From the Start List for the coming weekend's Lead World Cup in Wujiang, we can see that Stefano Ghisolfi will try out Speed but in general, the interest for Speed is not so big for the Lead specialists. Further more many of the top ranked Japanese will not participate and instead there are some new names out of the 15 that will participate. In general, eight of the Top-21 male ranked are missing and that goes also for the following weekend in Xiamen. Live-streaming of the semi, 13.00 - 15.30 on Sunday followed with the finals at 18.30. If Jessica Pilz wins the last two events, Janja Garnbret secures the victory overall by being runner up in one event and #3 in the other. If Jakob Schubert wins in Wujiang, he secures the overall title even if Stefano Ghisolfi is #2 in Wujiang and wins in Xiamen.

SA Mountain report that platforms at the base of Montgu have been built and that more are coming. It seems such platforms are coming all over the place in order to increase access. Such initiatives will increase the facility to the gym rats and families to try out climbing outdoors. At the same time we see more hikes being comfortized as well as more via ferrata etc. Climbing is booming and the society is starting to understand that climbing, especially outdoors, have a great impact on public health. With Tokyo 2020, most probably what we see in order to lower the first step to get outdoors climbing, is just the beginning.

Adam Ondra is the best climber in the history and he is also probably also the one, relatively to his age, who has climbed most hours in the world. Sure there great short term physical training programs which will make you improve but the #1 criteria to have a long term progress is how many fun challenging hours you put in. A coach that can motivate her/his group to train and challenge themselves 20 hours a week, is probably much more successful in comparison to the best physical climbing trainer in the world, motivating the group just 10 hours a week. At the same time a youngster that not also love outdoors, if possible, will have hard time to keep the hours and motivation during the summer. "I love training as much as competition!" is a recent quote from Akiyo Noguchi which also Ondra and other top climbers often say in public. Ondra interview from when he was 11-years-old. "More meters, more experiences, more fun!" The bottom line is that you and the coaches should carefully pay attention of what motivates the youngsters in order to make them climb 20 hours a week. This might of course be a training programmed but it can also just be climbing. Everyone is unique but it is a fact that most of the best climbers did not have any coaches focusing on short term progress through strict training programs, when they were kids.

Julija Kruder did follow her brother Jernej to Mallorca to try out DWS for the frist time. No fear - she started by doing a 7c onsight and then it just took her eight tries to do Chris Sharma's Weatherman 8a+ including some falls from 12 meters. This might be the hardest female DWS ever? "I was extremely surprised, because she didn't feel any fear." Jernej, who also put up two 8b+' says that there is a video coming up.

Ivana If Řezníková has done Star gate 8A+ in Szklarska Poreba. This was her second 8A+ this year when she also did six 8A's. More info on her blogspot.

Fanatic Climbing presents an interview with Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson in regards their Dawn Wall ascent which has become a movie. Interesting is that Tommy had to do a variation pitch, including down climbing, as he could not do the dyno going more straight up. In fact, they say that either Chris Sharma and Jonathan Siegrist could not manage the dyno and even Adam Ondra did choose the loop pitch. In the topo, both the loop as well as the dyno pitch are graded 9a but in practice, Jorgeson's straight up pitch is probably more like 9a+?

Take part in the 3rd Leonidio Climbing Festival on November 1-4, 2018, in Leonidio, Greece. Join the festival and climb alongside Angela Eiter, the first woman to ever climb a 9b (5.15b) and Petzl team athletes Klemen Bečan and Said Belhaj. Remember to take part in Vertical-Life's Zlagboard contest! The event is organized by the Region of Peloponnese and the Municipality of South Kynouria, and sponsored by Petzl!

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk has done Raining Bats and Dogs in Malham. " Great route, fell 11 times on the big move on the headwall before doing it. Powered by hairdo strawbs :)" (c) John Thornton In 2009, Mina did her first 8A and she was also a successful competition climber having been #10 in a World Cup. In 2017, she did her first 8B (A+) but since her focus seems to have shifted to doing routes.

Cathy Wagner has done her 81+ #148, Walk of Shame in Verdon. Just during the last 12 months the 53 year old has done 17 8a+, which is a new personal best. "No misunderstandings possible, it is 8 and very high class thanks to the vision of the talented Mr. P'tit Louis. a big thanks to him!"

Jain Kim won the last World Cup in Kranj and with 28 victories, she has won most the in IFSC history. Overall, the 153 cm tall worst result since 2009 is #3. (c) Eddie Fowke 28 Jain Kim 25 Angela Eiter 22 Mina Markovic, Sandrine Levet 22 Anna Stöhr 21 Ramon Julian Puigblanque, Kilian Fischhuber, Akiyo Noguchi, Alex Chabot 20 Jakob Schubert, Muriel Sarkany 18 Janja Garnbret 17 Francois Legrand 14 Robin Erbesfield, Adam Ondra It should be mentioned that the first Lead World Cup was held in 1989 and the first Boulder W in 1999. Note that in the early years there were normally less events per year meaning that probably that climbers like Chabot, Levet, Legrand, Sarkany and Erbesfield would probably been higher up in the list based on equal competition conditions.