Ryuichi Murai, who last month did theFA of United 8C+, has done an impressive one day ascent of Dreamtime 8C (B+) in Cresciano. Last week he did another classic, The Story of Two Worlds 8C. In total, Murai has done a dozen 8C and harder which makes him just about Top-5 in the world. (c) Keita Watabe "I took about 2 hours to send Dreamtime. First, I practiced each moves a few times. Then on my 4th try from start, I could climb it. The first part of this line was especially hard, and a crux was a dyno in the middle part. Therefore, the important thing was how I could smoothly perform the first part and make the dyno successful."

Moritz Welt, #3 in the Combined ranking game, has done Ramon Puiblanque's La Reina Mora in Siurana. He put it up as an 8c but nowadays most think it deserves 9a. (c) Julia Cassou "Siurana target #2 and my ultimate Spain trip goal! Wanted to do this one since I stood the first time below this perfect line two years ago! So happy to finish this in only 4 more sessions this time!" The 18-year-old is on a three months road trip in Spain, mainly in Margalef and Siurana. His next project is possible First Ley 9a+. "Sometimes I'd be happy about a little more comfort but I enjoy it. Also I have to save money. I will go back around christmas. Maybe then first some Frankenjura bouldering and making up some plans for spring."

Climbing is growing and especially indoors and this trend will continue and in 2030, we just might be 50 % more climbers. Experienced climbers fear that this will dramatically increase access problems and create ques on their routes but I do not agree on that. We already know that few of the new generation gym climbers are interested to climb outdoors regularly. One reason for that is that you do not get a good upper body physical exercise spending 90 min in the nature challenging routes graded 4 to 6a. Furthermore, it is normally more dangerous and painful to climb outdoors and you will not perform in accordance with your gym grades. At the same time, we will increase the number of developed routes with possibly 25 %. This means a greater possibility to spread out instead of queuing up on the nearest routes and boulders you already have done a dozen times. Access problems are already a fact but as a big portion of the outdoor climbers will kids and climbing families, landowners and municipalities will have greater acceptance. As it is also expected that the new generation climbers are more willing to spend money in comparison to the old "dirt-bag" generation, tourism authorities etc will see climbers as a target group. Other things likely to happen - Adam Ondra has done 9c+ and it projecting 10a - Olympic medals in four disciplines including DWS - Total Asian dominance on the comp scene - Airpads making it possible to land from 8 meters - Route setting through holds with lights indoors - Development of 2 - 4 graded bolted routes/boulder - Athlete live-streaming with drones - Female, youngsters and seniors catching up - 33 % wearing helmets - GPS climb search for routes and boulders

karoline sinnhuber has done her ninth 8A+ in 2019, Drischiebl right in Zillertal. (c) Fabian Leu The 24-year-old former competition boulderer is having her best year ever and is #4 in the 8a ranking game. "The reason why this is my best year so far, might be that I just concentrate on the outdoor stuff and don‘t have to train comp style anymore and of course I spend much more time outdoors than the years before. Might sound weird, but I also spend more time in the gym for training than I did during my comp career."

Stefano Carnati, who previoulsy has done eleven routes 9a and harder, has done his first 8C, Dreamtime in Cresciano. "Yoo! Did the stand one month ago (which I tried a few days over the past years) and it took me 2 more sessions to finish it off. 8B+, 8C, I'm definitely not the one who can tell, but who cares with such a line! So stoked!" The classical Fred Nicole boulder was put up as the first 8C in the world which later was downgraded but since a hold broke most think it should be up there again. More important is the stunning line and all the 21 who have star rated it has given it three stars like Stefano!

Giuliano Cameroni on the FA of Africa’s first 9a, a bouldery route in Rocklands, ZA. The line was found by Dave Graham and lately bolted by a local for Fred Nicole, who tried it for five seasons. This year, Fred allowed someone else to try, and Giuliano made the first ascent after three days of work.

Henning Wang, who has done three 8c+' in Villanueva del Rosario, has helped us out with the report of Sindre Saether doing Chilam Balam 9a+ (b) at that crag. It was put up by Berrnabe Fernandez suggesting it as the first 9b+ back in 2003 and has later been repeated by a handfull who all have down graded it. "In total Sindre invested 85 climbing days over 3 years in Chilam Balam either working parts, doing link-ups consisting of parts of the route, building fitness on the route after long forced breaks or having attempts on the route. In the end, he got to the last bolt of the route 15 times before sending and climbed the first 8c+ part 35 times. The time was spent mainly mid-winter (between November and February) in a lot of cold, wet and humid conditions. In 2018 he only got to try from the ground 5 days as the route was more or less constantly wet despite spending somewhere between 3-4 months in Villanueva that year. Sindre is in Norway known for his bigwall achievements, having freeclimbed a lot of hard aidlines in the Trollwall (most unrepeated), as well as Tsunami A4 (now 8a+) on Kjerag, as well as many other walls in Norway and around the world. That is not to say that Sindre isn´t an accomplished sport climbers as well, but since he isn´t on any social media and doesn't say much about what he does most people know very little about what he has climbed. If my count is correct Chilam marks his 6th route 9a or harder, the hardest before Chilam being La Novena Enmienda in Santa Linya in 2016."

Isabelle Faus, who did her third 8B+ this summer, has done her 23rd 8B, Jerimiah Daiabolical in Coal Creek. Isa extends her lead in the 8a ranking game.

Edu Marin, who just opened one of the hardest MP's in the world in China, has done the FA of The Clinic 9a+ in Quzhou. It is located in a big cave with incredible holes and it is like 20 meters long. The Spaniard bolted it in October and it has been an intense struggle to take it down. Now he feels in great shape and are looking forward to return home and continue with his projects in Catalunya.