Alizee Dufraisse is working her way out in the Ali Baba cave in Rodellar having done two 8c+; Fin de Ali Hulk extension and Hulk extensión total. Now she could add the sit start creating a 9a+ or 9b depending where she finish. The 33-year-old, who graduated from the University as well as got married to Dave Graham in 2020, is also projecting Autoengano 9a, in the picture (c) Guillermo Dominguez

The former French Champion in pole vault (4.35) must be considered as one of the best female climbers in the world as she previously has done two 9a's and and onsighted 14 routes 8a+ and harder. In bouldering she has done four 8B's. On the competition scene, she has won Arco Rock Masters as well as having been standing on an IFSC podium. "I had a little break of Autoengano 9a (like going once a week) since 2/3 weeks. As I tried it all summer in the heat I was feeling I needed to change a little. Also as we plan to go to Siurana after and Autoengono is a huge roof without crimps and not really resistant, I use the Ali baba cave like training as there are more crimps and the combinations are resistant. For the mind it s good too because you can try harder and harder links but with success all the time. From now I will try Autoengano more as I spent a lot of time on it all summer 😅 it is a tricky one for me to! "

Dave Graham, one of the leading rock climbers the last twenty years, reports on Insta, including a video, that he has done the second ascent of Jorge Diaz-Rullo's Fin de Ali Extension Sit Start 9a+ in Rodellar. "Basically if you see the cave, this is a left entrance to the ending. This adds 18 moves to the big undercling, and if you do Ali Hulk stand it adds about the same, but much easier climbing in my opinion."

Dave says he has started to work a new sit start more to the right. "The new low start seems to add around 8A+ into the 8B, with zero rest. The crux is the transition. Let's see if I can find better beta but it's seem pretty pure. And further, to the right, there are two boulders which seem around 8C.

The Ali Hulk 9b that Laura Rogora and Dani Fuertes did starts to the right in the cave. "What she did is 9b. No knee pads man...Crazzzzzy, 37 degrees. Nearly impossible for anyone hahahaha."

So to sum up. The Ali Hulk 9b that sit starts to the right in the cave begins with an 8B boulder followed with an 8c+ route. There are three harder entries that sit starts in the middle of the cave with project grades up to 8C. Adding an 8C boulder instead of the original 8B, would potentially make it possible to climb at least 9b+ in the Ali Baba cave!

Online coaching and training programs are getting more popular. In the same way, more kids attend courses where coaches tell them how to climb. I am sure this suites many and especially in the short run it can be motivating and productive.

On the other hand, for many this is probably just counter productive in the long run. Imagine Chris Sharma 13-years-old being told to certain weekdays just climb specific circuits etc in different colours run by a clock. Adam Ondra did not follow a training program or had a coach until he was 19-years-old! In fact, most of the best rock climbers have not followed any specific training regime. They have just been driving by the challenge to solve moves and climbs.

Back in the old days, all boulder gyms had spray walls with rather small holds where the climbers used their creativity to set new problems. Now this is replaced with larger colorful holds nicely placed to create delightful moves.

Again, this is good for the general mainstream and the gyms are making money from it. This structured way is also of course good for many kids and the ones who mainly focus on competitions. However, if your goal is to improve as a rock climber you have to also include technical drills indoor and use your creativity to challenge yourself by also setting up your own climbs indoors. Alternatively, do some easier ones by using just one foot or hand or leave out different holds.

You can also challenge yourself by combining two or more colors or add a color for the feet. There are endless of recipes to improve in a gym as long as you work on your creativity, which will make you to better adopt to rock climbing outdoors :)

Daniel Woods reports on Insta that he has done Giuliano Cameroni's Blade Runner 8C in RMNP. (c) Daniel Gajda

"Since global warming has fucked up the seasons, (unusually hot weather remains in the high country at the end of sept!) I had to wait until 10 pm at night just to have a chance. Speaking of global warming this is also a friendly reminder to all my US friends to vote Biden/Harris into office and remove our current clown 🤡."

The 31-year-old, who is #2 in the 8a annual ranking game, has in total done 25 8C's and 6 8C+', which is most in the world. In 2010, he won the Boulder World Cup in Vail and he has also won the USA Nationals nine times in a row.

Karoline Sinnhuber, a former competition climber who has done almost 100 boulders 8A to 8B, has done her second 8b+, Minas Tirith in Ötztal. (c) Fabian Leu

"Amazing route! The real crux wasn't the crux for me... I was fighting hard against pumped forearms on the way to the rescue arete :-D. Way too hot for hard bouldering and I am still looking for a new boulder project 🤔 but it seems like winter says hello the next few days :D"

Mia Krampl, #2 in the Lead World Championship last year and who later qualified to Tokyo, has done her second 8A+, Petting with an alligator in Maltatal.

I tried it few weeks ago and I loved it. So many different type of moves and heel hooks, knee hook... when I saw the boulder it seemed so difficult to me but with some help of my friends who have already sent it and told me the beta, I liked the line even better! Unfortunately I was falling from the last move for the several times on that day. This sunday I went back to Maltatal without the plan of trying Petting... but during the time I was waiting for the colder temperatures to try something harder with the other guys, I decided to give it a go! I've send it in few tries!

Advertorial: “My favourite route in Noesslach! It’s impeccable face climbing. It’s awesome, varied movement on a beautiful and polished piece of blank white stone with a cool mix of crimps, cracks, ledges and ribs.” (Barbara Bacher)

• Climbing Area: Noesslach, Ötztal Valley
• Grade: 6b
• Length: 20 meters
• First Ascensionist: Christoph Rimml (1985)

This natural phenomenon, a puzzling streak of blank white stone amidst the otherwise grey granite wall, marks what is probably the most beautiful route in the Noesslach Climbing Area. With plenty of crimps, cracks, ledges and ribs, this Ötztal classic forces almost nonstop hand jams and good climbing technique. Although in the comparably low 6b range, this climb is special because of its concentration. A lot of skill for climbing the “White Giant” is thinking creatively and staying focused till you clip the chains. The rock is southwest to west-facing, which makes it a perfect climbing spot from spring to late fall. Video presentation

The Austrian Climbing Summer Series Finals in Innsbruck is live Sep 23-26 on EpicTV

Geila Macia, daughter to famous Spanish climbers Berta Martin and Israel Gacia, has done Aribaba 8a in Montserrat, (c) Israel, as well as her first 8b, Vuelo a ciegas in Totxo del Macana. Interestingly, it was put up in 1986 as the first 8b in Spain. Berta did it ten years ago and comments,

"It is a short and explosive route with a decisive dynamic move at the beginning from two-finger-pockets. Last autumn Geila tried it once and then we went to Hueco Tanks for three weeks, where she did three 7C's. Once we returned she tried it again but then there was the lockdown and we just trained a lot at home. It was the only thing we could do...train. During the summer we focused on easier routes in Montserrat where she also did 8a and 8a+. On September 12th Geila did Arribaba, a very explosive and resistant 8a and we saw that she was very fit she returned to the 8b.

Geila was extremely motivated to go to the project because she was determined to do the dynamic move. The rest of the route is more controlled moves but requires a lot of precision on feet, and there are a couple of more controlled dynamics but she had them well-rehearsed. Many failed tries but her motivation never gave up. Eventually, she coordinated the dyno very well with the movement of feet and hips and went to the anchor... with determination and enjoying the moment."