BIG NEWS! The new, upgraded app will be released next week! Over the past months, our team has worked on an enhanced navigation and menu structure, advanced filtering options, and a new training feature. More details coming soon. Stay Tuned!

Its aim is to examine the various aspects of route setting for the first time in a comprehensive study. The study would like to identify and highlight significant standards, similarities and differences, and to promote the exchange and networking within the worldwide community. The results of this international survey will be published in the November 2019 issue of the Route Setter Magazine. Completing the questionnaire takes about 15-20 minutes. Please dedicate this time, share your experiences, opinions, and wishes! The questionnaire is available in English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese.

karoline sinnhuber, who previoulsy has done four 8B's, has done two 8A+' in Rocklands; Black shadow and The wee baby shamus which she thinks is 8A. In the 8a ranking game, the Austrian former competition boulderer is #4. (c) Fabian Leu

Chaehyeon Seo (15) from Korea did her first ever World Cup two weeks ago and got a sensational silver. Then she won in Chamonix and now also in Briancon. Janja Garnbret did also top the final but lost due to count back. Natsuki Taniii (16) got the bronze. Interestingly, Janja borned 1999, was the oldest finalist. Among the male, although Japan did not send their best crew got all three medals. Hidemasa Nishida (16), youth world champion last year, did his first WC in 2019 won after having been #8 in the semi. Also the runner ups, Hiroto Shimizu and Shuto Tanaka had not participated in the two first WCs in 2019. (C) Eddie Fowke Interesting is that Japan who has dominated the boulder scene for many years now also is #1 in Lead ahead of Slovenia. Complete results

1. Chaehyon Seo KOR 280 - Alex Megos GER 165 2. Janja Garnbret SLO 217 - Sasha Lehmann SUI 152 3. YueTong Zhang CHI 164 - William Bosi GBR 122 4. Natsuki Tanii JPN 145 - YuFei Pan CHI 117* 5. Mia Krampl SLO 137 - Domen Skofic SLO 110 6. Ai Mori JPN 120* - Sean McColl CAN 104 7. Lucka Rakovec SLO 114 - Adam Ondra CZE 100** 8. Ashima Shiraishi USA 102* - Hidemasa Nishida JPN 100** 9. Jessica Pilz AUT 96* - Jakob Schubert AUT 89* 10. Vita Lukan SLO 94 - Martin Stranik CZE 84* Complete ranking Another two female and male in the Top-14 ranking have skipped one event. As seven athletes will qualify to the Olympics in the WCH, one might assume that these guys will skip WC events in order to travel less and train more. The same goes even more for the ones who have qualified to Toulouse. In other words, it just might be that most of the best will skip several WC events and that the winner of the (male) Lead World Cup will not compete in Tokyo 2020.

R & I reports that due to the recent chopping action in Teen Sleep, bolting and chopping is now forbidden. “As of July 19, 2019, the USDA Forest Service will be enforcing regulations that prohibit constructing new climbing routes or trails on the Bighorn National Forest, including Ten Sleep Canyon. If an individual or group is manufacturing or creating new routes with any type of permanent hardware or apparatus to include bolts, glue, manufactured hand holds; or modifying routes through chipping or hammering new or existing holds, they will be subject to criminal fines, to include money for restitution to the impacted area.” Personally I think it was wrong by Rock and Ice to publish an open letter this spring in regards that the chipping had to be stopped in Teen Sleep, as it already had stopped one year ago. The chopping and the latest regulation enforced by USDA Forest Service are probably a reaction to the increased controversy created by the open letter.

Chaehyeon Seo, #3 in the 8a ranking game including Bad Girls Club 9a (8c+) which she did at age 14, is the big sensation in the Lead WC 2019. In her first ever WC she was #2 in both the semi and in the final and in Chamonix she was #1 in both the semi and the final, being 15 years old. Her father Jungkuk is running a gym and her mother is a former World Cup climber. Anyhow, comps is only part of her climbing life and she has already been on five long overseas climbing trips. "She won every lead comp in Korea! Only one time second place at combined comp next Jain Kim." Could you please explain how she trains? As usual, I trained my training program and created a new project route. Most of the project routes were routes with a level of difficulty of 8b. We focused on training finger strength, power and balance of muscles. I made new climbing problem every training day a little bit harder and harder. Generally she trains 4~5 times a week some four hours. 1st day= on sight climbing or project climbing. 2nd day = endurance climbing (60~70moves * 7~9set). Sometimes we have to go to Japan for bouldering."

Are you a passionate rock climber, and equally enthusiastic about user experience design? If you’re looking for a way to turn your two biggest passions into your profession, this is your chance! Vertical-Life is looking for a Senior UX and UI Designer for mobile and web projects. You will be joining our international, highly motivated team, working on exciting challenges every day! We offer a full time, in-house work position at our office in Brixen/Südtirol (Northern Italy) in the middle of the beautiful Dolomites – providing fantastic opportunities for all types of climbing, summer and winter sports! Find out more about the requirements on our Jobs page. Please send your application, CV and portfolio to: [email protected]

Chaehyon Seo and Natsuki Tanii topped both qualification routes and Janja Garnbret was #3 in the qualifications in Briancon. All six Slovenians female in Top-18! Among the male, Stefano Ghislofi won ahead of Alex Megos and Hannes Puman. Complete results. The semi starts 19.30.

The male semifinal turned out to have had probably the most sensational results ever in a Lead World Cup. Hidemasa Hida was #8 when the five best from the qualification remained but then four of them scored ten to 20 moves lower and Romain Desgranges was one + short to drop him out of the final. It was like humidity hit the wall but that was not the case as all the last female made it through. Chaehyon Seo (15) was last out and topped out easily. She just made her World Cup debut two weeks ago and was #2 in Villars and #1 in Chamonix. Complete results. In the end, Sean Bailey and Hiroto Shimizu are tied #1 into the final among the male.