Michaela Kiersch, who three weeks ago did a pumpy 8c+ route, has sent The Knowing (8B) in Magic Wood.

” It’s not often that I get to stand on top of a DREAM boulder! This boulder is one of the most beautiful, impressive, and striking lines in Magic Wood (and anywhere).

The crux consists of a highly technical heel hook sequence culminating in a big jump leftwards. From here, you have to hold it together on a committing and tall top out with big moves between good crimps.

I spent one session working the moves on a rope, and on the next sesh I warmed up by doing the top a few times (also on a rope) and was able to execute the full line on my first try from the ground! Truly perfect in every way (and ideal because I was not really planning to fall after the crux haha).”

William Bosi, with four 9A’s under his belt, has made the first ascent of the long-standing project Realm of Tor’ment (9A) at Raven Tor. (c) Band of Birds

”I’m incredibly happy and psyched to finally put this project down! This has probably been my longest boulder project to date, taking double-digit sessions and work over a couple of years. The send went perfectly for me. I climbed the bottom section well and just stuck the crux move. I was about as close as I could have been to failing on the last move, too.

The line starts on a perfect left-hand tufa pinch and a right-hand split crimp. From here, you have four steady but very engaged moves that lead to two pockets. This is where the crux sequence starts: a hard bump into a sharp right-hand undercut, then a high-tension foot walk. From here, you do the hardest move, which is a big dynamic left-hand slap to a bad small flat edge. I think this move alone is around a one-move 8B+/V14. Finally, you commit to another big slap up with the right hand to a good flake to finish.

Arriving at a proposed grade has been haunting me on this project ever since I started working on the boulder. Finding an accurate grade on short, punchy boulders is so difficult as the eventual grade is so dependent upon perfect beta and suiting the style and preference of the climber. However, drawing upon my own experience, I can say that it is a step above 8C+ boulders of a similar style and sits as a low-end 9A boulder. However, I welcome the thoughts of other climbers who get on this excellent problem.”

Tommy Caldwell, famous for establishing the 32 pitches The Dawn Wall (9a) in 2015, reports on Instagram that he has redpointed Empath (9a+) in Tahoe (CA). (c) Corey Rich

”With the way I used my trad-dad skills to get it done—it’s probably more like 8c.”

This was the 46-year-old’s first hard sport route since 2003 when he did the FA of Flex Luthor (9a+). Together with Alex Honnold and Sonnie Trotter, he has a race getting back to the 9a grade. ”I think the new race is for one of us to climb an old-school, indisputably 9a route.”

Jorge Diaz-Rullo has flashed Pelotari (8c+) in Margalef. ”One of the best route in this grade in Margalef, power-endurance style. My hardest flash ever.” (c) Jaume Cebolla Vincent

The Spaniard, with four 9b+’ under his belt, has also done the FA of Larga vida al rey (8c+). ”So happy to have the honor to do the first ascent of this awesome project, I think could be around 8c+/9a in comparison with the other routes in the same wall. Name dedicated to the king Iker Pou who bolted the route.”

These ascents were his first difficult routes since sending a 9b in December, as he had been focused on his major project, Café Colombia. Altogether, he has now invested over 200 sessions in the climb over several years, achieving some promising high points last month.

Adam Ondra reports on Instagram that he has flashed Neil Gresham’s trad route Lexicon E11 (8b+ R) at Pavey Ark. The British E-grade is designed to assess the difficulty and the danger of onsighting a traditional climbing route. There exist one E12 and a handful E11’s. At the higher end of the scale, accurately evaluating these factors becomes challenging, so a French sport grade is often included for additional clarity. When an "R" is added, it indicates a significant Risk of injury. For example, falling at the final 7C boulder crux near the top of Lexicon could result in a 25-meter fall, with the potential to hit the wall hard. (c) Petr Chodura.

Jonathan Siegrist, who last month sent his seventh 9b, has done The Big Wish (9a) in Utah Hills. ”Had a blast climbing this thing! Felt a tad bit harder and more involved than either Big Claw or Big Head. The 'Big' extension really delivers.. the pump.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Since getting back from Italy I was keen to keep some of my shape from that trip - ideally holding on to as much as I could until I leave for Wyoming at the end of May! I knew that the various routes in the Fynn cave would be great training for this summer so I went out there this past week for 2 days and had a blast on the resistant style in there. I am a huge fan of 'training' on sub-limit routes outside. On Thursday I climbed the second ascent of 'Big Wish' 9a and also Big Head (8c+). Next I will try to get some of my many lingering projects up at 5G cleaned up and see if I can climb something more before I leave.

