Matt Fultz, who last week did his first 8C+ Hypnotized Minds, has done his seventh 8C in 2020, Echalo in Clear Creek Canyon. Amazingly, the 29-year-old did his first 8C just 18 months ago and now he is #3 in the 8a ranking game. In 2018, he was mainly around #20 in the ranking game.

How can you explain being able to step up your game so significantly?
Honestly, I think a lot of my progress has come from my nutrition. My wife, Hailey, is a nutrition coach for climbers. She has guided me on a nutrition journey that has been life changing. It’s been excellent for my recovery, energy, and longevity.

Olympic Channel interview with Adam Ondra.- "I don't really know who I would be if I wasn't a climber"

Gonzalo Larrocha has had a productive week in Rodellar having done one 8c+ and two 9a's; Mona lisa L1 and La menina sixtina R2. The latter he personally think it is 8c+.

"I did "La menina sixtina" one week ago. It is a combination of La menina and la capilla sixtina. Last Tuesday I sent "Mona Lisa" which cost me a lot of tries in June, but now I only made six more. It was strange because on Sunday I could not do the hard crux. Finally on Wednesday I sent "Se me fue la Pinza" a new 8c+ bolted by Dani Andrada in June and which has been done by Jonatan Flor and Dani. It's a strange route where you need to manage the knee bars very well."

Mathew Wright has done Hubble at Raven Tor which was put up by Ben Moon in 1990 as the first 8c+ in the world. Although none of the first five repeaters did upgrade it, the UK scene including Moon did start some eight years ago saying it should be upgraded. Then the three latest ascensionists, all from UK and including Wright, have confirmed it to be 9a. (c) Georgie Lane

"Hubble has taken me around 25 sessions this year. 10 sessions to do the moves, 10 sessions doing links and 5 sessions redpointing. I also spent a massive amount of time training specifically for the route! I also spent an additional 4 sessions on it last year but didn’t get anywhere.

Previously, the hardest routes I’ve done are Evolution (8c+) and Kaabah (8c+). The hardest boulders I’ve done are Serendipity (8B+) and Belly of the Beast (8B/+). Hubble for me was much harder than any of these climbs. Serendipity taken me less time to do but was my previous hardest tick. Hubble for me is without a doubt the hardest piece of climbing I’ve ever done and if Kaabah and Evolution are 8c+, Hubble is certainly 9a. It taken me longer to do the moves on Hubble than it did to redpoint any of my previous hardest routes.

I’m around 180 cm. I do believe that it’s easier if you’re short as the crux moves are very bunched for me and I found it incredibly hard for this reason. Short people can also get a left leg knee bar like what Sean McColl used. I’ve not used this knee but I’ve seen people do it and I can see that it makes the crux much easier. Basically, if you’re short and can get the left knee bar in, it is probably 8c+ but I can’t say for certain."

In an Insta video, we can see that Mathew is the first climber to have used a knee pad on his right leg possibly making the start of the crux a bit easier. McColl (169 cm), who has not done it, was the first climber who used a knee pad on his left leg

Teo Genecand has had a continuous progress for many years although being a father of two kids. A couple of days he did his first 8C, Foundations Edge in Fionnay and his recipe is quite unique.

"I never thought I would be featured in an 8a.nu news one day, but since it’s happening I will use the platform to share a bit of wisdom with the (future) moms and dads climbers out there! I have two wonderful kids (Liv, born in 2016 and Noé born in 2018) and I love to spend as much time as possible with them and my wife Camille. With a full time job, this basically means a lot less climbing. But actually a reduced volume has been met with slow and steady progress! In training for climbing, less is more in my experience. Since 2015, I have been hang boarding once a week and bouldering for 2h once a week + climbing outside usually one day of the weekend when the weather allows (+holidays). Yesterday was quite exceptional, because I had to attend a hearing just next to Fionnay so I took advantage of that to climb there since I had already drove all the way down there.

The key for me was switching from long power endurance sessions (I was mainly route climbing until 2014) to short strength sessions with low volume of training. Now my level of strength has increased so much that the few times I route climbed during the last few years I feel better than before even with no endurance."

Moritz Welt has done the FA of House of Cards 9a in Frankenjura. On Insta he explains that the name refers to "is an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structure or argument built on a shaky foundation or one that will collapse if a necessary (but possibly overlooked or unappreciated) element is removed."(c) Lars Decker

"It took me about five sessions last year and six more this season. It is an old project which was just halfway bolted and not cleaned at all, I put in like two or three days effort to bolt the rest and clean it up. I have to say I'm really not sure about the grade, first I thought it wont be that hard, but it took me longer than expected."

It should be mentioned that the 19-year-old has now done ten 9a's, excluding a couple he suggested a personal down grade. In the 8a ranking game, he is #7.

Steve McClure, who has made the FA of more than a handful "hard graded" 9a to 9b (Rainman in 2017) has done the FA of Fixation 8c+ at Malhalm Cove. It is a Neil Gresham seven bolt extension of L'Obsession 7c+ including a long boulder.

"Reckon it took 6 visits, in total. First day was soaking so didn’t do a single move, then a few more to figure it out. Fell off last move and took a few more days to do as the next day it was too wet. Ah, the joys of UK conditions, you have to love it! Such a cool route with a techy 7c+ wall at the bottom before it turns really bouldery with powerful snatches on undercuts. Lots of heel and toe action. Brilliant. Psyched!!" More comments on his Insta. (c) Neil Gresham

Steve started sport climbing when he was 24. At 26 he made his first 8a redpoint (in fact it was 8b) and within a year he did 8c+. Two years later, in 1998, he made the FA of Mutation as an 9a but as nobody has repeated it yet, the community now considers it as perhaps 9a+. In fact, only three climbers have repeated any of his FAs and for Overshadow 9a+, Adam Ondra said, "The upper end of the grade for sure, 3 stars." In fact, using the modern variation and link up thinking, Steve has done several more 9a FAs but just as a personal challenge as he wants all his routes to be of the highest quality. It should also be noted that Fixation as a project, some thought it was 9a.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo, #1 in the 8a ranking game, has done his fifth 9b during the last 16 months, El Bon Combat in Cova de Ocell. (c) Liqen.studio

On Insta he reports, "30+ days of work, almost 2 months living in the sector alone, stressed by the heat of summer, drenched by a ton of rain, one robbery, so many frustrations and the fear of fighting a losing battle..."

The 21-year-old also said that Chris Sharma put it up as an 9b/+, then Jakob Schubert gave it 9a+ and Felipe Camargo 9b. Jorge says 9b as, "It has cost me so much, it's my antistyle and the conditions did not help at all... It was truly, very difficult for me! So long story short, whatever the grade is, I'm just happy to have done it! 😃💥"

Mia Krampl, who has qualified to Tokyo, has done a quick send of Wrestling with an alligator 8B in Maltatal. "Last time I tried the moves but couldn't do mantle part 😅 and this time I figured out the beta pretty fast and did it in a short session. I guess I didn't need that much time because I already new the start pretty well from Petting with an alligator 8A+ :)" (c) Matic Kotar

Alberto Gines López, who has qualified to Tokyo, has done his second 9a in Cuenca in September, Leire. On Insta, the 17-year-old reports it went done after just five tries, including an onsight attempt, over two days. (c) Javi Pec