Hannes Puman, #4 in the Euro Championship in 2017, has had an amazing trip to Red River Gorge doing six 8c+'. On the picture by Kristoffer Klev he is doing Pure Imagination but the best one was Golden Ticket. Wow! So how do you like RRG and which was the best route and what about going for a 9a? I like the Red, it's a nice place with a lot of cool routes. The general style is quite basic and the grades are often soft. My favorite route that I have climbed is The tube, the line is beautiful, the holds are nice and it climbs very well. When I did the madness cave in one day I onsighted two 8b+ but I haven't done any harder onsights than that. I think there are two 9a's here but both of them look bad so I don't want to try them. In total i have done over 40 routes 8a and harder (guidebook grades). Grades and climbing 9a are not so important for me. Although it would have been awesome to do Biographie and Action Directe.

What is a pumped forearm and how to avoid it? presents the theory and some practical tips; - A pulsating or tickling gripping technique - Hands up and squeezing - Running - Dilution and Purification of lactic acid

Melissa Le Nevé, one of the leading competition boulderers in between 2010 and 2016 who also have done 8B+, has done her fourth 8c+, Golden Ticket in Red River Gorge. On her Insta, "I think I haven’t been happier yet to climb a line! Back in 2012, I was very impressed by the line and even more when I saw @adam.ondra onsighting it (which was one of my most inspiring experience in climbing)." Back then it was considered 9a but Ondra he actually down graded it after his onsight. Melissa used a bathang on her send and Jan Novak got it as she practiced it.

Off the Wagon in Valle Bavona is an iconic boulder due to the one meter cross over move where you face outwards. It was put up bu Nalle Hukkataival as an 8C but later everyone who has praised it calls it 8B+, video. Now Giuliano Cameroni reports on Insta that Shawn Raboutou has done the low start, 8C+. Just some days ago, Shawn did Foundations Edge 8C and prior to that he made the FA of L’Oeuvre in Bouddha crag saying it is either 8c+ or 9a. In retro perspective being in the best shape of his life it seems and also always being modest with grading, it just might be a very hard 9a :)

In 1990, Ben Moon made the FA of Hubble at Ravens Tor as the world's first 8c+. Today many think it should be upgraded to 9a. Three years ago he repeated Rainshadow 9a and now he once again show the uniqueness in climbing in regards age and performance by doing Evolution 8c+ at Ravens Tor. "It’s a great end to the year for me which has been one of the best of the past 35 years climbing." (c) Moon Climbing "To be honest I didn’t really do anything different in my training. Just a lot of indoor bouldering and quite a bit of low intensity, high volume climbing (aero cap). I also climbed a lot outside this year. We had amazing weather for most of the year. In May and June I was mainly trying Northern Lights and came pretty close, definitely the best year yet on that route and then easier routes in the Peak District during the summer. I did a route called Hajj at Ravens Tor about 3 weeks ago and although it only gets 8c, several people who have climbed this route and another of the Mecca extensions called Kaaba (8c+) say it’s harder. Hajj is one of the Mecca extensions so you do Mecca to a good rest then you do a route 8b which probably has a Font 7c boulder on it. Really crimpy like most routes at Ravens Tor. I felt fit and strong after doing this route which was good preparation for Evolution. The crux of Evolution is the start which is probably a 3 move Font 8a and then you are straight into a route 8b with no rests. The route is a classic Tor route, sustained bouldering on vicious crimps and a real test of finger strength. I was at the Tor the other day when Pete Dawson did it which was great to see. We both agree that there probably isn’t a full grade difference between Evolution and Rainshadow. Maybe Evolution is hard 8c+ and Rainshadow easy 9a. I think Northern Lights is in a different league grade wise to all these other routes and I reckon one day will be considered 9a+. Time will tell but only 3 ascents in 18 years…."

Andrew Nimmer came to Red River Gorge wit one 8c and one 8c+ as personal best. One week later he leaves with three new 8c+'; Southern Smoke, Pure Imagination and Golden Ticket. (c) Matty Hong, from last year when Andrew did Lucifer 8c+.

Stian Christophersen, tidigare landslagstränare, och Martin Mobråten en av de ledande klättrarna i Norge har skrivit ihop en 400 sidor Klätterbibel och som namnet förpliktigar så innehåller den allt. Det mest slående är att den är enkel att läsa och förstå sammtidigt att den är komplex då den innehåller allt. Träningsböcker brukar ha fokus på avancerad fysisk träning men här har man tagit ett bredare perspektiv vad gäller teknik, taktik, mentalt, skador mm. Boken funkar perfekt till både nybörjare och elit. Budskapet är att det finns inga genvägar utan att det gäller att klättra mycket och varierande där teknik är viktigare än fysik. Fokuset ska också ligga på lek och glädje - Amen!

Shawn Raboutou has done Foundation's Edge 8C in Valais in just two sessions. "Thank you so much Dave Graham for the amazing Valais test piece." (c) Insta Shawn, who's parents are some of the 90'ties leading climbers Didier and Robyn Erbesfield, have previously done fast ascents of one 8C+, five 8C' and a 9a+. His younger sister Brooke won the Youth Lead World Championship this year.

The 8a scorecard and database was introduced on internet in 2000. Today the data base includes almost 5 000 crags and boulder areas where you can search for best quality rating etc. Before Facebook even started, we had a system running where you can follow your "friends" as well as specific crags. This week, ascent # 5 million has been added and in a couple weeks, member #70 000 will sign up.

Klättercentret in Stockholm put together another great show with some unique boulders where Alex Megos was the only one to top out all five problems. Chris Sharma did also make a great competition comeback and he was honored but well behind his "new heroes". Youtube video (c) Vladek Zumr 1. Alex Megos 55 2. Chon Jongwon 44 3. Jerney Kruder 35