" I’m 36 years old and I climb since 1995 (when I was 10). In the early days, I dedicated almost 100% to the competitions. I won eleven times a Brazilian championship (6 lead and 5 boulders). In the World Cup my best place was #15 in 2009. During the last two years I tried so hard to make it to the Olympics. One month ago, after 23 years I announced my retirement from the comps, so now, only rock! Hehe. Pure dreaming is my first 9a I need to make my account on 8a.nu!"

Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, the very best female competition climber in the early 90'ies and also the third female to do 8b+, has done Bierstadt 7C+ in RMNP. (c) Ryan Arment

How much do you train lately and how many sessions did it take to send?
I'm not really training, just getting outside more. I got Bierstadt the third time I tried it. The two previous times I got to that particular boulder after trying too many other boulders and I was tired. The moves were fun with fresh skin. :-)

Robyn runs the ABC Kids Climbing and she has coached many of the best in the USA like; Emily Harrington, Margo Hayes, Colin Duffy, Natalia Grossman beside her children Brooke, who has qualified to Tokyo 2021, and Shawn. She did her first 8c at age 49 and just three months ago she did yet another 8A boulder.

Natalia Grossman, who got two silvers at Youth Worlds last year, has done her fourth 8B during the last ten weeks, Freaks of the Industry in RMNP. In the monthly 8a ranking game, she is #12. (c) Brooke Raboutou

” Weather issues... Day 1: worked out all the beta and gave one attempt before I called it quits and it started hailing. Day 2: Got to warm up on the moves for 10 minutes before it started raining. Day 3: Super greasy but somehow managed to stay on and send 2nd try! As always, thanks to Brooke for all the encouragement and positive vibes :)”

During the last three months, the 19-year-old has done 53 boulders 7C+ and harder and she comments on Insta. "All my life I have been so focused on competitions that I never allowed myself the time to explore the hundreds of boulders in my own backyard. At the end of spring with all the competitions cancelled, I started to focus on outdoor climbing. I decided to make it a goal of mine to send 50 new double-digit boulders before summer ended/school started and to explore the amazing areas that Colorado has to offer."

Maggie Odette, who did her first 8c last year at age 49, has done Mutton Bustin 8b+ at Pipe Dream. "Shocked. Went directly from 3 hangs to the send. I guess the comeback is complete!" (c) Woohan Ong

Her husband Chuck (64) is getting closer on his first 8c, T-Rex and by doing so he each time passes the 8b+ anchor of Millenium which he the first time did in 2007. The retired full time climber since five years started to climb in 1978 and did his first 7a+ at age 34.

"I've repeated Millennium three times now this year and fallen higher on the T-Rex finish each time. This past Monday I fell 5 bolts from the top. It has 26 bolts! I skip 3 or 4 typically. I was only a couple of moves from a rest and typically won't fall after that no matter how tired or pumped I am. I finished with a strong one-hang on wet holds due to heavy rain hitting the finish. So, I've one-hung it 3 times and done it from a low point starting below the Millennium crux. If I can stay healthy, no injuries, I can get it done. Hopefully I send before I die of old age... ha, ha!

I feel like I'm climbing smarter now. I have to rest twice as much so progress is slow, but if I take my time, NO rushing, and I allow things to happen organically, I usually find success. The most important thing is that my passion to climb is still strong. The desire to push limits is equally strong. I will wait to climb "just for fun" when I'm in my 80's... maybe 90's :)"

The king of deep-water soloing finds new lines to fuel his soul in Mont-Rebei, Spain. Summer in Spain is the time for psicobloc. The heat and humidity drive climbers like Chris Sharma to the sea in search of cooler temps, clean rock, and the next king line. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, he managed to make a few day missions out to Mont-Rebei, complete with a five- to six-kilometer kayak approach, and established a new 15-meter high deep-water-soloing line, which he named Trick or Tree.

"The route is really continuous, steep, and pumpy. The feeling to be 60 feet up at the lip of a cave, and just dangling by your fingertips, chalking up, and getting ready to go for a crux move. It’s so extreme and wild and spectacular, and yet controlled and safe, too. The beauty of deep water soloing is that it’s such a free form of climbing. It’s very playful, spontaneous, and creative. It allows you to interact with the wall and with nature. You’re not thinking about the grade. Psicobloc is climbing in its purest form.” Read the full story with more pictures.

Alex Puccio seems to be in the best shape of her life having done Paul Robinsons's Reverse logic 8B+ Coal creek and then, after two hours driving, Daytripper 8B in Upper Chaos. "Either REALLY suited me or it’s more of an 8B! Time will tell! :) Did it second try from the start, second day on it. Sent this and Daytripper in RMNP in the same day! lol." (c) Robin O'Leary

FA Paul Robinson comments, "Alex and I have very different styles so it is really cool to see her crush that boulder!!! She is such an impressive boulderer." In total, the runner up in the World Champion in 2014, has done eight 8B+' and 30 8B's which should be at least double as many as all other female. In the last month ranking game, she has only four male in front of her.

Laura Rogora explains the Ali Hulk sit extension total 9b she just did over just five sessions. "In total around 110 moves, starting from a sit start and then 30+ meter roof climbing, that finishes with crimps in a traverse." (c) Marco Iacono

It was Dani Andrada who first found the Ali Baba cave in Rodellar in 2005 where he put up numerous boulders and routes until he linked many of them establishing Ali Hulk sit extension 9b, in 2007. At that time Andrada had built a portable wagon so the spotters could move his crash pads around in the cave on wheels. Later, the local cleaning patrol put it on fire as they thought climbers were sleeping on the ground.

In 2018, Piotr Schab added the "extra extension" total, from the stand start, adding a + to the 9a due to the finishing crimp traverse. Then in 2019, Jonathan Flor made the FA of the total extension from the original sit start as a 9b which Jorge Diaz Rullo repeated the day after.

Kind of complicated but soon there will be a Rogora video out and here is her explanation of the hybrid boulder route. "The first 50 moves are a boulder above crash pads. The hardest section is in the middle of the roof on small underclings and crimps, then there is the first big rest where the route with the rope starts. I started climbing with the harness and the belayer gave me the rope on the rest. I think it took at least 15 minutes to climb it.

The most important thing for me was the resting positions. There are two big rest in the route and you have to take time to recover in order to climb the next section. The mental aspect was harder then in any other route for me. When I realize that I could do it I got stressed and having only one week to send it made it even harder."

Thomas Saluz, a.k.a Bodhi Climbing, and his family are going to court on August 6th in order to keep their rights to continue to run their Magic Wood camping, hotel and restaurant. For some reason, their contract has been cancelled by the local authorities. A Petition has been launched to show the support from the climbing community. Magic Wood is one of the most recognized bouldering areas in the world, with 42 000+ ascents in the 8a data base, and the campground including the effort of the family also with access etc, have played an important role serving thousand of climbers for more than a decade.

Stefano Carnati, who the other week did Jungle Boogie 9a+ in Céüse, has made the FA of Moon Landing 9a in Passo della Presolana. "The whole line following the limestone pillar from the bottom to the left top. 50 moves of pumpy climbing into a 15 moves final traverse to the left on bad crimps and poor footholds. Huge thanks to Luca Bana and Berni Rivadossi for showing me this awesome crag and giving me the chance to try this outstanding project! I go for 9a, hard!"