Hubble by Ben Moon in 1990 and Action Directe by Wolfgang Güllich in 1991 are generally called the first 8c+ and 9a in the world. Originally, AD was graded XI, which converts to 8c+/9a but since the first repititions some 20 years ago, it was considered 9a.

When it comes to Hubble, some of the best climbers like Ondra have said it might be 9a and both Ben Moon and UKC have actually called it the first 9a in the world. In practice and in order to save some of the history, Hubble could be given 8c+/9a and the first route to be listed with a slash grade in the grade progression list. This means that Liquid Amber 8c by Jerry Moffatt in 1990, with only three repeats, could be the first 8c+ in the world, as it has been upgraded.

Emilie Pellerin, who previously has done an 8b trad, reports on Insta that she has done La Zébrée 8b+ trad in Val-David. (c) Witek Slusarczyk

”It took me 5 days this year plus maybe 3 attempts through the years. I was super close to sending it a month ago when I left to Squamish (for a guide's course), but failed by the bottom 1.5 meters (just barely didn't do it from the start). I had it in mind the whole time I was out there, and came back here for the send. This was my first attempt since I came back. I aid up to try to dry it (with not much success), tried none of the moves. Then decided to give it a go it even though it seemed impossible to climb it in these conditions. And I did it! There were sponges and rugs blocking some of my hand holds, I slid off foot holds and hand holds, it was very aquatic. As for the gear, I placed all the gear on the way up. I stepped in the route to place the first piece, which is the one that guys place from the ground.”

Marcello Bombardi, who won one World Cup in 2017, has started his Flatanger trip by two 8c flashes, Muy Verdes and Nordic Plumber as well as redpointing The Illusionist 9a. "Such a good line! I was at my max limit reaching the holds in three moves but somehow managed to hold on. Such a good fight not to fall!" (c) Stefano Ghisolfi

"In Nordic plumber I had a really huge fight! I knew the first part quite well by seing and belaying the other guys the days before and I executed it quite easily. On the second part, after the chain, I was half flash and half onsight. I've got pumped from head to feet but somehow I managed to recover well on the resting points and hold on till the chain. For Muy Verdes it was a bit easier since you can see all the route close from the ground. I watched Stefano Ghisolfi climbing it the day before and then Stefano Carnati and Luca Bana told me the beta."

Jesse Dufton, #4 in the Para World Championship B1 last year, has flashed Forked Lightning Crack E2 (6b+ trad). "Being blind, one of the worst things is fumbling trying to get the right piece of gear in, in the most dangerous positions. Making the transition to the second vertical section was tricky but once done I got a good knee lock to take the weight off my arms. Only problem was I was wearing shorts... ouch..."

(c) Molly Dufton, who comments, "So proud of Jesse. Can you imagine being led to the base of a crag that you can't see (and have never seen), having your hands placed on the rock at the start of a route and setting out into the unknown with only verbal suggestions from your belayer/wife! Forked Lightning Crack is steep, hard and unforgiving. Big gear is weighing him down, it's warm under the sun and he climbs slowly, move by move, unable to plan ahead. The ease at which he led this route was astonishing. Every time I thought this must be the crux, he powered on through. Just wow!"

Jesse train/climbs six times a week although having a full-time job and indoors he has flashed 7a+. "I'm a weekend warrior on the gritstone. I have never repointed a route, my background is very much trad non-sight. I have to do everything by feel or if my belayer, Molly can see something from the ground she uses a radio to tell me, but Molly hasn't climbed the routes beforehand so has no extra beta other than what she can see from the floor. Sometimes it's wrong."

Giani Clement has done the FA of Stil vor talent 8C/+ in Magic Wood, a more direct finish to La grosse Tarlouze 8C which he did last November. The 36-year-old has been training almost exclusively on the project in a structured way over the last three months. "I was very focused, had a plan that I followed to reach my goal and realize my dream. I really enjoyed every session and the whole process." (c) Hannes Kutza

"Instead of the last two moves towards the final jug of NES (Never Ending Story 8B+), it continues on the sloper-rail to the left till the corner where the climbing becomes steeper and more challenging with the crux section - ending with the dyno to a good rail. Until then there are 11 more moves with my solution. What follows is the exit which is physically much less demanding, but mentally quit tough, a small overhang with the highball slab to the top." More info and pics on Insta

1. Mickael Mawem 44 (10) - Chloé Caulier 44 (10) 2. Arthur Ternant 44 (14) - Fanny Gibert 44 (14) 3. Pierre Le Cerf 34 - Mia Krampl 34 Complete results for all classes. (c) Jan Novak

Barbara Zangerl has made the first repeat of Beat Kammerlander's five pitches Kampfzone 8b+ in Rätikon up at 2 800 m altitude. (c) Reel Rock/Alpsolut Pictures. The Austrian has previously done three of the most difficult MP on El Capitan and most of the hardest in Europe and should be considered as one of the Top-10 MP climbers in the world.

"I was blown away by the scenery up there. After a two hour approach you reach the ridge, from which you get a first glimpse of the pillar where „Kampzone“ is the central and only line. After all those classic Kammerlander routes like Silbergeier, Unendliche Geschichte, New Age… I couldn’t imagine that it could get any better. And, to be honest, after my first look at ‘Kampfzone’, I didn’t expect it to be such a gem. But, as soon we got on the route, we were really surprised by the rock quality and the varied styles of climbing. From powerful moves to technical, scary slab climbing; you can find everything on „Kampfzone“.

We (together with her partner Jacopo Larcher who later also did it) worked for two days on the line, before I surprised myself to climb the whole line ground and up all pitches free! It was an honour to partner up for a single day with the master himself Beat.

Until 2009, the 32-year-old was one of the best female boulderer until she stopped due to an herniated vertebral disc. In sport climbing, she has now done four routes 8c+/9a or harder and in trad climbing she has done up to 8c. In other words, she is the best female multi-disciplin rock climber out there. Last year, she was awarded with the National Geographic adventurer of the year.

Marine Thevenet, #7 in the World Cup in 2014, reports on Insta that she has done the FFA Kingda Ka 8B in the San Gottordo pass up at 2 100 meters. In total, the lawyer working full time, has done some 50 boulders in the 8th grade out of which almost half of them during the last 18 months. (c) Clement Lechaptois

"I tried it during a weekend last summer but I could not do the first part of the boulder. The last week, surprisingly, I did the first part of the boulder and I felt reaching the underclings at the first try, so I spent two sessions to find my beta on the rope and two more sessions to send the boulder. The process was really exciting :)"