Andy Lamb, with four 8C+’ to his name, has completed Monkey Wedding (8C) as well as flashed Moon shadow (8B) and The Guest List (8B) in Rocklands.

Can you tell us more about your trip?
South Africa was great! I was only there 3 weeks, but got to do a ton of lines I wanted to try. Still a ton of climbs I didn't get to try like Amandla (8B+) (skin didn't feel good enough at the end of the trip) and Speed of Sound (8B+)(closed this year). Definitely want to come back next summer to get on these and maybe start the process on some bigger projects.

What is next?
I'll be at home for the next few months, got a few projects I'm psyched to finish up. Then will hopefully do a Switzerland and / or Font trip this winter.

Dylan Chuat has sent us his full story sending Move (9b) in Flatanger, two weeks ago. (c) Alex Guerin

”Before talking about Move, you have to understand that the process started long before I arrived in Flatanger at the beginning of the summer to try it. In fact, the beginning of this story goes back 3 years, when I set myself the goal of trying a really hard route, something that would push me to my limits. Until then, I had done 9a, always quite quickly. A bit later, I climbed 9a+ in just a few sessions, but never really felt at my limit. So I turned my eyes to 9b.

In Switzerland, close to home, it’s simple: there were no routes of that grade, and there still aren’t today. So I had to leave home for long trips, organize everything, and work to finance them by saving money aside. That’s when the troubles started. In 2022, I tore a pulley just before leaving for Saint Léger. In 2023, I had appendicitis with complications after only two days on Fight or Flight (9b) in Oliana. In 2024, at Pic Saint Loup, I thought I had found the right route with ACL (9b), but a single move at the start drove me crazy and kept me from giving it a serious try.

All these difficult moments, far from being just some kind of bad karma, were nothing less than the beginning of the process that eventually led me to send Move. They taught me a lot and, above all, I now understand that these struggles are part of the game when you set big goals. Even if sometimes it feels like you’re back to square one, you have to overcome them without losing the flame and motivation.

Alongside work (since I had to finance the trip), with Henri Lelievre's support and the help of those around me, I trained and prepared for this trip to Flatanger with energy fueled by all those past setbacks. And to be honest, when I arrived there, I really thought bad luck was striking again: in Norway, during my whole stay, only a few weeks were actually climbable because of the weather… Luckily, I kept believing!

Three years ago, I first discovered Flatanger. Back then, I climbed most of the 8c routes as well as Thor’s Hammer. Since that trip, the idea of coming back has never left my mind. For me, Flatanger is a perfect crag: it feels like the most beautiful bouldering sections all gathered on fifty meters of overhang. Without a doubt, it’s my favorite rock in the world.

This year, I decided it was time to take the next step. For a long time, I’ve wanted to try a 9b or harder route — a line that would truly push me to my limits. Until now, I had only tried climbs where I knew, from the very first attempt, that I would eventually succeed. But Move felt different: it’s a logical, natural line that perfectly fits my vision of climbing. At this level, a 100% natural 9b or harder route is incredibly rare — almost nonexistent today — so choosing Move was obvious to me.

For my first real big climbing trip, I had planned three full months in Norway. Conditions were far from easy: almost a whole month was un-climbable due to heatwaves. I used that time to visit the Lofoten Islands with my girlfriend and to work as a route setter in Oslo. The weather was a constant challenge, but I never lost hope.

At the beginning, I quickly felt close to sending the route. But I soon realized I lacked the specific endurance required for the cave, and that long break away from Flatanger felt endless. At times, I even felt like I was wasting precious time. Still, once I came back, progress was fast: strong links, two very close redpoint attempts falling on the last crux… and finally, on my third serious try, everything clicked, and I sent the route.

I remember clipping the chains vividly. For a few seconds, I wasn’t sure if I had really done the route or if it was just a long link. I didn’t scream right away — I was in a pure flow state, carried entirely by the moment. But this time, it was real.

For me, this ascent is more than just a sporting achievement: it’s the realization of years of dreams, missed trips, injuries, and doubts. It also feels like the first step of a new chapter. I want to go further, to take on more lines at this level and beyond. To make that possible, I’ll need to free up more time and hopefully find the right support. But I believe this climb marks the beginning of a long journey ahead.”

Lilli Kiesgen has had some great days in Gottardo, flashing Scary Christmas (8A) and redpointing The Witch (8B) (personal 8A+ grade) as well as Kingda Ka (8B). ”Really liked it! The movements around the Undercling depends on ones height. The taller you are the easyer it gets. For 1,65m it feels like 8B. Oh and really hard for the shoes - needed two pairs.”

