Luke Gerhardt has done Sleepwalker (8C+) on his fifth session and thinks it is 8C/+. (c) Anna Kelley

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I opted for newer beta where you skip the intermediate pinch out right (completely different from Zander’s beta). This turned the crux into one very low percentage move to the sloper. Using the pinch felt much higher percentage in iso but when coming from bottom the friction would feel too bad. I think with better conditions (It was 64 [18] degrees when I sent😂) and a little more time to learn the moves I would actually prefer to use the pinch as it would be more reliable. In total it took me 5 sessions to send sleepwalker, 3 sessions this trip. I’ll definitely be coming back to work lower in the future.

As for grade, I could see v15 [8C] being a possibility. I don’t have too strong of an opinion especially because I’ve only ever done one v15. Beta has definitely been more refined since jimmys first ascent. Height and conditions play a huge role on this boulder aswell. At the end of the day it’s one of the sickest, hardest lines in America and I’m psyched.

Yannick Flohé, who earlier this summer made the first ever 8C flash, has repeated Markus Bock Corona (9a+) in Frankenjura. The 26-year-old German has been a successful competition climber since 2014 and this year he was sixth overall in the Lead World Cup. .

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
It wasn’t a big project, I went once in May and it was way to warm but I made it through the crux but slipped in the easy part. Never came back but sent it last trip pretty quickly after slipping again on the hold due do wet holds 😅

What are your next plans?
I want to climb Excalibur (9b+) and focus more on training again. Maybe some bouldering in Ticino but no plans yet.

Ainhize Belar Barrutia, who last year did her first 9a+, has sent Harroputza (9a) in Egino. (c) Ekaitz Anda

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Harroputza is a route I’ve wanted to try since last summer. I tried a bit of it while coming down from Celedón (which is right next to it), and I really liked it. So this year, it was my goal in La Leze. I’ve gone a few months without climbing very hard and have been getting back into shape along the way, but I’ve really enjoyed it!

What are your autumn and winter plans?
Now I want to train a bit and go to Cataluña, with the main objective of trying some routes I already tried last year: Victimas Perez (9a), Victimes del futur (9a), Ciudad de dios (9a). These are some that really motivate me. I also want to climb in Siurana and Oliana.

Lovro Črep, an IFSC competition climber with two 8c+’, from 2022, under his belt, has done Martin Krpan (9a) in Mišja Peč.

Can you tell us more about your ascent?
So psyched to join the 9a club with this legendary route, the first Slovenian 9a, FA by Jure Golob. I still can’t believe that one of my childhood dreams has finally come true! On the last day of last year’s season, I was really close to send it, but got completely pumped near the top. Then came the off-season and after that, I either couldn’t find the right time or my endurance wasn’t where it needed to be to give it proper tries.

After this year’s comp season, I finally had more time for rock and I already knew what the goal was. Two weeks ago, I gave it my first few goes and quickly realized I wasn’t in my best shape for it. That fired me up even more to train hard in the gym. Each session I felt stronger and more confident, so I knew the send was coming soon.

Yesterday was the day, after nine tries over the past two weeks. When I got to the crag, I wasn’t really sure if it was going to be the send day or if I still needed a bit more training. After my second “warm-up” route, which was actually an 8c to get properly activated for the project, I felt surprisingly good and started thinking, hmm, maybe today’s the day.

Once I started climbing, I felt solid on every move. Even the last bad rest before the big crux, where I had fallen on most of my previous tries, felt much better this time, so I got super psyched for the rest of the route. Since I could recover more there, the crux felt totally under control, and I still had enough in the tank to push through to the top with endurance and consistent movement.

What is your climbing background?
I started climbing when I was seven, inspired by my dad who introduced me to the sport. Soon after, I began competing. First at regional events, then also at national and international competitions.

I was part of the Slovenian youth national team for several years and achieved some solid results at European Cups and World Championships. The last two years, I’m also a member of the senior Slovenian national team, although I haven’t had any standout results yet.

I’ve always loved climbing on rock and whenever time allows, I love heading outdoors to different crags and working on new projects.! Psyched for more to come 😈

Laura Rogora, with over 30 routes 9a and beyond under her belt, has sent Il terzo occhio (9a) in Arco. (c) Crimp Films

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
We had bolted the route with Adam Ondra and Stefano Ghisolfi 3 years ago, then in 2023 Stefano did the FA. Back from Korea I went back to try it and in recent days I went very close to the chain several times but I broke some feet so I couldn't do it until yesterday.

Leo Bøe repeated Adam Ondra’s Change (9b+) last week, after a solid 45-minute fight. The Norwegian Lead Champion six times in the last seven years has made rapid progress since sending his first 9a in 2023 and last September, he completed Change P1 (9a+) as his first 9a+. ”My heart goes out to Johanna Jupin for the countless belays and hours of believing in me when I doubted myself. None of this would have happened without you 🤍🫀. (c) Doug McConnell

How was your first experience with Change and how many sessions have you put in, in total? Any special training indoors?
The moves suited me so well in the first pitch and it seemed I dicovered a new beta that nobody else has been doing. It involves grabbing the arete to your right and it gives you a strong compression to release the kneebar in the crux. Back then the season was ending and I wasn’t really expecting to climb any more routes.

I have lost count of the amount of session, but in total I spent around 2,5 months on the route alone. I didn’t do any specific training for the route, I just went straight to trying it over and over.

What was it in the end that made the trick?
The trick to sending was a combination of many things, but having the right mindset was crucial. I got to a point where I was tired mentally after so many days on the route. It was even hard to walk up to the cave, but a change of mindset helped alot. I started focusing on the battle and not the result. I decided to be happy with my performance as long as I tried my hardest. I was able to just focus on the moves and trying hard and it got me all the way to the top.

