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."

Matt Fultz has done two 8B+' and the FA of Sound of Violence 8C in Joe's Valley and Warp Speed in Taco Cave. Amazingly, he did his first 8C two years ago and now at age 29, he has done 19, including two 8C+. The 183 cm tall and 74 kg powerhouse has previously explained that nutrition is a major factor of his progress.

Stefano Ghisolfi, one of the best climbers in the world, reports on Insta that he has size 41 in regular shoes but only 36 in his La Sportiva Futura.

Please explain how this is possible?
It is painful to wear them only the very first time. I put the plastic paper that comes with the shoes under the heel to slide the heel in. But after two or three times they enter normally and from the second day it is not that painful anymore Sometimes for training, I use one number bigger to keep them on longer. Otherwise, I just take them off every attempt.

So how would it be to climb in size 39?
They would be too large and inaccurate. The feet would move too much inside the shoes.

Another example of these "Geisha" shoes is Adam Ondra squeezing in his 44 size feet into 38.5 shoes. At the same time, Ondra has said that on competition slabs and volumes you do not want that much pressure on just the toes so then he has much bigger shoes. It should be mentioned that when it comes to ordinary climbers, you will not benefit much, but pain, going down in sizes. I have 39.5 and I climb in 38.5 in La Sportiva and I even have a pair of Testarossa size 41 and the difference for me is not that big.