Drew Ruana, reports on Insta, including a video, that he had a last day best day after a hail mary work before, sending first the stand of Trieste 8B+ and later also the sit 8C. "Mad props to @paulrobinson87 for the FA of this beauty! Definitely the hardest bloc I’ve done yet!" (c) Brennan Robinson When will you start preparing for the Continental Olympic qualification? I don't think I'm gonna compete because I'm just climbing outside now. Earlier this autumn Drew was #13 in the Combined World Championship and as it stands, he could be the one getting the Tripartite ticket to Tokyo. However, if anyone from the USA qualifies through the Continental Championship next spring, the USA has filled their country quota. In practice, Drew will make it to Tokyo if a Canadian wins (or a runner-up after Sean McColl). The idea with the Tripartite ticket is to invite an athlete from a "micro" Olympic nation but as no such athlete did participate in the World CH, it will be given to the next in line from the World CH, respecting the country quota.

IFSC has published the Calender for the European Youth Cups as well as the Euro and World Championships. Here is the list excluding the event with only Speed. 25/4 Trondheim (NOR) - Bouldering (B) 09/5 Soure (POR) - B 16/5 Graz (AUT) - B 30/5 Sofia (BUL) - B 12/6 Imst (AUT) Lead & Speed 20/6 Ostermundigen (SUI) Lead 03/7 Puurs (BEL) Lead & Speed 23-31/08 World Youth Championship Voronezh (RUS) 22-28/10 European Youth Championship Perm (RUS)

Stefano Carnati, who ten days ago did Dreamtime 8C (B+), has done Dave Graham's classical, The Story Of 2 Worlds8C in Cresciano. The video on his Insta shows the new kneebar beta in the start and also the upside down climbing in the end. "Did The Dagger a few years ago and briefly tried the sit a couple of times this year. Climbed today after a long session. Possibly easier with all the new betas." The name of Graham's FA from 2005, did refer to the grade inflation which basically was stopped due to this boulder. Some thought it was 8C+ at the time. Possibly one reason for the grade inflation back then was that very few did suggest downgrades although better beta was found.

The first climbing photo book mapping 2 years of Adam’s life has just been released! The book contains a series of unpublished climbing and lifestyle pictures that are accompanied by authentic texts by Adam Ondra. Here you can buy if for Euro 55. Although a Coffee Table Book, for me all his stories were of greater interest. Sure, Adam is obsessed but not just with improving and performing like most. Instead, it seems he genuinely enjoys everything about climbing including reading old school topos at age 7 and bolting by himself in the middle of the night in Flatanger. In between he describes some of the ingredients that fulfill his climbing lifestyle. Sure he knows that he is gifted but it might be reading his thinking you will understand why he has been the best climber in the world for many years know.

Alizée Dufraisse, who previoulsy has done two 9a's, has done Meadowlark Lemon Stand 8B (A+) in Red Rocks. (c) Dave Graham "I am happy because it is a very beautiful boulder. It means for me that I can continue harder and try the sit start (8B+), which is definitely the inspiring line. It is a fragile boulder, so I did not had the chance to do a lot of sessions on it, but it seems the weather will be on our side for the end of the trip.

Vadim Timonov who just did his sixth 8C, The Kingdom has done Fred Nicole's classical Dreamtime 8C (B+) in Cresciano. (c) Leo Zhukov "I spent three sessions. The first was wet but I did all the moves. The second was good, I was so close but heel hook moves were not stable. The third session was good. 2nd go from the start. In my opinion, it’s a normal 8C. The Kingdom was easier for me. Tomorrow I want to try Off The Wagon. I have time until the 15th of January. I don’t have a house after the 18th of December and don’t have plans. Maybe we will leave to Murgtal or Fontainebleau, or stay here in the car if we can’t find something ;)

"Why I don't believe Said Belhaj's ascent of Action Directe." is the headline of Huch's article. Now on Insta he has changed his mind into, " I only proclaimed my reasonable doubts about Said and Action Directe". If you only have "reasonable doubts" should you really go out in public sharing your opinion with the whole climbing world, finishing the article with "How dare you?" Should you write, "I just couldn't believe that someone is lying directly into my face. BUT..." As there was a quote from our email conversation in July, in the Huch article, I just quote how he finished his first email to me. "I know that this accusation is very serious." It should also be said that I was Said's coach as he was a teenager. We are good friends and he still refers me to as, "Coach". I have belayed him on one of his 8c+ FA, still unrepeated. Dani Andrada tried it but could not do all moves. (I trust Dani 100 % nevertheless.) We thought it would be best that another more independent media should publish his story. Said is a true lifestyle climber traveling almost non-stop meeting up with different people in the world.

Brian Weaver did belay Said Belhaj when he started projecting AD and he is backing him up in the 8a forum as also other climbers have done. "I was with Said in May when he was working AD. At that point he was already linking good sections together easily enough. At that time it was 25°-30° and he had only been trying a few sessions. By the time he sent it, he had been working it for another 6 weeks before his trip to Spain. He had done it from the second move to the chains. How is it so far fetched to think that on a day with 8°, when he stuck the dyno, he climbed to the chains?" This statement can be compared with what Hannes Huch wrote in his article. "Said was million miles away from climbing even just from bolt to bolt." Also Erik Massih has stepped forward with a comment. "I also climbed with Said at Waldkopf a few days in May 2018. One or two of these was together with Brian Weaver. I aslo remember Said doing good overlapping links on of all the moves on AD except the jump, on which he was hitting the hold but not holding, not at all being a million miles from climbing bolt to bolt. Based on that I didn't see it as unlikely that he sent AD in autumn on a day with good conditions. What happened in fall I can't account for unfortunately."