Olympic champion Alberto Ginés López is back on top. The Spaniard, who won gold in Tokyo 2021, secured the 2025 Lead World Cup overall title after an extraordinary season, reaching the podium at all six events. It marks a stunning return to form after three quieter years, when he entered only six World Cups in total while focusing on outdoor climbing. Chasing him was Japan’s Sorato Anraku. The 18-year-old sensation, already a three-time Boulder World Cup overall winner, finished runner-up in Lead after having won three events. Without the new rule introduced this season, where every event result counts, Anraku would have claimed the title, as his 14th-place finish in Seoul dragged down his tally.

Stefano Carnati, with 32 routes 9a to 9b under his belt, has had some amazing days in La Stazione where he first flashed an 8c and then a couple days later sent two 9a’s during the same session.

Paranoid (8c) - ”Amazing line! Not the hardest out there, but a perfect way to get back into the flow of endurance routes. Got insanely pumped on the top half but managed to fight it out!”

Vivi si muore (9a+) - ”Great line with a powerful boulder right off the start, then sustained climbing with a decent rest before the final spicy crux of "Paranoid Android". Took around 10 tries in total. Best of the crag in my opinion. Feels like a solid 9a to me. First of the day!”

Prima Classe (9a) - ”Maybe the easiest 9 of the crag, but still super resistant. Just keeps getting harder the higher you go. First tried it last year, then left it until this weekend. Stoked to send it the same day as "Vivi si muore", a perfect way to wrap up an amazing session!”

How can you best explain your recent peak?
Honestly, I’m still a bit confused about this peak. After the Rocklands trip I actually felt pretty rusty, but I quickly got motivated to rebuild some endurance. “La mola mola” turned out to be the perfect transition back to routes. Besides a few solid training days, I think doing juggy circuits on the Kilter board was surprisingly enough to get me going. I had already visited La Stazione last year after Slovenia, when shape was very good, so this year I decided to restart there. I managed to flash the beautiful and very long “Paranoid”, and then I put my focus on “Vivi si muore”. On Saturday I didn’t feel great, but on Sunday conditions improved and so did my climbing. I sent “Vivi si muore” first try of the day, and with some energy left I gave “Prima classe” a try and it went down immediately.

I also fell off the very last hard move on Trainspotting (9a+) which I had tried last year. A nice reminder that gravity was still working that day, haha. Hopefully I’ll get back on it soon and maybe even push my personal best a little further.

Pepa Šindel has repeated Adam Ondra’s Procesor (9a) in Višňové. This was the sixth 9a or beyond the last four months for the 17-year-old.

”The hardest route in my home crag. Endurance connection of the route Proces 9a with a crux of Los Brňos 8c. Incredible fight till the last move and an unforgettable experience of clipping the chain. This one took a lot of effort, because for such a long time I couldn’t stick the super long move in the middle.”

Sungsu Lee, who did Burden of Dreams (9A) in May, has done Grand Illusion (8C+) in Little Cottonwood. The 26-year-old sent his first 8C less than 17 months ago and now he has done eleven boulders 8C to 9A. (c) Taylor Bolt

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
I visited Salt Lake City for the first time and it’s been an honor to spend time with such strong climbers. It took me four sessions to send Grand Illusion and now I’m working on Sosa (8C+)!

Sorato Anraku, 18, who earlier this year won the Boulder World Cup after winning three events, won the last Lead World Cup of the season.

Pietro Vidi has completed Permanent midnight low (8C+) in Fionnay. The FA was done by in May by Clément Lechaptois adding several hard moves, through power-sapping under-clings, to the 8A+ original line. At just 22, the Italian has already carved out a place among the world’s elite all-round climbers, ticking off routes like Tribe (9a/E11? Trad), Lurking Fear (8a+ big wall), and Histoire Sans Fin (8b+ multi-pitch).

“It feels so good to be back on some hard stuff! Lately I’ve stepped back from bouldering to explore other aspects of climbing, nice to see I haven’t lost it! My ambitious aim was to try and pull this one off quickly, in a single trip, but conditions and fitness were pretty hard to manage.

In the end, I actually enjoyed getting dragged back into the same old circle of obsession. It’s probably my hardest boulder so far, even though it’s my absolute style (pure bicep power with really bad feet) it took me around 10 sessions to finally link it, falling way too many times on the last easier moves, making for quite a mental battle!”

