find the most efficient one, to walking to the crag with snowshoes and half a meter of snow to take advantage of the last days of the winter season, to returning to spring and fall on the top several times on the same move, to losing enthusiasm due to skin pain caused by the very abrasive rock of the first part of the route, to getting with the final jug in front of the eyes but not being able to pull and grab it and, yesterday, to finally be able to commit the final jump and clip the chain."

Claudia Ghisolfi has done her first 8c+, Noia in Andonno. Seve Scassa put it up as the first 8c+ in Italy in 1993. Claudia started working on it last November and continued projecting in April. The Italian, who is sister to Stefano, started doing World Cups in 2013 and 15 times she has made the semi. (c) Enrico Veronese

Are you planning to continue doing World Cups?
I don't know my shape in comp style but maybe I'll do some comps this June and July but then I think I'll start to work and I'll just dedicate climbing in crags 😊😊

Tobias Haug, who is running the Josito guesthouse in Geyik Bayiri has done his hardest route ever by Josito Paradise Extension 8c/+ in Öküzini. The 48-year-old has previously done nine 8c's out of which the first in 2006. (c) David Kaszlikowski

"45m of very steep and fantastic climbing. The extension has three hard, very complex and physical boulder problems. It felt totally out of reach in the beginning. Seven long weeks of finding beta, trying and doubting often that I can ever succeed. I never climbed 8c+, that's why I can not really give that grade, but the route felt harder than all 8c I've climbed before."

How can you explain peaking at age 48 :) Any special training?
I think it is still possible to improve a lot in climbing, even after 32 years of living this passion. I'm thankful that I can be here at the camp in the position to exchange and learn a lot of good climbers that come to share nice times with us at the rocks. For sure to have a motivated climbing partner, like my wife Duygu, is also pushing a lot. Normally I don't like too much long projecting, but this time I really enjoyed the whole process, also mentally.

We climb most days. I do by side some campus moves on our training wall. For the project I concentrated on short bouldery routes for 3 weeks, which was a good preparation for the hard boulder problems in this long project.