Dear valued partners and friends, We hope you, your families and friends are well. The current events leave no one untouched – based in the Italian Dolomites region, we were among those affected by the crisis very early on. While we stay at home, doing our part to flatten the curve and protect those at risk, we also want to help support our community and industry. Together with gym manager and consultant, Christian Popien, we have started to offer practical professional advice, answer questions, and consult other experts on the subject of crisis management for climbing gyms.

Since 1999, 8a has presented several hundred articles. Here are some of the most visited and commented including one from the famous Norwegian author Jo Nesbö, 6a flash novell on Kalymnos. 8a Glossary Mental games The development of Ethics & Practise Climbers Against Cancer Megos coaches Korb and Matros interview Hörst and his kids progress

Lorenzo Delladio CEO & President of La Sportiva reports that they have started to produce masks. With a great sense of responsibility we first contributed to the collective effort to contain the contagion, closing our production sites in advance: now we are called to commit ourselves to face the second phase of the emergency, to do this we have equipped ourselves with the adequate raw materials to be able to produce a first batch of 55,000 masks that will go to the Civil Protection of Trento, through the Allergo System of Rovereto. In parallel, we are trying to independently certify other materials in order to make us independent even with masks and other protective components and then move on to an industrialized production that will allow in the very short time to reach much more important daily productions. Clearly by converting more machinery and gradually bringing more employees back to the plant.

Eddie Fowke, the well known IFSC official photographer who has covering most of the World Cups for ten years, is back home in New Zealand. "It was a pretty dramatic rush back to NZ, and then I had to move straight into self isolation for 2 weeks. Now due to the lock down in NZ that has been moved to 4 weeks minimum. So quiet times here. I've spoken to many of the climbers, some are handling it well, others less so. One of the most important things for them is that the path back to international competition is made transparent. With this huge upheaval in training, and the emotional cost of dealing with lock downs and the fear of infection, athletes will need lots of time to prepare. At the time I'm writing this the Lead events from Villars onwards are still scheduled, for the climbers thus isn't something they can prepare for with a fingerboard at home. They will need probably 2 months to build their resistance back up to where it needs to be for World Cup level competition. And of course its totally unfair is some climbers get no training, while others aren't affected by restrictions and will come into the events fully prepared. So I know from conversations that this is on the climbers minds. At this stage the IFSC has a tough job, this is unprecedented in not only our sport but all sport. Their role is as governance of the sport, and as such they need to do just that, govern. For someone like me, I have no garenteed income for the foreseeable future. That is tough. But I'm one of many, and I'll get through this. I'm not overly concerned. If I have to go back and work in the prison system for 6 months for example, it's not the end of the world. I have many options, that's just an example. I might end up working to support the health sector, or in tech support, whichever way the wind blows.

Stefano Ghisolfi has during the last three weeks only stepped outside his house when throwing garbage. The food is delivered to the door. Luckily there is a balcony and a garage with his personal training wall. On his Youtube channel he has presented several training videos including training with a table. (c) Sara Grippo My training routine is always stretching or hangboard in the morning, and training on my wall in the garage in the afternoon. I train 6 days a week and for me is important to keep going. I'm lucky to have a climbing wall in my house. No info about going out at all, restrictions are until April 3rd but they already said it is going to be longer, I'm quite sure because it is not stopping yet. Rock climbing is not the priority now, I'm ok to keep training. Maybe in one or two months, it will be possible, nobody knows. Hard to say about world cups, I think Moscow will be postponed again, it makes no sense to do it such in a short time while the Olympics are postponed to next year. The World cup in July seems a bit too early too, competitors are climbing and touching the same holds and even use a rope that sometimes we grab with our teeth, competition is not the safest thing to do now. Follow his daily training on Insta.

In the IFSC Calender all comps until Villars 2/7 have been listed as postponed. Currently no Boulder World Cups are scheduled but five Lead events. Also Outdoor by ISPO, the largest trade fair in the world, scheduled to 28/6 has been canceled.

In order to protect the health of their workers and reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19, both La Sportiva and Scarpa did close their production almost two weeks ago. If this lockdown will continue there might be a shortage of the Italian climbing shoes. Here is part of an official message Lorenzo Delladio from La Sportiva posted 12/3. "The speech given last night by the President of the Council of Ministers tightened the restrictions for the entire Country, but at the same time, required the production activities to continue. Even if on the one hand I can share this approach, the health of our employees is worth more than anything else to me and that is why, going beyond the Central Government's instructions, I decided to stop also the production activity from tomorrow morning until April 3. All these measures will have important negative consequences for all of us: in terms of turnover, market presence, finance and personal sacrifices, but we are sure this is what we have to do in order to start again with more motivation once this emergency is over. Clearly, if this determination of mine is not followed by my fellow entrepreneurs and, above all, by the central policy of Rome, all these efforts will have only a little effect. I therefore hope that this choice will convince everyone that this is the only possible way out of this together."

Toni Lamprecht has, three weeks ago, done his sixth 8C FA, Angeschossenes Wolf in Kochel, video. In total he has spent some 100 sessions opening up several boulders in that cave. "I thought long if it is good to publish bouldering news now because at the moment the world has bigger problems than solved boulders. But I decided that it could be an inspiration to those who can't climb at the moment, who fight in the health system to save lives, who pray for their relatives, work in the food industry or the markets. You are all our real heroes. So here is a story about a small fight. Hopefully, we can win the big fight, that is going on in the world right now and go out climbing when it is over: On the 3rd of March, I was able to climb the Boulder "Angeschossens Wolf" insufficiently cold conditions. The boulder is identical to "Real Absurdistan" (8C) until move number 11 and then combines it with the "La Paloma"-exit (8A). To me it felt a little bit harder than "Real Absurdistan", but time will tell. Hopefully, the next bouldering days may come for us all and more important at least the next corona free days!"

Keenan Takahashi, who previoulsy has done four 8C's, has done his first 9a, Coup de Grace in Ticino. (c) Kevin Takashi Smith "My main goal in Swiss; a ten year dream realized as the nightmare of Corona crept in. Climbing is a luxury right now, I feel super lucky to have finished this legendary Dave Graham route just in time. I’m not sure how many sessions, I think 2 or 3 short ones last year and then a handful this year but only 2 where it was dry enough to potentially send.”