Beckett Hsin, who sent his first 8C in 2023, has done Creature From the Black Lagoon (8C+) in Upper Chaos. This summer, the 15-year-old has flashed three 8A+’ and sent three 8B+.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
I started trying Creature back in early August, and pleasently surprised myself by making solid links within the first day. Every session I’d make good progress, wether it was refining my beta on the stand, reaching a new high point, or making a hard link. It was a type of linear progression that was super satisfying.

The day I sent was pretty surreal. The conditions were poor, and I had been dealing with a minor bicep injury from one of my previous sessions, so I didn’t really have any expectations. I just tried hard and enjoyed the moment, one attempt later and I found myself topping out! It was cool because even though I was trying something at my limit I didn’t feel like I had to take myself too seriously. Always had a good time up at the boulder regardless of my performance. The moves are really fun, and I always had some good homies to sesh with. Overall a super fun experience that had me psyched on the first of the grade!

Radek Votocek has done the second ascent of Pumplori (9a) in Allgäu. ”A perfect boulder route in Allgau by C. Bindhammer. Big overhang, power steps, trick passages.”

How can you best explain your great progress in 2025?
This year my sends went really well 🙂. If someone had told me back in March that I would climb 9a seven times this year, I would’ve laughed 😀. What helped my progress was physiotherapy, better nutrition, and some luck in picking the right routes. For a climber, the most important things are staying injury-free, and truly loving climbing.

Erin McNeice has been unstoppable in 2025, opening the Lead World Cup season with back-to-back victories before adding two third-place and two fourth-place finishes to her tally. For the 21-year-old, it marks the peak of a meteoric rise. Just three years ago, she was 13th at the Youth Worlds, and in 2023 she averaged 35th place among seniors. By last season, she had already broken through with three World Cup appearances, finishing as high as fifth and sixth. Chaehyun Seo claimed the runner-up spot this season. The Korean star first burst onto the scene in 2019, winning the overall title in her debut year at just 16. She very nearly added another crown in 2025, but a rule change by the IFSC, requiring all six events to count toward the overall standings, shifted the balance.

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!”