Here are the dates for the European Youth Cups in 2019 and further down also the Championships. 27-28/4 Soure POR (B) 10-12/5 Graz AUT (B) 25-26/5 Sofia BUL (B) 22-23/6 Ostermundigen SUI (L) 29-30/6 St Pierre Faucigny FRA (L) 03-04/8 Imst AUT (L) 22-30/8 Arco World Championship (prel) 21-22/9 Brixen ITA (B) Euro Championship 18-20/10 Voronezh RUS (L) Euro Championship More IFSC info

Isabelle Faus has done her 34th 8A+, Login Cabin in St Vrain and she is now quite superior in the 8a ranking game. (c) Chad Greedy "Wow !!!! So psyched, when I first tried this boulder I wrote it off as too morpho... but where’s there’s a will there’s a way.... one of my fav ascents recently. Super hard for me, full extention the whole time, fun fun !!"

In the Vertical-Life training App you can choose from 10 different "daily plans". Once you have entered your your gym and level, as well as type of focus on your training, the App will direct you to do specific routes and boulders in the Vertical-Life connected gyms. Here you can invite your gym. It also tells you when to rest and after the session you will report back and say how tired you were and the system will adjust until your next session. In the future, you will be able to create longer training plans with a focus on a certain ambition during your next trip etc.

Israel Olcina (43) has done the second accent of Beto Rocasolano's Cheerleader 8B+ in Castillo de Bayuela, Spain. It is his second 8B+. Israel is a respected climber having been one of the first Spanish climbers to climb 8A in the late 90's. © Inés Tostado "How has been the process on Cheerleader? I had seen it when Beto did it in march. I was amazed with the line and I couldn't get it out my mind back then. I stopped trying it at the end of the season and without the first move due to a index injury and I back to it end of november. The problem climbs an overhang to a roof and the section is a 7-8 moves where the first three are the hardest.

David Firnenburg, #3 in the Combined World Championship in 2016, has done three 8c+; La ley innata and Llamps i trons in Margalef and Jungle Speed in Siurana. "Escaping the wetness in Margalef. Some years ago I couldn't even do the gaston move. Today less than 2 hours (5 tries). Ascend with head lamp in the darkness. 8c+ for me although a hold broke (as far as I know)." "My thoughts on my Olympic ambition: Well, I want to qualify for the Games in 2020 and I specifically train the combined format for it. Next year 2019 is going to be a tough season of selection. Only the best athletes and the ones who can perform at the right time in comps will make it. I am confident of myself that I have the mental and physical strengths and abilities to make it to Tokyo. I am a good allrounder, never specialized on one certain discipline in the past. I commit to hard gym training this winter with a well balanced mix of rock climbing besides as well to be well prepared for the first World Cups in April/May 2019. Though, the biggest focus is on the World Champs in Toyko because that's the first chance to get the ticket to the Games in Toyko. If you already make it there you won't have the pressure throughout the whole season and can better and earlier focus on your trainings for the "real" games in 2020. I am curious how next season will go for me and how I'll handle the stresses and strains of a very packed schedule. I put all in and give my best. That's all I can do. And in the end I have a clear result if it was enough or not. Overall I see it as a great challenge and an occasion to get better in my personal climbing. And that's the most important thing for me. 2019 is going to be exciting!"