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 :)

Chaehyun Seo won her sixth World Cup gold in front of a hugh crowd in Chamonix. The 21-year-old won four events in 2019 at age 16 and in 2021, she became the World Champion. ”I’m super happy and I’m just lost for words. I can’t believe it. I won my first gold medal here and it felt amazing to climb again in front of such a huge crowd. They are so supportive, and I love to climb here.”

Sorato Anraku got his sixth Lead World Cup gold by topping the final route in Chamonix. Runner-up was Alberto Gines Lopez who started last falling with his finger tips on the final jug.

”I’m happy to come back and get the victory. I missed finals in Bali and Innsbruck, then I trained a lot after Innsbruck as I really wanted to win in Chamonix. I loved the crowd here and I think I shouted for the first time ever in a competition on the wall.”

Andrew Nimmer, who has 8B+ as his PB and who flashed an 8B last week in Rocklands, has flashed The guest list (8B) and Amandla (8B+). The latter he logged as an 8B.

Can you tell us more about the flashes?
After flashing Sky I had some friends recommend I join them on The Guest List and try to flash it [pictured). This climb suited me very well and felt like climbing at the red river gorge which I grew up climbing at.

For Amandla, I saw Nicolai’s video of him flashing it and I thought I would try to flash with a similar beta. This climb looked similar to The Swarm (classic 8B/+ in Bishop) in difficulty and style. I gave an alright flash attempt on The Swarm a few years back. I felt like I’m climbing stronger now and that Amandla would suit me better than The Swarm because it’s on sandstone with better feet. I climb well on sandstone and find that I can make better use out of the more positive feet and gritty texture compared with other types of rock.

Not seeing anyone climb on it in person or being able to feel out all they holds from the ground made the flash more spicy and memorable. Grabbing the final crimp and sticking the lip felt great as these holds felt like any climbers dream. The mantle felt like icing on the cake.

Are you going into projecting mode now or are the more flashes coming up?
I want to give El Corazon a good flash go. I also want to climb the other mega classic 8B’s The Vice and Mooiste Meise. Those look a little harder to flash but I’ll still try. I would like to try Book Club and Monkey Wedding as well.

How do you warm up before a hard flash?
Normal warm up, maybe pull on the tension block lightly and then hang around on jugs. Today after doing that I did 3 laps on a v5 and then flashed a v10 [7C+] and v11 [8A] and then felt warm enough. Then I rested an hour and then went for Amandla.

Another note is that I’ve been stopping climbing most days before becoming exhausted so while I’m climbing less, I’m more fresh every day and can send more.

Loic Zehani, with 18 FA’s 9a+ or 9b to his name, has done the FA of The come back (9a+) in Gargantua. ”Start with the new route "dynamite" just to the right of "satan" , then the middle part of "plénitude cérébrale", the shoulder movements of "uncle spit" to finish with the bouldery L2 of "gargantuesque".

Very hard first ten moves until "satan L1"(more or less 8c+) , then a very physical and powerfull 8b+ (25 moves) end for finish an 8b more fingery and bouldery. First big redpoint after my ankle injury I am very happy! Gargantua cave is perfect for not getting hurt my ankle again.”

What is coming up next?
I don’t have any specific plans. First, I’d like to fully recover from my injury, which was only a month ago (a total ligament tear in my ankle). Then I’ll just climb routes I enjoy and enjoy myself. 🤙🏽

Agathe Calliet, who got the silver in the Prague World Cup last month, has had a great afternoon session in Magic Wood sending Foxy Lady (8A), Muttertag (8A) and Bizarre ride (8A+).

Can you tell us more about the trip and these ascents?
I came to Magic Wood right after the competition season, along with a bunch of other French climbers. The first few days, the weather wasn’t great. I tried Bizarre Ride and Jack’s Broken Heart, but my skin was in bad shape and I didn’t have much energy.

On Sunday, I took a rest day. Then on Monday, I went back to Bizarre Ride, but my attempts felt worse than earlier in the week. I wasn’t sure if I would climb on Tuesday, but around 4 p.m., I decided to go try Foxy Lady, I had tried it last year and really struggled. This time, I ended up ”flashing it” which was such a good surprise! Even did it twice to be sure 🤣

Right after that, I joined some of the guys at Mystic ( they were trying it ) to try Muttertag. I knew Muttertag could suit my style, it’s a nice one-move boulder, and I managed to send it quickly too! I was super psyched with those two sends, so I said to Arsène Duval, “We’re on fire, let’s go check out Bizarre Ride again, just for fun, since we’re in shape today.” And I ended up doing it first try that session!

It was my first 8A+, and I’m really happy to have done such a cool boulder, the moves are super fun and physical.

The next day, I went back to Jack’s Broken Heart and fell at the very top, ended up landing with my butt in a tree root ! But I felt super good in the moves ! Definitely want to come back to send it. Jack is my favorite boulder I’ve tried in the forest! Can’t wait for the next trip!

What are your summer plans?
I would like to try routes in Aiguille du midi in Chamonix and then if I’m selected for the world championships in september in Seoul, I will train all summer for that !!

Nicolai Užnik, who just sent Monkey Wedding (8C), has flashed Amandla (8B+) in Rocklands, giving it a personal 8B grade. In the VL ranking game, the 24-year-old competition climber is #3.

How did you beta wise prepare and was it full control all the way?
I was with a couple of friends which have done or tried the boulder and they gave me the beta and I also watched some videos beforehand. I think the beta I used, most people now use and it’s probably just a bit easier and more controllable than the original one.

Instead of going right hand in the bad small slot and going dynamically to the bigger slot left hand, I think it‘s easier to go to the right crimp and lock off to the next one. I also chose this beta because it seemed less low percentage and probably better for a flash go.

I don‘t think I climbed it perfectly with one or two cut loose moments which maybe weren‘t the most efficient, but it still felt quite in control all the way.