Some ten years ago, we seldom saw climbers using knee-pads. Meanwhile today almost all top climbers have a pair of "down graders", making it possible to find new easier sequences as well as better resting positions. Potentially, a poor rest in the middle of a 9a is turned into a no-hands rest just because of wearing a knee-pad. In other words, if the knee-pads have made the route easier to do, the consequence of this could be to down grade them accordingly. It should be mentioned that it takes a lot of of both technical and muscular training to get the full advantage of using knee pads, meaning we are just in the beginning of this "knee pad down grading" era. Within ten years, probably at least 10 % of all steeper knee pad routes have been down graded in order to fit how hard climbs without knee pads possibilities.

In the same way as knee pads have made many steep routes easier, also developed heel-hooks on climbing shoes have made it easier to take better advantage of climbing with the heels above the head. This is a technique we especially see by smaller and lighter girls have started to use, which have created better beta bouldering almost straight up over lips and edges. Within a couple of years, this technique will be much more popular and efficient meaning some climbs, mainly boulders, need to also get down graded.

As the climbing grading scale is based on comparing the difficulty on climbs, the consequence of better knee-pads and heel-hooks are that the climbs have been made easier, i.e. they have to be down graded. As Action Direct is still 9a a steep 9a route should be equally hard to do, meaning potentially a 9a+ before the knee-pad era is now as hard as Action Direct to send. One dilemma is of course that a downgrade is not fair to the FA who, without the knee-pad, had to fight a much harder climb.

It should also be mentioned that as we are probably just in the beginning of the knee-pad and heel-hook era, most possibly the climbers technical skill to use them will be improved. In other words, knee-pad and heel-hook routes and boulders should be even less difficult to do in the near future.

Most climbers are using the figure 8 knot at the same time more experienced climbers often use the bowline as they say it is easier to untie after multiple falls. In the Hard is Easy 17 minutes video, Ben come to the conclusion that if you tighten your figure 8 knot correctly, there is never a problem untying it. This means you should tighten it as hard as possible before climbing. It is also better that the tie has no overlap and that your load line goes in the middle of the knot. Video explaining the best way to tie in with a figure 8.

Nico Pelorson, who previously has done one 8C, reports on Insta that he has done the third ascent of No kpote only in Fontainebleau. It was put up as a 9A by Charles Albert, who climbed it without shoes and has later been repeated by Ryohei Kameyama who suggested 8C+/9A. Now Nico says that after finding better beta and using climbing shoes he calls it a "solid 8C"!

Comparing the videos we can see that the biggest difference is that Nico using two heal hooks, creating different beta also for the hands. In the picture by Hugo Parmentier, we can see part of the the new beta.

"It took me about eight sessions, seven last year and one this year. I did a super hard training of biceps and triceps with Lucien Martinez. I saw Rhyohei pass with a heel instead of a toe like Charles in a photo. So I tested this beta and it was much easier. In fact, in all the boulder, I did only one move common with Charles."

The 23-yer-old has previoulsy done six 9a's out of which four FA's. This summer he did a 9a FA in Céüse but beside working an extreme boulder project not tried any hard boulders."I prefer route climbing but maybe I am a better boulderer ."

Marine Thevenet reports on Insta that she has done New Base Line 8B+ in Magic Wood. (c) Clement Lechaptois

"I think it took me 7 sessions! I tried it for the first time at easter 2019! Not sure if there was only one key 😂 I believe that the last months I earned a lot of expérience by trying harder boulders; I did a lot of moon board and smartboard training; and... I am on holidays so it is easier to climb when the conditions are good and when I am rested!"

In total, the #7 in the World Cup in 2014, has now done 56 boulders 8A and harder out which 14 only in 2020. The 31-year-old lawyer retired from the competition scene in 2016 being #19 in the World Championship.

Tom Bolger, who previously has done eight 9a's, reports on Insta that he has done Gancho Perfect 9a (+) in Margalef. (c) Eduardo Navarro

"Gancho perfecto is an awesome steep route bolted by Chris Sharma. I was super psyched to complete this project as I had a bit of a mental barrier with the route having fallen on the last move! Psyched to carry on with the run of form that I have this year :) enjoying the climbing to its most! The route has three main boulders with a heartbreaker finish, a dead point from a shallow two finger pocket to a slopey hold on the lip of the overhang, that last move is as much mental as physical to hit it right ...."

Jakob Schubert, the best male Lead competitor the last ten years, reports on Insta that he has flashed Lichtjahre 8c+ and Goldrausch 8c. It should be mentioned that Lichtjahre has been considered a hard 8c until a hold broke and Alex Megos suggested an upgrade. Furthermore, Jakob is one of the open climbers being honest having several times given personal grades. Olympian Michael Piccolruaz gives us the story.

