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.”

It was a correct decision to postpone the Olympics to 2021 and instead focus on global health. It will probably take long until everyone is out of their quarantine and we can start talking about comps again. From the athletes perspective, it just might be that some of them first will enjoy outdoors until they can start to prepare for the World Cups. Most probably, more World Cups will be postponed. The Olympic athletes just might take a long break from Speed and just pick it up some months before the Olympics 2021. When it comes to the Continental Championships, they just might be postponed until 2021 meaning that Oriane Bertone will have a chance as she will turn 16 next year.

Mauricio Huerta, #10 in the WCH in Paris in 2012, has done his first 8C by the FA of Jupiter in Mineral del chico. "This boulder was cleaned and first tried by Diego Montull. I’ve worked on this project for 4 years, probably around 40 sessions, but I lost count. Most of them were night sessions so I could take advantage of the better conditions even if Mineral del Chico is not especially warm. The boulder is very crimpy and consists of 8 equally hard moves, which make it a power endurance problem in my opinion. I was able to do all moves on my second session, but it took me all this time to put together all of them."

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Daniel Woods reports on Insta that he has done the FA of 4-Low 8C FA in Valle Bavona which originally was found and cleaned by Giuliano Cameroni and Jimmy Webb. It is a seven move 8B+ link into a six moves 8A+ and it took him three full sessions. Now he is back home and he has posted a strong message in regards to staying healthy and giving positive vibes to all doctors and nurses out there. (c) Kevin Takashi Smith "This was the last boulder I sent on my trip to Ticino. The last 10 days were some of the best climbing days of my life. Each day, the threat of Covid-19 grew and grew though. After sending this bloc at 1 a.m. I went to sleep just dreaming of all the hard blocs to come. Next day I woke up to news flashes that covid-19 had risen to 2500 cases, 20 min. from the small valley we lived in (1 hour from Milan). A travel ban was put on by the US (not for US citizens though), swiss police enforced social distancing in stores, swiss police were booting out all cars with foreign license plates (I had italian plates and would have to go back to Milan). These were all signs that told me to get the fuck out, so I did."

USA Today reports that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Game will be postponed. Dick Pound said it is likely the Games would be postponed to 2021. Previously, IFSC has postponed all World Cups until the Boulder World Cup in Munich 25/5. However, it just might be that more World Cups will be postponed. It should also be mentioned that in many countries it is not allowed to visit a climbing gym or even go out rock climbing.

Isabelle Faus has done her 25th 8B, Illogical in Scoop. (c) Chad Greedy "Climbs amazing!! Loved the moves on this one... Griffin put this up and I got the 2nd ascent. He thought it was harder than muscle car (v14) but it suited me pretty well so I'm not sure... time will tell for the grade on this one... Seems like a hard 8B to me." She has also done Mandlorian 8A+ and an 8A FA in a new area called Pine Cliff. In total, Isa has done 16 FAs 8A to 8B, meaning she is the female having done the most hard FAs in the world by a big margin. "Contender for the best in Colorado. Found and cleaned these awesome lines in the fall... 35 minutes from the road in the woods.... was here alone a lot and always had my knife in my hand haha."