Alex Garriga has done his second 9a+ in Cuenca during the last week, Following the Leader. "Pure violent intensity. Randomly climbed with one of the bolters (José Rodríguez) with the Grigri.

The route consists of around 23 moves of power endurance. Most of the holds are two fingers and crimps. Then something around 8b to the top. I was very close in October but due to an injury and Covid, I couldn't finish the work. These days I returned doing it earlier than expected."

During the last 12 months, the 23-year-old has done 19 routes 8c to 9a+ FAs and he is #6 in the 8a ranking game. Alex says that there are many old forgotten routes in Cuenca which he has cleaned and sometimes added a bolt to before doing the FA. Still many open projects exist. The reason for him to do so many of them is both Covid travel restrictions but also because he simply like doing all routes he can. "I'm going to start bolting some routes now."

William Bosi has posted a video of his FA of Furia de Jabali in Siurana. Here is his scorecard comments. "My First FA! super fun route bolted by Beto Rocasolano which climbs the line of bolts to the right of jungle speed before joining jungle speed for the top. although its not quite as steep as La Capella the holds are far smaller and i think its definitly as hard!"

Shinichiro Nomura has had an extreme week doing Rokudo 8C and Meikyoshisui 8B+ in Toyamagawa as well as another three 8B+'s: Oxalis and Geisha in Okutama and Tokoyo in Ena. In total, the 159-cm-tall has now done nine 8C's. He has previously said that one goal for him is to make moves that are said to be impossible being short, in order to give hopes for those who don’t have long reach. Asking him for personal grades of the boulders he did, he thinks 7C+ for Oxalis and 8C for Tokoyo although both are 8B+. Interestingly, Nomura has 1.5 hours to the nearest bouldering area but four hours to any good one with hard boulders remaining.

Geisha (8B+/V14), 2nd ascent
It took two hours to make it. This route is originally Ryuichi Murai’s project and I sent it just after Ryuichi did the FA. In this line, we need both crimp and pinch skills, so it’s great different challenges.

Oxalis(8B+/V14) 3rd ascent
This is the route that Dai Koyamada just recently made the FA of. The requirement to send matches my climbing style, so I just needed about 15min. The crux is a tremendously hard gaston move. Depending on being good at gaston moves or not, the feeling of the difficulty would change a lot. It is located by the riverside, so it’s always slippery thus really stressful.

Meikyoshisui 8B+/V14
It is one of the great roof boulders in Japan. The first half of the boulder to solve is about a V13 roof, followed by a V10 mantle which becomes the crux as well. Anyway, the huge scales and the composition of the route is really awesome, so I’m happy to send it.

Rokudo 8C/ V15, 2nd Ascent This line shares the start of the lower part of Meikyoshisui. A few hours after having done Meikyoshisui, I sent Rokudo as well. Dai Koyamada accomplished this boulder for the first time in 2016 and at the same time, it was said to be the hardest boulder in Japan. As for its reputation, it looks really difficult so I thought I couldn't have done it. However, I could do it, hence I am so excited.

Tokoyo 8B+/V14
It took four days. For me having a short reach, I really feel like it’s impossible. I have been considering and training how to use my reach effectively, and these activities result in the success of improving my technical and physical terms, which leads to the top of Tokoyo. The ascent would be the happiest things ever in my climbing life. It is not more to say so.

Martina Demmel continues her strike in Oliana by doing Mind Control 8c and Crimptonite 8b+ on her second attempt. The 19-year-old is #1 in the female ranking game. (c) Jan Novak

Mind Control: "This king line tops everything regarding next level rock quality and the beautyness of the moves! A blue limestone stripe featured with little bubbles and tufas only which are still pretty sharp after so much traffic... A name who suits perfectly like no other;) Only about controlling the mind all the way with the most risky section near the top: the famous dynamic cross move where you constantly have to switch between fully commitment and holding the tension! Merci à Jan, Michi & Blondi:)"

It should be mentioned that Mind Control is the most repeated 8c in the 8a database with 67 ascents and all but one, who have star rated it, have given five stars. Chris Sharma did the FA in 2010 and initially, it was considered 8c+. Then Gabri Moroni made his classical comment in 2012. "Everybody knows it's only 8c...but nobody will ever downgrade it :-P" Even so, it took several years before most considered it 8c and lately some have even started to call it "soft". Adam Ondra has the only onsight and he was also the first one to question the grade.

