Alex Ventajas, with close to 20 routes 9a and beyound under his belt, has sent The famous gem (9a) in La Saume. (c) Crimp Films

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
A couple of weeks ago, I visited La Saume for the first time. After sending Beginning (9a+) in Arco a few months ago, I suffered a minor finger injury that lingered longer than expected. These days in La Saume marked the first time I truly felt the finger recovering — getting stronger again.

I didn’t have a clear plan, but my attention was quickly drawn to the hardest line in the sector: The Famous Gem. Since it was my first time in the area and everything was new, I decided to keep things open — mixing easier climbs with projecting each day.

The Famous Gem is a link-up of two existing routes: the 8c Marcellus Wallace and the 8c+ Pastis. I began by working them individually. The climbing style is quite bouldery, which doesn’t naturally suit me, so I needed a few sessions just to adapt to the wall. It was definitely a bit of a fight at first, with plenty of ups and downs. Each boulder section felt tough initially, but once I figured out the moves, I started to really enjoy the process. In the end, I sent both routes pretty quickly.

After ticking those off, linking them into the full 9a felt like a whole new challenge. You arrive at the same two small crimps as in Pastis, but from a completely different position after climbing Marcellus Wallace, which makes the crux feel entirely different. At first, it seemed extremely hard. But the next day, a few small adjustments — body position, heel placement — changed everything. I went from having no idea how to do the crux move to sticking it consistently, and finally clipped the chain.

The key to the send was really the focus on precision. Even small shifts in body tension or footwork made a huge difference, and I had to dial that in carefully. In total, it took me around 6–7 climbing days to send the full line, including time spent working the individual routes. Maybe it’s not a solid 9a, but I’m really happy to have done it fairly quickly — and more importantly, to finally feel like I’m getting back into shape.

What I’ll remember most is the atmosphere at La Saume — the energy, the people, and the strong sense of climbing community that made the experience so memorable.

Jonathan Hörst, standing at 190 cm and 85 kg, has completed Mutation (9a) at Wild Iris Main Wall. The 22-year-old did his first 8b+ at age 10.

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
It was definitely a roller coaster ride. I first sent the 8b+ start when I was 11 but didn’t climb much on this wall until I was traveling over COVID. I remember watching BJ work this in the mid 2010s and it was such a crazy link to even imagine. Essentially this climb does the crux of almost every route on the wall climbing 100 feet diagonally, on a wall where all of the routes are 4 bolts tall. I progressed in the early 2020s doing some easier link ups on this wall, and in 2023 gave this 9a some serious effort, ultimately coming up short.

At the time I thought I was in the best shape of my life and fell off the last move (literally) at least 12 times and I took last year off from trying it to clear my head. Additionally, last year was a year off since finishing my undergrad and I got psyched to expand my styles of climbing.

This meant I put more emphasis on new objectives opposed to sport climbing with a lot of time trad climbing, up on big walls, up in the alpine or route developing. I haven’t trained in a gym since February and for most of the spring I was bolting at the Red River Gorge without climbing much on upper end difficulty. All of this contributed to me getting quite bulky and having a mental battle over how well I could climb after little specific focus on hard sending. Surprisingly I had a solid June of climbing at Wolf Point, and when that season closed I came back to the Rodeo Wave in Wild Iris to at least rage on Mutation.

My first day back I made a really good low point with some margin that 2 years ago was tough to make, and got pretty stoked. Another 2 days of working it and I got back to the same last move in 75% humidity and made a few beta tweaks. Then yesterday I came back, got blessed with perfect conditions and climbed better than I could’ve expected.

Its crazy to me not because I was convinced 9a was too much of a barrier but because so much felt like it wasn’t “perfect” especially compared to previous years (limited training, alot of non-limit climbing, sub optimal fitness, etc) which after falling off the end when all of these things were right, made this year feel like not much could happen. Evidently I was wrong! Moving forward since I’ll be moving to SLC I’m stoked to see how much more I can push my high end climbing, but I’ll also continue to put a lot of emphasis on the other styles I’ve become interested in. We’ll see how it plays out!