Can you tell us more about the trip and explain the shoe issuse?
I flashed the 8A first day of the trip. I didn’t really plan to do a flash try, but when I saw the boulder I thought it might suit my style really well - a Mantle followed by some small crimps and small foothold. In the climb I had no expectations and improvised at the top Sequence so I was surprised when I stood on top of the boulder😅.

I also had my first session on Kingda Ka later that day. It felt possible, but I couldn’t figure out one of the last moves at the top. When you are small it’s hard to bring the body high enough to use the Undercling. This particular move can change the difficulty of the Boulder a lot depending on your hight. Another problem for me was, that one foothold was so sharp, that it made a hole in the sole of my shoe. So I had to change the shoes a lot. I didn’t wanted to focus on just one boulder, so I also tried the Witch. Lucia and I tried it together and figured out a good beta for our hight.

On the last day I wanted to try both boulders, in the morning I went to the Witch and could climb it in the first go of the day- but unfortunately I dabbed the pad… Afterwards I got stressed and it took me quite some tries to get it done. In the afternoon we went to Kingda Ka. It felt hard that day, so I started to change my shoes again. Two pairs of Solutions got destroyed on the way which made it not only a physical but also a financial challenge for me 😂 I changed between different shoes forth and back and eventually it somehow worked out and I sent my first 8B.

Lee Sung Su, who climbed eight 8C’s and harder boulders last year after retiring from competitions, sent Burden of Dreams (9A) in May, twice. "I decided to go for Burden and did about 10 sessions on the replica beforehand, which helped me get a pretty good feel for the moves. I actually sent the real Burden on my 9th session, but when I reviewed the footage back at the accommodation, I thought it might cause some controversy. So I went back on my 10th session and sent it again without a T-shirt. I wanted a perfect, clean send."

Brooke Raboutou, who this spring became the first female to send an 9b+ by doing Excalibur, reports on Instagram that she has done Pornographie (9a) in Céüse.

”This time, I had a different plan. I didn’t want to get stuck only on Biographie. I wanted to explore new routes and taste the variety this cliff has to offer. I was psyched to send “Pornographie” pretty quickly and get to play on some bigger dream lines. But eventually, Biographie pulled me back in. Along with it came that familiar cycle of hope and heartbreak that comes from putting your all into a project.”

Brooke, the Paris Olympic silver medalist, is equally distinguished for her remarkable bouldering achievements, which include multiple 8B+ ascents, an 8C, and an 8A+ flash.

Satone Yoshida, runner-up in the World Cup before the last event in Slovenia in three weeks, has signed up to Vertical-Life by logging Biographie (9a+) in Céüse. The hardest routes the 21-year-old had previously done were two 8c+’s, also during this trip. (c) Sam M.S. - Sichert Media Solutions

”It’s a legendary line, I can’t find the best word to explain this feeling for now. The crux move was okay for me, but I fell 3 times right after passed crux to reach the big jug. It’s not a one move hard route.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and going rock climbing just before the last WC?
At this timing, with the last World Cup Koper in early September and the World Championships in Seoul ahead, taking on a two-week trip to Ceüse was a pretty risky challenge for me. Since everyone’s focused on training for coming comps, when I mentioned this plan, the reactions weren’t too positive.

But I believed that sending Biographie, this special line that’s been on my mind since last year, would give me extra momentum heading into the comps!

Of course, it didn’t all go as planned. On the #session2 , I linked it with just one take and on the #session3 , I passed the crux from the bottom. But then the nightmare started It got super hot🥵, storm with lightning rolled in⛈️, some days I couldn’t give a try properly, when I finally felt good, I’d fall just passed the crux, I kept getting stuck just one move away from the send…. With the last day approaching, I waited for prime conditions before sunset yesterday, and on try #13, I finally sent it!!

This line definitely made me grow as a climber. And big respect to @chris_sharma for the FA Huge thanks for supporting me through this tough challenge @ueharu__ 🤝🏻

What is your plan during this winter?
I’ll keep pushing myself on rocks! Alter the comp season though haha.

Dylan Chuat has done Move (9b) in Flatanger. Previously this summer, the 24-year-old has sent three 9a’s in the big cave and he is #4 in the ranking game. (c) Alexis Guerin

” My biggest project so far!! For the first time, I was finally able to try a hard route and go all the way through my process without injuries or setbacks! Despite bad conditions — and even days that were totally unclimbable — I managed to find the right weather windows to put in some good burns… and finally the victorious one! It was a real battle, with so much support behind me, and in the end a pure and unique climbing moment. I’m super happy that Move became my first at this grade — it’s definitely not known as the easiest 😈! Honestly, it felt much harder than its neighbor Change (same grade), which I got to check out once during a heatwave. Can’t wait to come back and try more lines in the cave!”