Crimptonite: "Only 5 star climbs in Oliana but this one still should get more attention, 30m resistency tricky moves on a slightly overhanging crimp carpet! Got heartbreakingly close on the onsight by missing one crimp super close to the top... even more frustrating when you've got told afterwards that you were cruising through all the hard part! But that's part of the game and for sure something to learn from:) including some bees attacking me into my hair..."

Staša Gejo has done N.N. (V2) 8A (+) in Frankenjura. "I checked it out when I was very tired from training and without any skin. But did it 3rd try of the second session." Video on her Insta (c) Matthias Woidneck

It seems you are in good shape outdoors just a week before Meiringen? I am getting quite comfortable doing hard boulders, I might do another one soon, if the weather allows. I feel good for Meiringen, every element slowly comes into place. I am excited to compete in such a strong field again!

Andreas Kubin shares the story about Marcel "Matrix" Remy celebrating his 98th birthday by climbing in a new climbing gym in Satigny/Geneva together with his sons Claude and Yves.

"Marcel didn’t want to climb anymore after some weeks of being in the hospital with water in his lungs. The days before he had been a bit depressed and did not want to drive his car anymore. But it didn’t need a lot to motivate him for some boulder traverses... Then two routes on top rope, which he even insisted to downclimb. The old steam engine is still working! And then one route on 4c on lead! His eyes were shining with happiness! And immediately he starts to make plans for the next summer: climbing is a Fountain of Youth! Good luck Marcel, you are such a great and wonderful example for all of us."

William Bosi does the FA of King Capella 9b+ in Siurana. "Wow, what a route, climbing the first half of Davids "i have a dream" before going left and joining "A 2 Bandas" some of the best climbing i have done including a crazy jump to a crimp. felt a full level above la Capella so makes sense to be a grade harder. time will tell"

Jon Glassberg who previously has done 32 8B's but just one 8B+, in 2017, has done his first 8C, The Nest in First Creek. With 86 kg and 191 cm, the 36-year-old should be one of the biggest climbers having done 8C. (c) Jess Talley from Louderthan11

"I’ve been climbing for 26 years and when I started in 1994, the grade hadn’t been proposed yet. In 2000 Fred Nicole did Dreamtime calling it 8C and the Story of Two Worlds in 2005 by Dave Graham became the first confirmed 8C. I imagined that grade to be reserved for the best of the best who could dedicate 100% of their time and effort to achieve the goal, definitely not for me to ever realize.

In 2017 I decided I was going to give 8C/V15 a shot and train, diet, and prepare as best I could for the one 8C that might just be “my style” and suit me well enough to go down. I thought it was “The Big Island” in Fontainebleau and I started to siege over the course of 4 trips resulting in a couple of herniated discs in my lower back and a 2-year recovery that is still ongoing. I gave up for a while, thinking my 190lb 6’3” (86 kg and 191 cm) frame wasn’t built for 8C/V15.

After a research trip to Red Rock this past December I made quick work of The Nest Stand, a V13 in its own right and thought that adding a V11 into the stand seemed like something I could train for and maybe actually do one day. I invested 3 months of power endurance training and campusing and headed to Red Rock to begin the process no matter how long it took. After 9 sessions of incremental progress, it was DONE and I was on top, in shock. I came prepared and executed without an epic and it felt good.

I knew this boulder fit me well and I am pretty good at power endurance. The climb for me breaks down into V11 into V13 so the grade certainly feels like a massive step up for me in overall difficulty but I have never been this prepared. During COVID I had extra time to train and focus on climbing so I put that new found strength to the test on my dream project and it all came together."

Adam Ondra has done the FA of Directa Bongada 9a in Margalef. "Start like Directa Rodellar, finish in Bongada. It is link-up, but honestly, as a line it is the most direct and logical one. You do all the hard part from Directa Rodillar 8c+/9a, good kneebar and all the upper part of Bongada. Unfortunately the kneebar is too good to make any harder than hard 9a, maybe 9a/+, but definitely not 9a+. 1st real try after both Directa Rodillar and Bongada, in the very last minutes of the day."