France won one gold and a total of six medals at the European Youth Lead Championship in Zilina. Here are the six winners in the three age categories. Complete results

U21 Victor Guillermin FRA - Arina Jurcenko CZE
U19 Luca Nundel GER - Connie Bridgens GBR
U17 Yanik Chassain SUI - Aina Vela Cantero ESP

Mike Bockino has done the first ascent of Skyfall (9a) in Riggins. ”So many tries. 40+ days from 2023 until today. Thanks to Merto for all the belays. Crazy route. I learned a lot from this one. Not sure on the name but that will be decided pretty soon. Grade wise: I don’t have a lot of context here, but for me this route is 14a to a bad shake then a V9/10 roof boulder to a good but not great rest, then headwall of 3 boulders separated by rests. Those boulders are roughly V7, V6 and the last is V5. Someone else will have to do it, could be 14c, could be harder than 14d. I don’t know so will throw out the middle grade. Took me 40 days longer than 2 8c+ routes I’ve done.”

Can you tell us more about the process behind the ascent and your climbing background doing a PB at age 43?
Started climbing 1999, ever since. Routesetting professionally since 2004-present, I am a National Head Routesetter for USA climbing, and an IFSC level 2 Routesetter. I’ve set 7 boulder world cups and around 22 National Championships and 1 youth worlds.

First 8A boulder in 2007, first 8b+ route in 2007 as well. Mostly focus on bouldering but every few years I will get psyched on routes. This one was more special, it’s at one of the first cliffs where I started climbing harder back in 2005 or 2006. It was originally started by the legend, Tony Yaniro when the cave was developed in the 1990s. It’s gone through a lot of different people and settled a number of years ago but nobody really tried it.

I began putting effort into it in summer 2023, taking roughly 20 days that year. Took me almost a full week to sort out the beta for the crux boulder as it involves a very aggressive drop knee and seems improbable when you first feel positions.

I was injured most of 2024, very bad pulley injury and a knee injury in Cresciano in October of 2024. Only did 1 week on it in 2024. Started lead training in May this year, tried the route for 12 more days in June and July, 2 different trips. This trip I sent 2nd try on the first real day. The first day I went up, brushed, did the headwall section a few times to review beta and then sent 2nd attempt that day.

This route is 500 miles [800 km] from home. The pressure was incredible on every trip, and every attempt. Training for it was a fun challenge, every trip I would come home with some small adjustment and something that was lacking and I would adjust my training to match. Most of it is done by climbing, circuits, long duration spray wall and some lead as well. I Focused a great deal on power endurance and then just a bit of aerobic endurance towards the end of the cycle.

At 43 I think people assume you’re heading down, but this is the first time I’ve spent longer than 5 days on a route (previously climbed 8c+) as I tend to boulder more. I feel like I can still get stronger now, I’m also bouldering at a high level each year, since 2011 I’ve only gone 2 years without climbing an 8B boulder and those were due to injury.

Leo Cea just sent Trip tik tonik (9a), the 12-year-old’s fourth of the grade.

What goes through your mind just before climbing and during the ascent?
Before I start climbing, I visualize all the moves of the route in my head and try to focus. I get ready and start thinking on the crux. While I’m climbing, I think about each move I’m doing and the one that’s coming next, and I focus on that. I also keep the crux in mind. And once I get past the crux, I just think about keeping on going up.

What is the biggest difference climbing in Europe compared to in Chile?
The biggest difference is that in Chile the routes are much newer. They’re dirtier and the holds aren’t as polished from use. In Europe, you can really tell the routes have been climbed a lot—they’re very clean, and sometimes the holds are super polished from so much use. Also, in Chile—at least in Las Chilcas—many routes are kind of combinations of different lines, so everything feels a bit mixed up. In Europe, I haven’t seen that happen as much.

What is it you like the most about climbing?
There are so many things I like about climbing, but what I love the most is exploring and discovering new climbing areas and the different routes they have. Some of them are just so beautiful! I really enjoy trying new routes. I also like training a lot—I always have a great time. It really motivates me to climb the routes I have in mind and to feel like I’m improving so I can try more and different climbs.

What are your plans for the autumn?
I want to go to Margalef during my school fall vacation. I already have a few routes in mind, but I haven’t decided which one specifically yet. In the meantime, I will keep climbing outdoors in Frankenjura as well as training at the Frankenjura Academy Climbing Gym. Dani (my coach, Daniel Serman) is overseeing and designing my training plan.

As for after Margalef, I’m not sure yet, but I definitely plan to continue climbing and hopefully visit other climbing areas.