Alexander Rohr and Katherine Choong have done Jungfraumarathon in Gimmelwald. Here is Choong's report with a picture by Julia Cassous. "Gimmelwald is a magical place. Surrounded by snow-covered mountains in a peaceful valley where, apart from a few cow bellows and the screams of climbers falling under the relay, it is an extremely peaceful place. A waterfall a few meters above our heads, it's my favorite place. It's therefore quite natural that I chose this place to invest time and energy in a new project. The route is about twenty meters, overhanging (35/45 degrees), with hard movements on bad holds. The crux consists of holding a bad shoulder to go far for a pinch. Since last year, I have been falling into this movement that consists for dwarves like me in a very dynamic movement that I could not succeed in the redpoint attempt. I started last year in October. I quickly found my beta and I was already falling into the dynamic movement of the crux. Very close to clip the chain in November 2018, the snow forced me to stop. The bad weather in the spring did not let me go back until early June 2019. It's not a good excuse but it was hard for me with the extreme heat of summer. In parallel, I started the world cups at the beginning of July, which didn't go well. I arrived at the end of the summer and finally, I had not progressed at all in my project on the cliff, on the contrary, and at the end of the first part of the disastrous competition season. I was stubborn in my method in the crux of Jungfrau Marathon and I was beginning to have doubts about my ability to clip the chains one day. No remarkable ascent this year outdoor, no very good results in comps, it became very difficult mentally to keep the motivation and confidence in me and it was felt in my attempts in the route. Last week, not even able to reach the crux, a friend finally suggested that I should try the guys' method, which involves putting my foot further sideways. 100% sure that I had tried this method the year before and that it didn't suit me, I still try the beta and I finally could do the movement almost statically, a relief for me! Then something clicks in my mind and I was again motivated and confident. The next session the route was ticked at the 1st try of the day! I really feel a little stupid for persisting with my method, convinced that the guys' method was too morpho for me. It was a memorable day, surrounded by many friends who encouraged me, sharing this moment with them made it even more special. When I clipped the chains, it was, first of all, an explosion of joy. The joy of having once again exceeded my limits physically but above all mentally. All the effort, the time invested, the sweat, the frustration finally made sense."

The second male qualification route was topped by 35 guys of the 53 starting, including a dozen Speed specialists. In other words, out of the ordinary Lead climbers, more than 80 % made it! In total, eight male topped both routes. Among the female, it was possibly also a record of tops as we saw 22 women clipping the top anchor out of 51 starters, including a dozen speed specialists. Confirming the bad route setting, 19 females scored 35+ on the first lead. Complete results

Aries Susanti Rahayu sat a new world record with 11 hundreds at 6.995 in the final race against Yiling Song. Among the male QiXin Zhong won at 7.208 as his opponent fell. Complete results Overall Yiling Song and Bassa Mawem won. Complete results

Within two weeks, after the two last Lead and the last Speed WC's, we will know who made it to the Toulouse Olympic qualification. It is the relative ranking in each discipline that counts. Even if there is no more Boulder event, that relative ranking will change as some who have not yet competed in two events in each discipline is missing in the ranking, for example, Adam Ondra. At this point, it is almost impossible to predict who will make it as there are too many uncertainties and we could also add some speed climbers fairness dilemma. Thee are at least six Speed male specialists that still have the chance and almost certain Bassa Mawem and Nikolai Yarilovets will make it. Also, Alifan Muhammed and Aleksandr Shikov can make it but in reality, their best chance is actually that few compete. Another option is simply that some of the guys that already have qualified, or athletes from the same nations, actually loose on purpose in the last rounds. The more Speed climbers in Toulouse, the greater the chance for them to make it to Tokyo. Among the female, it is a similar situation. YiLing Song, Aleksandra Kalucka and Aries Susanti will most probably make it to Toulouse. Furthermore, Andrea Jojas and Rong Jiang, have great chances. Then we have Elena Krasovskaia and Rong Jiang who are good Speed Climbers. What makes it delicate, is that there will most likely come a situation where two climbers from a big Speed climbing nation like Russia, China or Poland, where it could be strategically to let the climber with the best chance to make it to Toulouse actually win.

Matilda Söderlund, #6 in the WCH in 2012 and who then focused on her studies, has done The Elder Statesman in Frankenjura, which is a direct version of The Last Rites 8c+, which she sent yesterday. Amazingly, she only needed four sessions to do her first 9a. (c) Sammy Dahlman "It is a hard boulder with the hardest move involving a mono. It suites me perfectly. Long moves on super small holds." This is what she reported yesterday after having done the 8c+ version. "The Last Rites was my first project of this trip. It suits me very well with the small crimps. I was in Frankenjura in April and after that trip I decided to return again in October, so I’ve been preparing for this trip since then. It seems like training is paying off, mainly working on my power. Next on my list of routes here is the direct start of The Last Rites! (9a)."

Rock & Ice comes with the great news that the Access Fund's work have ended with the first climbing law in U.S - the Emery County Public Land Management Act "Nothing in this part prohibits recreational rock climbing activities in the wilderness areas, such as the placement, use, and maintenance of fixed anchors, including any fixed anchor established before the date of the enactment of this Act- (1) in accordance with the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.); and (2) subject to any terms and conditions determined to be necessary by the Secretary."

In the last Speed event in 2019, Sol Sa made it to the final by setting a personal record by 8.71. Among the male, Kokoro Fujii was best of the non-specialist with 6.58. Otherwise it seems Speed climbing has not been prioritized lately among the best Lead and Boulderers as most were slower compared to the World Championship. Who among the Speed specialist who will make it to Toulouse will be decided after the final.

Matt Fultz has done the first repeat of Adain Robert's 8C, Railway in RMNP. "It took three sessions which included a day in June which was way too hot. It was my style for sure, total board climb." This was his fourth 8C, all of them done the last six months and he is #5 in the 8A ranking. Looking at the trend diagram, the 28-year-old should be at least Top-3 next year.