Naile Meignan, European Champion last year, won the Boulder World Cup in Curitiba just 0.1 points ahead of Oriane Bertone. “It feels amazing to win in my first competition of the year. I wasn’t expecting to be this good, but for sure it feels great. I was a bit tense on the first boulder, but then I felt more confident and was able to flash the following three problems. I will compete in Salt Lake City now, and it would be great to win another medal there!”

The 21-year-old made her first headline at age 9, when she sent her first 8a. Progressing one grade per year, she sent her first 8b+ being 12 years old.

Bill Ramsey, who sent his sixth 8c at age 54, has done Wrongdoer (8b+) in Mt. Charleston. The 64-year-old began climbing in the mid-1970s with Alan Watts at Smith Rock. He later shifted his focus to academics, earning a PhD in philosophy, before returning to climbing in the early 1990s. (c) Rachelle Melville

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
This is a route at Mt. Charleston called “Wrongdoer”. It is a 120 feet long and is an extension of an extension – and each anchor kicks it up a number grade, so the first anchor is 12a, the second is 13a, and the top is 14a. I'd started working on it about a year ago, came close last fall (falling at the very top 3 times), and got back on it in early April this Spring. The day I did it I wasn’t feeling all that great the day I did it, but I kept surprising myself, just barely making it through each subsequent crux. It was an all-out battle, really, pretty much in doubt until I clipped the anchors. After 50 years of climbing, those sorts of sends are still the very best!

Can you tell us more about the process and how you prepared physically for sending it?
I normally climb on steeper things, so I had to completely revise my training to get used to tiny holds and standing on my feet more. I trained pretty hard over the winter, and incorporated hangs off an 8 mm edge in my training. I replicated a couple of the cruxes in my garage on a sheet of plywood that I hung from the ceiling so I could change the angle to simulate the climb. I worked those with a weight belt. One problem with projecting is you often lose some finger strength over time. To deal with that I would get up early and do some finger training (max hangs) before going climbing. That would probably diminish me slightly, but I would still make progress on the route, and you have to be thinking ahead about maximizing finger strength when you start getting really close.

At my age, I need more rest days, so on my training days I would go big, training most of the day, and then take 2 or 3 days off. For each redpoint attempt I would have a main goal, and then various sub-goals depending on where I fell. Honestly, innovating different tactics and strategies is, for me, what makes projecting pure fun.

Sorato Anraku, who claimed victories in both Lead and Boulder earlier this spring, secured another win at the Curitiba Boulder World Cup by dominating all three rounds. The 18-year-old won the World Cup overall in 2023 in both disciplines.

"I'm very happy for my second World Cup gold in a row, but I wanted to send boulder number four. I rested a lot on my attempts because I had no power left, but I felt confident. I'm not thinking about winning the Series, I will focus on one event at a time, so now it's time to focus on Salt Lake City."

Hyunbin Min has repeated Ryuichi Murai’s United (8C+) in Mizugaki, which is a five moves sit start into Decided (8B+).

The 36-year-old Korean climber, who stands 162 cm tall, was a prominent figure in competition climbing, winning a Lead World Cup in 2012. He made a successful comeback in 2018, reaching the podium in his last two events. He returned again last year, with his top finish being 25th place.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
My goal for this 9-day trip to Japan was to experience a lot and try “Decided (8B+/V14).” I arrived at my accommodation late the day before, so I was tired—but still so psyched for the boulder. After a tough one-hour approach (it was quite hard🥲), I arrived at the boulder! I did a light warm-up and sent “Decided (8B+/V14)” in four attempts. It was such a great rock and a beautiful line—it was just as fun as I expected.

After a 30-minute break, I tried “United (8C+/V16)” for real, but I fell off the shouldery move of “Decided” after passing the difficult section at the bottom on my first attempt. I saw a high possibility of success, and I was really nervous before my second attempt. I wanted to climb it calmly, but I couldn’t settle down in front of something so big. I took a nap for about an hour and a half after falling in a similar spot on my second try.

When I woke up, my mind was much calmer, and after two slips in the starting section, I finally sent it on my fifth attempt..! In the few moves before the mantling, I felt a distinctly different intensity compared to when I sent “Decided,” and I gave it everything I had. It was a truly valuable experience—I don’t think I’ll ever forget that day. Special thanks to my wife and two friends who were there with me. It still feels like a dream, even though it’s been three days.

What are the hardest boulders you have done before?
Two 8B+’, two 8B’s and multiple 8A+ in Korea. This is the first time for me bouldering outside Korea.