"I kind of demo climbed Lichtjahre. In Goldrausch he got the beta from Heiko Wilhelm. Always pretty much in control 😅 he followed the beta we gave him quite exactly as we said 👍".

Petr Blaha has during the last three weeks done three 8c+' in Gorges du Loup, including the FA of La constante de Boltzmann." My own personal ineffable connection at Déversé. You start with New Power Generation, at third bold decide the left clip is a hard bolder on its own, so you flow left with Magma, after crazy high foot decide it's boring and you want to rise and shine, so it's up in Jouleman till you get to the Zulu man, then the jug is too big, so you scorn it and go back right with Soul of fury to the chain. Only way up now is with Ultimate Sacrifice, so that's what you do until you have nowhere to go." (c) Roman Bayon

Helena Lipenska, WC finalist in both Boulder and Lead also born in Czech Republic in the same age group, has helped us out with some questions to the 44-year-old doctorate in theoretical physics.

What keeps you so motivated in climbing during all these years? It is absolutely admirable and very motivating for our generation.
Answer to this question requires a reflection on the topic of climbing and aging. There is no reason to lie to ourselves - climbing is a sport for young ones. As they say “technique is another side of strength” and with years our physical abilities are degrading. Where to start if one wants to fight entropy? First thing is to keep motivation high. There are two points of view on how I kept my motivation. I would say that I kept it due to my outstanding patience, ability to stay concentrated both in the short and long term prospective and widely diversified portfolio of my goals and projects. My friends would tell you I am a psycho. I really have no idea why. Training on a campus board at 1 am is the most natural thing in the world. Then you should avoid any injuries. Here I am just lucky and I am not inclined to any injuries. It is also not an easy task to make harm to those massive pegs I have instead of fingers.

This takes us to the question of weight. If you want to climb tough routes, you simply can’t afford to carry any extra weight with you and with age it becomes more and more difficult. After Abyss my weight started to slowly go up, last year I worked a lot and did not climb that much, so when after Christmas I stepped on the weight, I was really scared. That was how I first time in my life started to eat healthy. Then, due to the quarantine I’ve started to cook and now my weight is back to where it was 25 years ago and my physical condition is like during Abyss times. During the quarantine I kept training on my home wall 3-4 times per day and results are visible.

Tor Johnson just posted on his Insta, "Don’t skip legday! Just finished my 3h kneebarsession. #kneebartheworld."

"When I climb I always look for kneebars just as much as I look for holds. Finding a kneebar is often game changer when you try to send climb that is on your limit. Kneebars is not just about resting and making moves easier. Sometimes you can do totally new sequences using a kneebar. Some people say that using kneepads are cheeting as they make the climbs easier. And they are right. That is the point! The same thing was said about climbing shoes and chalk when they first came around. Nowadays it seems very strange to climb without chalk! I'm sure kneepads are here to stay and I think they should be part of any climbers standard setup just like climbing shoes and chalk bags.

I train my kneebar skills at least once a week. Some people say they only use kneebars when they have to. That is strange to me. Technical kneebars requires a high level of skill and specific strength just like healhooks or dropknees. If you don't practice it, there is no way you will get the most out of the kneebars when you really need them."

Antoine Maire, who has done seven 8c's in 2020 but started to focus on bouldering one month ago, has done Quoi de neuf outside Fontainebleau comparing it with an 8c+ route. Previously the hybrid climb has been making headlines as an 8B+ or 8C boulder as well as an 8Cc traverse. It took him two sessions to do the first 8A part, three sessions to do the second 8B part and then another three sessions to link them together.

"So happy! I'm working on La Force extension now! I think it's not a boulder or a traverse but it's like a route because it's like 30 moves of power endurance so I suppose it had to be a route grade.I think it is a hard 8c+."

Zhao Lei, Team Manager of Chinese Climbing Team, has published two videos on his Insta from the China nationals in Speed. Qixin Zhong, 165 cm tall, set a new unofficial world record in Speed at 5.35 among the male. Previously the 31-year-old has won 12 World Cups and 3 World Championships. He also won the last WC in 2019 at 5.49 which was his first victory in three years. It should be noted that in the video, Qixin's opponent Cao Long is ahead until his foot slips in the very end getting very close to go under 5.30 it seems. In training, Cao has done 5.25. The official world record is 5.48 set by Reza Alipour in 2017.

It should be mentioned that the new world records were set on an certified wall but in order to set a new world record, it has to be an IFSC competion with an IFSC Jury President. Among the female, Lijuan Deng won at 6.74 which can be compared with the official world record at 6.995 by Aries Susanti Rahayu. Lijuan is 20-years-old and last year she only participated once in the World Cup where she was #5 at 7.40.