How much differ the beta compared to Ondra’s original beta?
The beta I used, and perhaps everyone else have used since Adams ascent is very different. He didn’t use kneepads and almost didn’t place any kneebars at all. The first boulderproblem has a right kneebar that takes alot of load of your upper body, but the hard part comes when you have to release the kneebar. He graded the boulder 8B+ and nowadays it’s more around 8A+. I believe the 2nd pitch had some improvements with kneepads, but not as major as the start.

How do you mentally prepare for an attempt and what goes through your mind up there in up-side-down land?
It’s a tough route mentally cause you have many good rests where you get the time to think alot. You start thinking about how you’re feeling compared to previous tries, and how the conditions are feeling, etc. I just tried my best to shut negative thoughts out and boost my confidence by giving myself positive affirmations. It was also very boosting metnally to have someone I trusted, consistently belay and cheer for me throughout. I can’t thank my girlfriend Johanna enough for the support and it was an incredible feeling to reach the top as a team. I am proud of my climbing and also very relieved to have done Change before the season ended!

Austin Purdy, with three 8C+’ to his name, has repeated Drew Ruana’s Distortion (8C+) in Mount Blue Sky. ”I'm glad to finally be done with this cave. I thought this would go quickly after I did Insomniac, but it ended up taking 2 more years, more session than I spent trying everything else in the cave combined, and several falls at the end before I got it done. Even though Spatial Awareness isn't much different in difficulty than We Can Build You, the physical and resistant nature of the climbing on the end of this climb ended up being much harder for me to execute tired after climbing through the intro boulder than the technical 2nd half of Insomniac.”

How many sessions in total an what made the trick in the end?
I think it was around 4 sessions 2 years ago after I did Insomniac (8C+) and then another 8 or so this year. I think the biggest difference in the end was trying it in good conditions. Most of the days I spent on the boulder were in the heat of summer.

Carlo Traversi put up Empath (9a+) in 2020. The grade was first confirmed a couple of times before Ethan Pringle called it 9a using "jammis". Connor Herson is the only one who has done it on trad gear. Earlier this summer Tommy Caldwell, 46, repeated it and thought it was 8c. Now a video has been released where Caldwell shows his jamming techniques with rubber gloves.

Stefano Carnati, with seven routes 9a+ or 9b under his belt, has completed Musa (9a) in Covolo. ”Easy start into a short, bouldery sequence on sharp edges and tensiony moves. Keeping the weekend sends coming!”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Covolo is an old italian crag with many routes, and the climbing style there is very bouldery, mostly fingery and overhanging lines. In recent years, Silvio Reffo has added several new routes up to 9a/+. I used to visit Covolo mostly during summer, when conditions were far from ideal. Last year, I finally returned a couple of times in April, with better conditions, and took a look at “Super Pit” and had a few tries on “Musa”. Last weekend, I decided to focus first on “Musa” before dedicating more time to “Super Pit”. “Musa” is a short, powerful route that starts with an easier five-bolt intro leading into a very fingery crux, followed by an easier but still sustained finish. On Saturday, everything clicked, and I managed to send it. Super Pit still remains unrepeated, and I knew it would require more time and effort to piece together. It’s definitely a project I’d like to return to soon.

What are your autumn and winter plans?
I’m about to submit my PhD thesis for revision, so before the final dissertation I’ll have a bit more time to spend outdoors. My plan is to finish off a few routes at Covolo. I’ve climbed one out of the five 9as there so far, so I’d like to complete some of the others. As soon as the temperatures drop, I still have a few projects left in Ticino that I’d like to get back on. Then, during the Christmas holidays, I’m planning a trip to Spain, possibly to Margalef.

Hugo Parmentier, currently ten months in a full year roadtrip with his girlfriend, has done Stratagème power (9a) and Trois pattes dans la chouffe (9a) in Gorges du Tarn. The latter he logged as an 8c+ as he sent it on his third go and comments, ”I have sent easier 9a’s and harder 8c’s.”

Can you tell us more about Stratagème power and how your road trip is going?
I’m on a 10-day trip in Gorges du Tarn. It feels surreal to be here, as this is the place where I truly discovered rock climbing many years ago. Ben Bouissou, my all-time coach and mentor, used to organize end-of-year climbing camps here with my club. This is where I climbed my first 7a, 7a+, and 7b. I feel really good here, nostalgic, but in a very positive and pleasant way. I even got to try routes that were still projects back then!
 Like Dessèchement Planétaire, Dieu Merci, Mehw Power, etc.

I climbed Mehw power (8c+) and the variation on the right that Seb Bouin freed last year.
They’re absolute king lines on what I think is the most beautiful wall in the Gorges. It’s exactly my style, short resistance climbs on pockets and small crimps. As for the grades, I’m pretty sure neither of them are extreme. But honestly, I just don’t understand grading anymore. My personal impressions rarely match the established consensus. Depending on the benchmark route I choose to calibrate the difficulty, the grades of the routes I try vary wildly. And if I also take into account my fluctuating shape and preferred styles, it makes even less sense. So basically I’m super psyched to try these routes and I hope to have a chance in the other ones.

Where are you going next?
I’m trying few other routes around this difficulty in the Gorges. But we only have a few days left ! I’m also preparing for a bike, sailing and bolting/climbing adventure end of this month also together with Symon Welfringer and Arthur Delicque! Biking 300 km to the sea, sailing to Corsica, biking again to Bavella climb/bolt and then all the way back in the same way.