NEWS

La Rambla 9a+ by Jonathan Flor
Jonathan Flor reports on Insta that he has done La Rambla 9a+ in Siurana. It was put up by Ramon Julian Puigblanque in 2004, and with 29 ascents it is the world's most repeated 9a+. (c) Javi Pec

Flor has done some 45 routes graded 8c+/9a and to 9b, meaning that there are only seven climbers ahead of him on that exclusive list. Add to that some routes that he has personally graded. The 24-year-old finished a five-year intensive competition career in 2018, being #23 in the Boulder World Championship in Innsbruck.

Janja Garnbret has been included in the Time100 Next 2021 list, which is an extension of their Top-100 list of profiles shaping the future. "Climbing is a visual sport that, with its spectacular jumps and infinite variations of problem-solving, lends itself to TV."

Garnbret is the big favourite to win in Tokyo. Overall she has won 26 World Cups and four World Champion titles in Lead and Bouldering, although being just 21 years old.

A couple weeks ago, Kyra Condie was featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 list. She will also participate in the Olympics. When she was eleven, she was diagnosed with diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis and recommended to stop climbing. Four months after a vertebrae fuse, she won her first Youth Nationals.

17 February 2021

Best crash pad 2021?

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The Nest 8C by John Brock
John Brock has done his first 8C, The Nest in First Creek after a total of five sessions. "This is my hardest boulder yet. I've been climbing for around 10 years and V15 has always been a big goal for me. I'm so happy to have finally done it, especially on such an amazing line."

Warrior 8C FA by Martin Stranik
Martin Strรกnรญk, #2 in the World Championship of 2007, has done his eleventh 8C, namely the FA of Warrior in Labskรฉ รšdolรญ. (c) Jakub Fric

"Brutal endurance boulder around 23 moves, no really hard move but also no easy move. Kind of connection of three 8A+/B boulders with little rest between. In total it took me 4 days. Two on the separate parts and two more to connect them. It was about minus 4ยฐC but the windchill was bit lower cause of gentle wind."

How did you warm up and keep your fingers warm?
"I was warming up on some easier boulders just for few minutes and then warming up on the moves of project, repeating moves, sections. I think it is a lot about your head. When motivation is high it is easier to climb outside in winter. Also, the type of holds is important, there were no small crimps which make climbing rough because of blood supply in fingers."

Great Guggenheim 9a+ by Iker Pou (44)
Iker Pou has done the FA of Great Guggenheim 9a+ in Mallorca, which is the island's second 9a+ after his Big Men FA in 2015. (c) Juan A. Balaguer Santiago

"The last year I bolted and I redpoint the first pitch to the half of the cave "Guggenheim" 9a. This year I added the second pitch to the top, which is about 8b+. Not so hard but you arrive destroyed from the first part and it is hard to link everything, especially for the head. The route is very steep and with about 110 moves it is challenging the endurance after the first hard 9a pitch."

Iker has been making headlines since 2000 when he did Action Directe 9a. In total, the 44-year-old has done some 30 routes 9a to 9b (+), and as a matter of a fact his most productive years have been since 2015. Also setting up several big walls around the globe, Iker has been one of the world's very best rock climbers for the last 20 years.

How do you train to continue being in peak performance?
Jejeje, I don't know! I think that it is motivation. I love climbing outdoors. I like to always push me to the fullest. Vert little indoor training. I directly get in shape by climbing as much as I can on rock.

Killian Chabrier, who three weeks ago did his second and third ever 8B+, Kheops assis and Gecko assis, has done The Big Island 8C (B+) in Fontainebleau. Video on his Insta

"It took me about 15 sessions over one year, with big breaks caused by injuries like a small tearing on a biceps and the two lockdowns we had in France! It was very difficult for me to do il because of my small arms! In the beginning of February after 4 months without trying it. I found all the sensations really quick. The moves which looked impossible before felt not so hard and then it took me two more sessions to send it! For the grade, I say soft 8C but some of the last people who sent it think more for hard 8B+ hard. I prefer to try more 8C's to have a better opinion on it!"