Niki Rusev, who sent his first 9a route at age 14, has had an amazing day in Rocklands sending Spray of Light (8C), Reverse Cowgirl (8B+), one 8A+ as well as an 8A. The 19-year-old Bulgarian was runner up at the European Youth Championship two months ago. (c) Daniel Gajda

”What a day! Didn’t know about this boulder until I came to Rocklands🇿🇦. First few days were rainy and went to check out that cave where it was possible to climb during the storm ☔️. I enjoyed the process of figuring out the moves but putting them all together at once seemed hard 🔥. Even if I thought I planned my climbing days well I struggled with recovery and also jumped on too many different blocks😮‍💨. I ended up exhausted and after I started to learn how to save some energy I decided to focus on one thing that I feel closer to send😏. I was still wondering which method I should use for that last part. I do usually like to use the most efficient way but this time I chose the more physical one. The toe hook (the less powerful beta) has more micro moves that pumped me even more and it just felt too technical for me🤔. After one day rest and slow warm up it went down from the first send attempt. This is my first 8C. To be honest right after I sent it some thoughts appeared in my mind about the grade but I would say I do feel very poor in terms of experiencing hard grades, specially in bouldering.”

Yannick Flohé, who has placed Top-10 in all the first four Lead World Cups in 2025, flashed Foundations Edge (8C) last week. ”When I sent I couldn’t really believe it and felt a big relief because I knew for years that this was the one 8C in the world to flash. But I also got some doubts about the difficulty cause I was trying hard but non of the moves was really on the limit but maybe that was one reason why I sent. It’s not just one crux so you have to keep it together all the way to the good jug in the roof.”

Gabriele Moroni, who is working full time as a route setter, including international competitions, has sent Vivi si muore (9a+) and Trainspotting (9a+) in La Stazione, logging them as 9a’s. At 37, the Italian first made headlines in 2004 by earning a bronze medal at the European Bouldering Championship. Before that milestone, he had already built an impressive record in Lead, claiming three European Youth Cup titles and the Youth World Championship. He wrapped up his competition career in 2018, finishing on a high with a victory in a Bouldering World Cup event that same year. Then in 2023 he made a comeback and in his first comp he was 25th. (c) Ale Palma

How is the summer going in between all route setting?
My summer is going well. It has been pretty hot in the last couple of months but the few times I managed to get outside I’ve been lucky with decent conditions. I am not training much these days but somehow I feel pretty fit and I am very happy that I can still climb routes around 9a rather quickly!

What is your next plan?
I’ll have two weeks holiday in august so the plan is to chase some fresh conditions in the alps.

Michael Piccolruaz, Nicolai Užnik and David Firnenburg have sent The smile (8C) in Rocklands. Giuliano Cameroni made the FA in 2018 and the high ball stood unrepeated until last year. (c) Daniel Gajda

Can you tell us more about the trip and The Smile?
Michael:[pictured] We've been on the trip for two weeks now. I came out with Nicolai and his girlfriend Sofya and then we met up here with a couple more friends. It's Nicolai's and Sofya's first time here so I've been showing them around a bit on all the amazing classics, while I've climbed some lines I hadn't done during my previous trips. I'm really looking for the good lines and I'm especially keen on some that are a little spicy in terms of height, so The Smile is just the perfect climb that fits all I'm looking for! Unbelievable line, crazy beautiful, the rock is out of this world and the moves are insane. The final jump to the lip makes the whole climb mentally quite challenging but I think I have a good head in such moments so I was confident that I would have a good chance of sending the boulder if I should get up there. When I finally did the move to the right eye of the smile, I just kept going, shut off my brain and jumped.

Nicolai: Definitely one of the coolest and also scariest boulders I’ve done. Since the last move is very committing I had to jump down twice after doing the actual crux move because I was not able to jump off / commit. I did in on the next attempt though so in total I had one session working on it and then did it the next. Probably low end 8C and if it was not for the height I think 8B+ would fit better.

David: So pretty and high wall. Can’t get any better than this! Emotionally challenging, although rationally you know that falling on the top move isn‘t too bad. Once I committed like 80% on the last big move to the lip and landed nicely, I broke my mental barrier. The climbing didn‘t feel like a proper 8C to me but maybe it is due to its height. Undoubtedly it influenced my climbing. Anyways, legendary bloc! 2 sessions.

