Choong Katherine, #17 in the Lead WCH in Innsbruck in spite of almost only training on rock, has done Nordic Plumber 8c in Flatanger. In the 8a ranking game, she is #2. "Unfortunately, the day of the semis in Innsbruck, I woke up really sick. Stomach and head ache (I even vomit :-( ), my hole body was sore. But at the end, I was able to fight in the route and I'm pretty happy with my performance considering the circumstances. I ended 17th. Then we flew directly to Flatanger. This crag was on my list for a longtime and I have to admit that my mind was blown by the landscape and the impressive cave. To get used to the very steep roof, I first tried the first pitch of Nordic Flower (8b/+). I was so impressed by the super long line of Nordic Plumber that shares the same start as Nordic Flower that I could not resist to try it : almost 60 meters of dynamics moves, underclings, toe and heel hooks above the head on a perfect granit rock with a high red-point crux at the very very top on a slopey rail, where I fell on my second day. To exhausted to try again, I clipped the chains the day after in a good fight and hard mental game. Everthing I love ;)" (c) Esteban Lahoz

Stefano Carnati, who did his first 9a+ when he was 17 years old, has done Biographie 9a+ in Céüse. This was actually the 17 ascent of Chris Sharma's mega-classic from 2001 which makes it actually the third most repeated 9a+ in the world after Papichulo (18) and La Rambla (23). (c) Don Mason " I started working on it last July and in September I was able to climb the first part a few times. Back on it this year in May, feelings were much better, but most of the times I struggled to find good conditions. Yesterday everything was perfect: with a strong wind blowing, I felt physically good, my mindset was calm and relaxed! I could not lose one of the very last chances to send it this year! And it all went in the right way!" More comments by Stefano.

Max Bertone has done Pari in Ouaki (video) giving it a personal grade of 8b+ just like his 13 year old sister Oriane. She has done 27 boulders 8A to 8B (+). Max has done three, the first one being eight years old. (c) Antoine Veillard from an 8b Max did this summer.

Edu Marin reports on Insta that he has done Adam Ondra's Valhalla 9a/+ in Flatanger. "It has been very important for me to carry out this route after suffering a serious accident falling to the ground from 4 meters. It has been a whole process to maintain the motivation and form during the days of recovery, a whole learning." (c) Esteban Lahoz Edu has previously done some 15 routes 9a to 9a+ and 8c onsights. The Spaniard has also done MPs up to 8c, boulders up to 8B+ and he won the World Cup in Chamonix in 2006.

Although competition climbing, especially in Bouldering with all parkour and slabs on volumes, is getting further away from outdoors there seem to be synergy in between the two disciplines for most. Jernej Kruder, the Boulder World Cup winner 2018, is the best example. The Slovenian is rather going outside doing all disciplines rather then training indoors. In reality it is actually very hard to understand how doing trad routes and multi-pitches could help Kruder to win the Bouldering WC often on side-way dynos on volumes. One possible explanation is that it is about the mental game and to be obsessed about pushing 100 % no matter the challenge. Possibly Kruder would not have won the WC in 2018 if he only had trained bouldering indoors as he would have been bored, stopping giving 100 %. On the other hand, the successful recipe for the young Japanese team seems to be hopping around in different bouldering gyms in Tokyo and almost never go outdoors. The great conclusion is that there seems to be totally different patterns available to become #1 and this is something trainers should be aware of. Another interesting point is that almost all the best climbers, out there, have had a successful World Cup competition career. David Graham, Barbara Zangerl, Jonathan Siegrist and James Webb are some of the exceptions of the WC competition and outdoor synergy.

Gholaamali Baratzadeh, #21 in the WCH in Innsbruck, and Jernej Kruder flashed all four boulders in the Adidas Rockstars qualification. Most of the big names from Innsbruck did take part and a total of 19 did do all four boulders. Among the female, Stasa Gejo was #1 with three flashes and the first to not make it to the semi did not do any top. Also Miho Nonaka, Petra Klingerl from the WCH final made it to the semi. Complete results © Christian Waldegger On Saturday the semi, Top-20 + 3 wild cards, will be live-streamed 11.00 following IFSC rules. The Top-6 kick-out final starts 20.15 where only the Top-3 remains after the two first boulders. Then these battle for the two spots into the super final starting 22.20 on two identical boulders. If there are ties, achieved holds will separate. In the super final, the fastest that hit the buzzer on the top wins. Baratzadeh: "It was a great way to celebrate my birthday flashing all the boulders, maybe my best day climbing so far. This is the second year that I’m the best in the qualification; the problems were easier than in the WCH, but I still think it was hard to flash all four of them. So I’m really happy to have made it. I will try to keep my performance up for tomorrow at the semifinal and maybe the final!"

Alex Khazanov who has won one Boulder World Cup in 2018 got his revenge after being #50 in Innsbruck WCH by flashing Incubator 8A+ (B). Video on Facebook. "Probably not hard enough to be a proper 8B, but still a good frustration power flash straight after not making semis in the world championship. Felt like i had to escape to the rocks for the evening. Looks like my physical shape is not bad."

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk has done Nordic Plumber 8a in Flatanger and her story is really great. (c) Esteban Lahoz The plan was to go bouldering for two weeks around Trondheim with her partner David Mason. Once realizing Flatanger was so close, she wanted to check it out and do some easier less steep routes but Maria Sandbu inspired her by doing Nordic Flower 8b+. In short, with rainy days that made David do his first sport route ever, Mina was full on the 50 meter super steep Nordic Plumber but no success. After returning back home for a wedding, another ten days Flatanger trip was booked and she sent it on her second last day. Video of the finishing rail.

The Rauch diaries Ep.I from 45degrees on Vimeo.

Moritz Welt has done his second 9a, Sever the Wicked Hand in Frankenjura. "Three sessions, rather low end 9a imo, but so beautiful! 8A boulder problem into 15m of hard endurance climbing with only one bad rest." In total the 17 year old has done 235 routes 8a+ and harder and 44 boulders 8A and harder. In the 8a Combined ranking game the young German is #3 after Adam Ondra and Daniel Woods. (c) Manuel Welt