Peter Kuric has had an amazing trip to Margalef, onsigting twelve routes 8a to 8b in just six days. He also did another six routes flash or redpoint including Los ultimos vampiros hippies 8c in just three tries. Kind of impressive as 8c was his previous personal best. "The sixth climbing day. I wanted to try something harder so I chose Los últimos vampiros hippies 8c. In the second attempt I fell in the third move. When I jumped into the crimp I felt my finger pain. But even so, I gave a third successful attempt. We were supposed to be 8 days in Margalef, but I knew the trip was over for me."

Based on the extreme media interest of Alex Honnold's Free Solo after the film winning an Oscar, some federations have suggested that Speed climbing can be done over a gigantic air bag. One more argument is that the auto-belay pull some 5 kg helping the lighter ones more, creating unfairness. The idea is that the athletes can choose to go solo and if so, they will be allowed to start on "steady" meanwhile the not so brave ones will have to wait until "go". If this works out well, also higher walls will be tested and then in the finals, only solo climbing will be allowed but small parachutes will be possible. "We have already tested out the idea with the market and as a matter of a fact, we have been offered 1 million Euro from one company for a gigantic parachute logo," explains one official. "We hope and estimate that the coverage of such an Olympic final will set a new record in visitors."

Matteo Menardi has done his fifth 9a, Thunder Ribes in Arco. (c) Garreth Parry "Prime conditions yesterday at the Pueblo crag. I managed to send Thunder Ribes, a 90 moves 9a which is made up of a 60 moves 8b+, followed by a very good rest point. Then there is the 12-moves crux, which leads to a decent rest. The final step is clipping the chain."

James Webb, well known for his hard grading, put up The Multiverse in 2014 as an 8B+. "Absolutely one of the best lines i've done. So glad to make the FA. Maybe the low now?" Here is a just released video of the amazing line which now has been given 8C.

Jonathan Siegrist, who previously has done 40 routes 9a to 9b, has done the FA of All You Can Eat 9a+ in Mt Potasi. In the 8a ranking game, "J-Star" is #3. Next up is a six weeks trip to Spain. (c) Matt Kuehl "It climbs all but a couple moves of andy Raether’s ‘Eggporkalypse’ and then without any rest does the entire crux of Francois Legrand’s ‘Bachelor Party’. Both routes are 9a. I really like the style of the route because you can really keep fighting - no rest but also so resistant."

Yuji Hirayama, one of the best climbers in the world since the late 80'ies, report on Insta that he after almost two years projecting has made the FA of Time Machine 8c+ in Gozeniwa. "I train very very little, not regularly. Because very busy for my work and working for the Federation but I just try to squeeze into my schedule to go outdoor climbing once a week or once every two weeks. Time is so precious for me now." The name relates from getting inspiration from his routes from 1988 at the crag. " Time Machine will bring you to my generation forever." Yuji redpointed Les Specialists 8b+ in 1988 and in 2000 he won the Lead World Cup. Four times he has broken the Speed record at The Nose El Capitan. In 2008 he did two 8B+ boulders and in 2012 he put up a 9a MP in Mt Kinabuli. In other words, the young 50 year old Japanese has been in top of the game in all disciplines for over 30 years.

Evan Hau, who previously has done three 9a's, has done Life of Villains in Hurricave giving it a personal 9a grade. (c) Christopher Weidner "Incredible king line by Joe (Kinder). I was so inspired by trying it briefly and watching others on it over Christmas that I centered a second trip primarily around this route. Stoked on the experience and how it all came together! I tried Life of Villains two days last trip just to try the moves and then it took ten days this trip which makes it my fastest 9a ever. I started training specifically this winter for the first time and it seems to be paying off! Normally in the winter I just climb for fun in the gym. Next I have one week left in Utah to try a few more things and then back home to Canada where I'm working on a 9a project I bolted and also I want to try Sacrifice 9a+, a route I bolted that Adam Ondra FAed last summer."

Moritz Welt, who is #3 in the senior Combined ranking, has done his fifth 8B+ through the FA of Royal Flush in Frankenjura. "The full line on the boulder starting like Mutant and going all the way up to the end of Backgammon! Wanted to do this for a long time and after getting close last weekend I came back this afternoon and crushed it first go! 16 hard moves in a row - a technical first part into a powerful ending - climbs just perfect but pumps like hell!"

Patrick Aufdenblatten reports on Insta that he has done the first repeat of Francois Nicole's Amazonie in Saint-Triphon suggesting a personal downgrade to 8b+. He has also suggested down grades for another four easier routes he did in Saint-Triphon as well as doing the 9a+ open project thinking it is 8c or 8c+. "I‘m strong in crimps and jumps and pockets. In May I tried two 8c's in Frankenjura where I wasn‘t able to do the moves. For 8b+ I had 7 days... I was in Frankenjura again and all over 8b is really hard. Ten times harder then in St Triphon." Fred Moix, one of the leading climbing photographers from the last 20 years, says he is not at all surprised and says this is a classical Emperor new clothes grading. "Considering all that I can only support Patrik being honest about the grading! I suggested almost 15 years ago that the first jump was more like 7A+ boulder in the Peak District and not 7C. At the time it felt a bit like a sacrilege, haha. The 2nd jump was done rather quickly by a climber and this resulted the following week in a red ribbon to reserve the at the time project of “Amazonie”. Pretty unusual in our area, never seen that on a route here around. I think Patrik is quite brave to dare to talk about the Emperor’s new clothes..."

Loic Zehani has done the FA of Iron Man in St Léger, after six sessions, which was bolted by Albert Gnerro. This was the 8th 9a FA by the 17 year old. "The route is almost 40 meters long and it's absolutely beautiful. It starts with a big overhang of more than 10 meters with three hard and bloc sections and then after a physical rest on tufas, it ends with the second part of "En voie dure Simone" a superb 8c. I think it will be « a classic »in this grade soon. " Alberto has bolted some 500 routes and we will follow up with some comments from him as there is an autobiography coming out. "I bolted this route last year but no chance to try because it was always wet. I easily do the roof but at the top there was wet holds. I did the 8c some years ago. I regret not to have the first ascent but good for Loic. He is a strong climber."