The most comprehensive 9a statistics are found at Escalade 9. In practice, as many of the most repeated routes are subject to downgradings, the stats also include 8c+/9a. Overall, 525 climbers having done 883 routes 8c+/9a or harder are listed. Spain dominates with 256 routes as well as with eight out of the Top-10 most repeated ones, see below.


Countries with most 8c+/9a and harder
Spain - 256
France - 157
Italy - 83
USA - 65
Germany - 56
Austria and Switzerland - 46

The most repeated ones
46 Estado Critico - Confirmed upgraded due to broken hold.
40 Era Vella (8c+/9a) - Only two repeats in last 2.5 years after downgrading debate and broken hold
33 Underground (8c+/9a)
29 La Rambla 1 - FA 8c+ of Alex Huber and later upgraded
27 Action Directe - FA 8c+/9a by W Gullich in 1991
27 La Rambla 9a+

23 Esclatamasters (8c+/9a)
23 Papichulo 9a+
22 Sellecio Natural (8c+/9a)
21 A Muerte (8c+/9a)

It should be mentioned that one reason that Spain dominates the statistics is that extensions are really popular there. Several of the listed routes are also variations of other 9a's. The stats also suggest that the softest grades are found in Spain. Possibly, the development of knee pads contributes to part of the downgradings. In total, 20 climbers have done at least 26 routes 8c+/9a or harder, out of which seven are Spanish. At the same time, 82 French climbers have done 8c+/9a or harder which can be compared with 67 Spaniards, 65 Americans, 60 Italians and 41 Germans.

Adam Ondra has ascended 209 routes of these grades, which is more than anyone else. He is followed by Alex Megos with 91 ascents and Dani Andrada with 76. In total, there are 30 females listed. Laura Rogora has ascended 17 routes, which is most of all females. Runner-ups are Anak Verhoeven with 10 ascents and Angy Eiter with 9.

Pietro Radassao, who has previously done three 8c+ FAs in Frosolone, has done the FA of Ultra Istinto 9a in Oratino. (c) Francesco Guerra

"Ultra Istinto" is a 40-meter long route that I bolted in the Oratino crag called "La Rocca" in 2020, very close to my home. In December 2020 I climbed the simpler variant "CBD" 8c (bolted by myself the same year) which avoids the final boulder problem exiting at the top right. The route consists of doing all the hard part of "CBD" and at the top after a good rest there is a boulder problem of 8 movements on small holds, in my opinion 8A boulder.

I climbed CBD on 12 December 2020 in a few tries and "Ultra Istinto" after 1 month and a half of work interrupted by even long periods of 1 week of bad weather in which I could not try the route. I am a training fanatic, in the last 5 months I have trained almost every day (140/150 days) and to climb it I did a lot of bouldering, using both tools such as the Moonboard alternating sessions of maximum strength."

In total, Pietro has put up some 100 routes. Out of his 8c's and harder, none have been repeated. Almost all his hardest routes have been established during the last three years, after he started to train much harder. The 25-year-old lives a couple of hours south-east of Rome and has only four times been on climbing trips abroad. The last time was in Spain in 2018.

Caroline Treadway has created a VERY strong documentary of the eating disorder she faced and later saw within the climbing community some 15 years ago. Angie Payne and Emily Harrington, two of the very best female climbers back then, explain their struggle and how they come out of it.

Mathieu Bouyoud has done his 24th 9a, Ça chauffe in Seynes. "I have tried this route during 5 weekends. It s a very technical routes in Seynes. One boulder at the beginning with small crimps, one good rest and finish with resistance 8b."

the Frenchman is in the Top-20 list of climbers who have done the most 9a's and harder in the world. The somewhat under-the-radar 31-year-old has an even more impressive onsight ticklist with 81 onsights 8b to 8c.

How much do you work and how has it been possible to keep pushing hard for more than ten years?
I work 40 hours by week and this year with the covid I don't climb during the week. I climb only at the weekends. My job is to manage construction for the climbing gyms in France. I make the design and the drawing with the right dimensions of the building. I don't make training. My only training is to climb different style all the year and with the experience now is possible to make hard routes. And with a lot of motivation all is possible.

Advertorial: "In New Zealand, we have a few mountains/walls that are actually difficult to reach the top off. Over the past 20 years the trend of top down route development, simply walking or taking a helicopter to the top of a wall, rapping down and putting the bolts in / cleaning on rappel is slowly emerging. While we all benefit from anyone's efforts to establish new lines I do feel that the current trend means the skills required for safe ground up exploration are being lost or going undeveloped.

Short approach, many pitches, interesting and challenging climbing. Personally, when it came to climbing in NZ I had always hoped I could either climb or develop a true big wall style route." Full length article at My Tendon.

Grampians in Australia are at risk for being closed for climbers after concerns were raised around the threat to cultural heritage. Graffiti and chalk have been part of the criticism. Back in 2013, on a rainy day, Megos brushed away charcoal graffiti in the Hollow Mountain Cave. Yesterday, he published it on Youtube and sent this message to us.

"I thought this is a good message for the community. I hope a solution can be found to reopen the Grampians again one day."

Yannick Flohé, #3 in the Bouldering World Champion in 2019, has done his first 9a and possibly the first repeat of Alex Megos' Wild Publico in Margalef. (c) Eduardo Ruano Lin

"It took 5 sessions. The „easy“ 8c part turned out to be quite a big struggle with poor endurance 😅 tomorrow we’re going home again and back to boulder training for the first World Cup (hopefully). "

How long did you stay and how did Covid-19 affect your trip?
We stayed for 8 days. We did a PCR test in Germany and we need a quick test tomorrow before flying back home. For professional athletes, there are different restrictions normally you have to quarantine for at least 5 days and then you need a second negative Corona test.

Philipp Gaßner, who did his first out of twelve 8c+'s at age 14, has done his first 8B+ boulder and then also his first 8C, Real Absurdistan, in Kochel. (c) Basti Scheibel Video of Muttertagsdach 8B+ starting a few moves in.

"Toni Lamprecht did the first ascent of the boulder, also known as the Stoametz project, about one year ago. It is the lowest possible start of a long roof climb, that took some work to be dug out properly. The result is a true power endurance test piece, which is super fun to climb. It consists of seventeen tension and mainly very reachy moves. As far as grades go, it felt more like an 8B+, as I used a slightly different beta than Toni, which might be more efficient. It took me four sessions to complete it and there is still a harder exit version that I'm psyched to try.

Fanatic Climbing reports that Lucien Martinez from Grimper Magazine has done The Big Island in Fontainebleau, calling it his first 8B+ boulder. The classical boulder was originally put up by Dave Graham as an 8C. Later, in 2010, Vincent Pochon added two more moves in the start. Today it is the most repeated 8C in the world with 20+ ascents. (c) Stephan Denys

"This boulder has everything to be a classic. The movements are magical, it dries very quickly which is a good point in Font where it’s raining often, and the official grade of 8C is extremely soft which is also a big advantage for making a boulder a classic."

Interestingly, there is a 10 moves 8B+ sit start which has been tried for several years. Nico Pelorson and Camille Coudert are currently working on it and, as a matter of fact, Simon Lorenzi has fallen on the very last moves.

Martinez, who needed some 20 sessions to take it down, explains that The Big Island is not a physical challenge but rather a technical. He does not consider himself as a boulderer but rather a route climber, having previously done some ten 9a's. His big project is Fight or Flight 9b.