Luca Bertacco skips 8B+ and does Flow State (8C) in Val Daone. Focusing mainly on routes, the 24-year-old has sent 9a and flashed 8c.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I came into the valley early Saturday morning without a clear idea of what I really wanted to try; at the time, I had three problems in mind that were equally motivating, but only two of them seemed truly doable in a short amount of time. One of them was "Flow State." I have nothing but fond memories of this boulder; since the first time when I managed to flash You drive me crazy (8A) to last Tuesday when I managed to send Grizzly (8B) and Flow (8B) in a single day in just a few tries. So trying the full link seemed like the obvious choice. That morning the valley was super quiet because it had recently rained, and there were few people around.

From the warm-up, the feeling was more than good; after a couple of pulls on the hangboard and with the elastic band, I decided to do a reconnaissance run of "Flow" to re-examine the exit, which I had only seen once before, not knowing that I would quickly find myself at the top of the problem.

More psyched than ever, I returned to the base of the boulder and began reviewing the sequences of the first section, which I needed to climb perfectly to get back to where I started my reconnaissance. The first two tries didn't go bad, but due to some hesitation and small mistakes, I fall on the exit with the sloper of the crux sequence in my hand. I knew it was only a matter of time; the first two goes convinced me that I had the abilities to do the boulder, so I didn't fret needlessly. After a good rest, I sat under the start of the boulder, and without realizing it, something switched in my head and I entered the flow state. In the first section, I didn't repeat the small mistakes I'd made previously and felt the holds like never before. I reached the rest point halfway up and focused on my breathing. When I've decided to go again, I wasn't thinking about anything; my body was simply doing what it had already done before and what my mind knew could be done.

When I woke up, I find my self on the top of the boulder with a sense of lightness I hadn't felt in a long time. Days like this remind me why I love this sport; I think only climbing can provide that sense of addiction that pushes you to try something to your limit, without making you feel completely satisfied once you reach your goal. I'm so happy that my first problem of this grade came so unexpectedly and naturally, especially in a place close to home that is increasingly gaining a place in my heart. For this reason, I want to thank everyone who has contributed to enhance this valley and who continues to do so by opening and cleaning new problems, because I believe it's not an easy job, justifiable only with a healthy dose of passion. Thanks also to Kevin for the great company and for capturing the magical moment with some of the best photos I have while climbing! See you soon Val Daone!

Cy McIntosh has completed Moonshine (9a) in The Remuda. The 19-year-old started the season with two 8c+’ under his belt and now he has added eight routes 8c+ or 9a to his name, beside having also done 17 routes 8c. ”Surprised that I’m capable of this. Suits me better then I would’ve thought.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Ya, I went to that wall to try Throwin the Houlihan (8b+) but that route felt heinous. So I got on Moonshine instead and to my surprise it felt possible. After a few days of consistent progress I fell on the last move and also hurt my finger on that go. After a day of stress and questioning how to move forward in life with an injured finger I just decided that I gotta keep climbing and whatever happens happens. I sent the next try.

How is your finger now?
I think it’s fine. Some type of acute injury from getting it stuck in a pocket. It only hurts when I touch it not while climbing.

Is it correct that the the route you could not do is just 8b+?
Haha ya. Old school hard Todd Skinner route.

Jenya Kazbekova, an Olympian who placed 2nd in Lead and 4th in Boulder at last year’s European Championships, has shared an open letter discussing her struggles with disordered eating throughout her competition career. This year, the Ukrainian climber is stepping away from the circuit as she prepares to welcome a baby in just a few weeks.

”I’ve been meaning to write this post for a long time. It means a lot to me to finally talk about it, though somehow it still took a while to find the right words. I care deeply about our climbing community, and seeing younger climbers struggle makes me want to share my story in the hope that it will resonate with someone or help them feel safe to reach out for support. The worst part of any struggle is feeling completely isolated and alone.