Leo Bøe, with 15 routes 9a and beyond, since 2023, under his belt, has done the first ascent of Ride of the Valkyries (9a) in Flatanger. ”Climb Nordic Flower 8b+ and then traverse right into obvious crack to join the very start of The Valkyrie.” (c) Johanna Jupin

The Valkyrie (8c) was first ascended by Magnus Midtbo and begins with about 12 meters of jumar climbing. It is one of the five star classics in the cave, and part of the roof declines.

Can you tell us more about the process behind your FA?
It was thrilling to explore the short 8m traverse connecting the two lines. I thought it would be climbed as a crack with handjams etc, but it was not quite like that. The style was more similar to the other two routes, with big holds and steep roof climbing. At first I got a bit nervous for the final stretch; the last cam was moving around alot and it was about 4 meters to the first quickdraw in The Valkyrie. The next couple moves were also full of sand and the last move was a big committing move into a jug!

I bailed on the final move on the first day with my mental game defeated. However I came back the next day with psyche and the idea to support the wiggly cam with another worse cam to equalize the load. I committed to the move and the traverse sequence was unlocked! The next couple days at the crag went to figure out the rope changes and methods for the other two routes. I had to rework The Valkyrie a bit to have a good beta, especially for the first 7C-boulder

I started giving burns and it turned out to be an endurance beast combining two long routes. It could easily compare to Valhalla (9a) in difficulty and style. After a couple tries I had the rope swap dialed. I had to do a rope swap in the «start-anchor» of The Valkyrie from an uncomfortable left kneebar. The knee gave me just about enough time to change ropes before my leg pumped out and to keep going fresher into the first boulder.

The fight in The Valkyrie section was great with acumulating pump from the added start. In the end it took me about 4-5 days to work it out and send it with great support from my girlfriend Johanna Jupin and Elias with the joint belay. We celebrated and Johanna took some photos of the traverse connecting the two routes.

Why did you do the link-up on trad gear?
The reason I ended up climbing it in this trad/hybrid-style was because of the bolting ban in the cave that has lasted about more than 10 years. There is a conflict between neighbooring farmers who own the land of the cave. I cannot say more than that because of lack of knowledge on the matter. If I was allowed to bolt my own lines in the cave I would have gone crazy already. I see a lot more potential for routes in my level and I’m eager to explore more of the trad opportunities for now.

What is next?
In the next weeks I will focus on finishing my biggest project yet: Change 9b/+. I also have an interesting project that I’ve bolted on an island that could end up being my hardest FA yet if it goes! I am yet to solve all the moves to see if it is even possible! I think there a little bit more potential in the area, but no major crags found so far. The project I bolted however is incredible!

Lucia Dörffel, who last month did her first 8B+, has sent The Witch (8B) in Gottardo, giving it a personal 8A+ grade. The 25-year-old placed 16th last year in the Paris Olympics, and this March she was third in an Euro Boulder Cup.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I really enjoyed trying this boulder. It was more like a little side project but I’m happy to have sent it. The mantle was definitely the hardest part for me.

How come you have only done one comp this year?
I had to deal with some major health problems. I couldn’t climb or train for 8 weeks and it was unfortunately at the beginning of the Boulder comp season. I will do the world champs in September and then next year again with the goal Olympics 2028 :)

Jules Marchaland, who last week sent two 8B+ boulders as well as his first 8C, has, over two days in Rawyl, onsighted Gaiouf (8b+) and Paradis naturel (8b+), and redpointed Super Finale (9a).

Can you tell us more about the trip and the hardest ascents ?
After Fionnay, the heat wave hit, and we wanted to move to Rawyl to discover this place. But… the heat wave was there too 😅. I think it was 33° at the village, so maybe 28-30° at the crag. The rock is on the sun until 15:30 and then you climb.

The main goal was to try to flash “Super Finale”. I knew it would be a really good candidate for a flash. With the hot temperatures, the conditions were terrible, so I decided to save my flash attempt for later. I started by onsighting an 8b+ (Paradis Naturel).

Then Matteo Soulé got on the route, which really psyched me up, and since I’m super impatient, I gave it a go. As expected, I double hand-slipped because of the conditions 😅. I tried again later — same result 😅.

I came back the next day, and the conditions were still awful. I onsighted another 8b+ to start (Gaiouf), then had a mediocre attempt on Super Finale. But I sent it on the next try with an epic run 🤣. I hadn’t figured out the middle section (since I had gone into Hyper Finale after missing the flash), and I ended up doing a double hand slip during a coordination move — total chaos and super funny 🤣. Anyway, it was a real battle to clip the chains in those miserable conditions.

How was the onsights, full control or big fight?
The first one was a mix of control and big fight because it is super long and super pumpy. The second one was a bit harder but I did zero mistakes so this one more full control.