NEWS

Slovenia dominate Studio Bloc Masters
1. Janja Garnbret SLO - Anze Perharc SLO 2. Mia Krampl SLO - Sergii Topishko UKR 3. Jessica Pilz AUT - Vadim Timonov RUS 4. Katja Kadic SLO - Jakob Schubert AUT 5. Lucka Rakovec SLO - Jernej Kruder SLO (c) Eddie Fowke Janja Garnbret won all three stages in a rather superior style. She did all 4 + 4 boulders in both the semi and the final where the overall runner-up Mia Krampl did do 2 + 2. Amazingly, Slovenia had seven in Top-10. Among the male, the podium was sensational. The winner Anze Peharc, #3 in the Euro CH in 2017, was #25 in the WC last year and the runner up Sergii Topishko was #23. Vadim Timonov was #25 in the WCH in Innsbruck. Interesting is that the three Top-8 in the 2018 WC, Jongwon Chon was #8, Gregor Vezonik was 10 and Tomoaki Takata was #17. The 2019 French Champion Jeremy Bonder was #23. Complete results In total 149 female and 326 male participated.

Dรฉlire Onirique assis 8C by Ryohei Kameyama
Ryohei Kameyama has done Dรฉlire Onirique assis 8C in Fontainbleau in just three sessions. Both the two first ascents were done with a figure 4 move but Kameyama opted to dyno to the small crimp instead. During the last two weeks the 22 year old has also done La Rรฉvolutionnaire 8C+ (4 sessions) and No Kpote only 9A (5 sessions), meaning the 176 cm tall and 60 kg, has set a new world standard in bouldering. All three boulders was put up by Charles Alber barefoot. (c) Ryosuke Hibino "I contacted him and I was informed about the boulders. I think "La Revolutionnaire" is the best but all boulders have cool moves. I think overhang like 100ใ€œ150ยฐ is my style. I like the rock of this boulders because they include simple difficult moves in many styles. I want to try Burden of Dream again this year. I think it is the hardest boulder in the world now but It's uncertain because this is only my opinion.

World Champion Jessica Pilz from Austria was #8 in the Studio Bloc Master with 604 points. Well in front of her were seven Slovenians with Janja Garnbret at top. Among the male, Jongwon Chon won the qualification. In total 149 women and 326 male participated. Complete results The Top-20 semifinal will be live-streamed on Sunday 11.30 and the final 16.00 based on normal IFSC rules. In the qualification, there were 80 boulders to choose from. The winners gets Euro 3 000.

Sid Lives 9a (8c+) by Carnati and Silvio
Silvio Reffo andStefano Carnati, who the last month previously has done two 8c+', have repeated Gabri Moroni's Sid Lives in Arco. Both giving it 8c+. (c) Luca Bana - Reffo Silvio. "Two tries yesterday evening and three more today. Super short and super cool! Loved that pinches! Thanks Gabri for the vision! Everybody knows itโ€™s hard to grade this kind of โ€œroutesโ€. I think the whole could be 8B boulder. Therefore Imho it coulde be 8c+. Climbing a 9a so fast is a goal of mine but will stay as such for now!" It should noted that Gabri did say "9a?". Further more, several have made quick ascents and set 9a personal best with Sid Lives.

The Slovenian team had a comp simulation on Boulderwelt Mรผnchen and Kruder did go up-side-down!

Valhalla 9a+ possibly the hardest MP in the world
First he was assisted by his brother for two months drilling and hammering in 250 bolts. On the second trip, which lasted five months, his father was mainly his partner. Waking up at 06.00 for breakfast then walking 1.5 hour before starting climbing or jumaring to the roof. "It was the hardest process of my life to be totally focus on this project for 2 + 5 months. I feel really happy to finish this crazy project. I did not know if it was possible to climb free. I was worried about to find some impossible points for climbing. Every two weeks I had to go to Guiyang to train indoors to keep my power. It was also hard to not talk to people for a long time because the Chines in general do not talk English." Edu did his first 9a being 17 years old and he has previously done three 9a+ and Chilam Balam 9a+/b. With 14 pitches including one 9a+ and two 8c+', Valhalla is a contender for being the hardest graded multi-pitch in the world. The FA took nine hours. Some days ago, he fell on pitch 12 after a foot hold broke. More info and pictures on his Insta (c) David Lopez Campe

Papichulo 9a+ by Margo Hayes
Margo Hayes reports on Insta that she Papichulo 9a+ in Oliana. Including her two previous 9a+', La Rambla and Biographie, the 21 year old is a contendor for having the best ever female tick list. (c) Jan Novak. Last year she was #10 in the World Championship. In two weeks, she will change the 45 m wall in Oliana to compete in the bouldering WC in Meiringen, hopefully to get a good start on her Olympic quest.

Pata Ledovce 8C by Martin Strรกnรญk
Martin Strรกnรญk, #2 in the World Champion in 2007, has made the first repeat of Adam Ondraโ€™s Pata Ledovce 8C in Holstejn. In the 8a ranking game the 29 year old Czech is #3. Video "4 days this year, I have never thought that these moves are possible but it has changed this year, great climbing including power, finger strenght and technique. First repeat of some Adamยดs 8C in CZ." In two weeks time, Martin will compete in Meiringen where he got the silver in 2016. (c) Jakub Koneฤnรฝ โ€My ambition is to compete on 'Europe' world cups in lead and bouldering and in Tokyo (World Championship). I am also trying to learn speed, but not too much as I could cause I am still working full time (meteorologist).

Jacopo Larcher does the world's hardest trad?
Jacopo Larcher, who three years ago did La Rambla 9a+, has done his hardest route ever. "I have never invested so much time in a route before. Anyway, I decided not to grade it ;)" The Italian found it six years ago and the last year the 25 meter line in Cadarese, Italy, has been his big focus. He says that he has worked on it during possibly 50 sessions or more. In regards placing the gear, Jacopo says it is not so hard to place. "It just makes it more pumpy between the two hard sections." (c) Paolo Sartoro Photo It is a well known fact that trad grades are harder than sport grades. One reason for this is that in the beginning of the sport era, you had to place the quick draws as you were climbing as you had to place the trad gear. Later, the sport ethics changed towards pre-placed quick draws. Further more, it seems that at the same time we have seen grade inflation for sport routes there has been deflation for trad. Currently there exist some four 8c+ trad routes meaning that there possibly should be a two grades gap comparing it to sport routes. Understanding that the gear placement did not have so much impact on the difficulty for Larcher, it just might have been 9a+ or 9b with bolts. So what do you think? Did Jacopo do the first 9a trad route in the world?