In recent years, there’s been more conversation in the climbing community about malnutrition, disordered eating and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). While I was lucky never to develop a full-blown eating disorder, I’ve been very familiar with disordered eating. When I was younger, I didn’t know any better. I thought I was being smart, analysing elite climbers of the 2000s and 2010s and assuming losing weight was the way to success. Being stubborn and persistent, I fell into constant dieting, malnutrition, and a skewed body image.

In 2016 in Paris, I vividly remember standing on a scale and feeling crushed. I’d gained weight. Despite looking really thin in the photo, I still believed I needed to lose more. The moment I saw that number, some part of me gave up before the competition had even begun. A lot of fears made it hard to focus on what really mattered, as all the “what ifs” started playing in my head: fear of failing, fear of judgement, fear of disappointment, fear of not being good enough. What I didn’t understand then was that constant malnutrition wasn’t just messing with my head. It was destroying my body’s ability to heal. I stayed injured far more often, took much longer to recover from hard sessions, and was basically living in survival mode. It didn’t even allow me to train to my full potential. In the end, all those food restrictions didn’t make me a better athlete; they actually harmed my physical and mental health.

Having fears is a very human thing, but what you do with them is the crucial part of the process. Years later, finding the courage to face my fears and work through them is what helped me the most. It took me years to find my balance, to learn from my mistakes, and to reach a place where I could truly be proud of what my body can do. It wasn’t a straight path. There were setbacks, moments I felt lost, and times I questioned if I was doing the right thing by refusing to play the “who is lighter” game. It took years of rewiring my brain, hard work in therapy, and learning about nutrition. I was lucky to have people who talked me out of dark places and showed me a better way.

A year ago, back in Paris [Olympics], I felt strong in my body. Maybe not as strong in my head, but I was confident in what my body could do. Was I comfortable? Actually, no. When you’re vulnerable, the comparison game plays cruel tricks on you, and standing on that stage in Paris uncovered every vulnerable part of me. But here’s what I know now. We come in different shapes, forms, and bodies. There is no one-size-fits-all. There is no perfect body. The way you look has so little to do with what you’re actually capable of. Don’t play the comparison game. It will bring you nothing but hurt.

The reality is, you either concentrate on being light or being strong. At the end of the day it is your strength that gets you up the wall in the form of grit, determination, mental and physical ability, experience, focus, timing, luck, the quality of your preparation and recovery, the joy that keeps you coming back, and your support team. I hope you find role models, and maybe even see a glimpse of that in my story, to remind you that chasing your dreams never has to cost you your health. I refused to give up on my dreams, and I refused to lose weight to get there. Becoming an Olympian wasn’t about being light enough. It was about years of rebuilding my relationship with my body and mind. That’s what I’m most proud of.

I’m sharing this not because I know the only way, but to help keep challenging harmful patterns in our sport, and to remind all people, from elite athletes to beginner climbers, that your worth has nothing to do with your weight or your results. It breaks my heart to see young athletes and everyday climbers alike fall into the same traps. Now more than ever, I want a better future for climbing and beyond. You matter. Your health matters. Climbing is supposed to bring you joy. Results are never worth your well-being. Cherish yourself, even if the world tells you otherwise. Let this be another call for change. Let’s create more support and education so climbers never have to feel alone in these struggles.”

Pepa Šindel, with ten 9a’s and beyond under his belt, has completed the classical Action Directe (9a) in Frankenjura. ”A legendary route, which Wolfgang Güllich climbed in 1991 and pushed the imaginary limits of human possibilities. One of the best lines I have ever climbed!”

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
We started our classic summer trip with the good old climbing in the German Frankenjura. And this year, the time has finally come to try the legendary "Action Directe". The first 9a of the world, which Wolfgang Güllich climbed in 1991 and pushed the limits of human possibilities. I did all the moves relatively quickly and was comfident that I am going to send it. However, I fell several times at the very top on the last move into the jug. It was clear that I will do it...

All that remained was to wait for the magical try and the right conditions. I spent 9 days on the route and about 25 attempts in total. Right after climbing Action, I moved to the Krottenseer Turn and tried another famous one from Güllich, "Wallstreet". The first 8c in the world. A beautiful line and a rock where the history of climbing was also written once again. I climbed Wallstreet on the second day, Sunday, on the 4th attempt. Just a great „Wolfgang” weekend :)