In Group 1, there were 17 male that topped out all five boulders out of which seven did not make it to the semifinal. In Group 2, everyone ranked from #7 to 38 did just top two the the first two boulders. As expected, Japan dominated with seven in the Top-20 semifinal and ten among the Top-23. Complete results How odd as it might seem, nevertheless, there were no sensational results beside possibly that the winners of the groups were not the most famous once; Roland Rugens, Nathaniel Coleman, Mickael Mawem, Yuji Fujiwaki. The semifinal is live streamed tomorrow starting at 11.00 and you will fine it here on 8a.

Loic Zehani has done his first 9a+, Shashidananda in Orgon which took him ten days. First he recorded it as a "hard" 9a, check video, as this was what Gérôme Pouvreau indicated as FA in 2009. After Loic's ascent Gérôme has said he thinks it is 9a+. "I'm so happy to sent this route because I have passed under it for several years without having neither the level nor the courage to try it! I always think it's 9a+, like a lot of climbers, but with my lake of experience I wanted to be affirmative."

Zander Waller has on his seventh try done his second 8c+, Southern Smoke in Red River Gorge. The day before he flashed Omaha Beach giving it a personal 8b grade. "Well, I wasn't quite sure I would send Southern Smoke as I wasn't getting very close on it, but the first time I stuck the last move of the crux from the ground, I managed to take it to the top. In fact, Connor did it second try; it was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen! (That truly unique story will be followed up). As for Omaha Beach, my friend found some new beta on the beach crux section, and it ended up feeling much easier than a majority of the 8b's I have done."

The Boulderingen World Cup starts this Friday in Meiringen in Switzerland with a record number of competitors, 109 male and 102 female. Two years ago, 84 male and 59 female participated! With 12 male Japanese competing, it just might be that almost half of the semifinalist are from Japan and here is our speculation of the final result. Runner-ups could be Alex Megos and Alexei Rubtsov respectively Stasa Gejo and Alma Bestwater. Last year winner Shauna Coxey has been injured and thus not ranked #1. 1. Janja Garnbret - Jongwon Chon 2. Japanese - Japanese 3. Japanese - Japanese 4. Shauna Coxey - Japanese 5. Japanese - Japanese 6. Fanny Gibert - Jan Hojer With the new rule, giving higher priority for zones, it just might be that zones will be placed a bit higher which, on the other hand, many will score zero. It should also be mentioned that meanwhile Janja and Shauna have finished their qualification 17.30, the last females out will finish around 21.00. The different resting periods might have an impact during the semifinal starting at 11.00, which will be live-streamed and that goes also for the finals starting 18.45 for the female and 20.00 for the male.

David Fitzgerald, who started climbing in 2012 being 18 years old, has done Big Paw 8B+ (C) in Chironico. "This is one of the best lines I've ever seen and the hardest I've climbed abroad. Using the mini-compression method, I had many doubts whether or not I could piece this one together on this short trip to Ticino, especially given how warm it has become here in Chironico lately. Ya gotta keep trying, though. Under the floodlights, I managed to put all doubt aside and stand on top of one of the best lines in the world! I can't express how happy this makes me feel. This one felt desperate on day one, conceivable on day two and effortless on day three. Funny how that can happen sometimes. Lines don't get much better than this! The whole trip is being documented by the Puzzleglass team for their upcoming film, 'The Blocbuster Project'". I can totally understand how someone taller might consider their method hard 8B+, though. It’s almost impossible to compare these vastly different methods and class them under the same grade. I believe the majority of opinions are split, some suggesting 8B+ and some suggesting 8C, so I’m just throwing my honest opinion into the discussion. It’s completely personal and subjective, but I’m satisfied that what I climbed was a step up to anything I’ve done abroad."

"I do not share my ascents on social media partly because I do not own a smart phone or any social media. I am just not interested in it. I also feel like if I did get a social media account, I would feel pressured to get more ascents and do more climbs so I could post about them. It would just overall be more pressure. To me, climbing is very special in that it is an individual sport and I only want to climb for my enjoyment. Climbing has many different perks to me. As stated above, I like the individual aspect, but I also like how it brings me closer to nature. I travel many amazing places for climbing trips where I wouldn't normally go. Another aspect of climbing I enjoy is how different it is every time. Each route is unique and different and brings me a new challenge." Connor Herson grew up in a dedicated climbing family with a big wall interest. Being 13 years old, he French freed The Nose in 13 hours with his father Jim. "Seriously, you can’t make your kids like climbing. You can only make them not like climbing." Family interview from 2014. "I made a goal last year to climb 14 5.14's (8b+ and up) before I turn 15 (early July). I have done 11 so far, and I know a few more I think I can do. For competitions, I want to make U.S. Team for lead climbing and compete in the youth world championships this August. I’m not interested in the results, I’m more interested in making it to finals so I can try all the climbs. I will spend much of the summer training indoors, but I still hope to get some trad climbing in at Yosemite or somewhere else in the Sierra. Basically, I want to keep a relatively even balance of outdoor sport and bouldering, outdoor trad, and indoor competition training." The 8c+ second go, in the headline, was Southern Smoke in Red River Gorge and it was his friend Zander Waller who gave us the tip of the amazing multi-discipline climber "slightly off the radar".

Martina Cufar, World Champion from 2001, has shared the snowy picture from Verdon. As a matter of a fact, the weather is terrible all the way from Siurana with heavy rain and even i the Céüse base camp, there is a risk for snow this night.

Stefano Ghisolfi has spent 13 days working on Chris Sharma's old project Perfecto Mundo in Margalef which both say might be 9b+. Taking some days off Stefano quickly did Gancho perfecto 9a in Margalef which was put up by Chris Sharma in 2008. This was just the third repeat after Ramon Julian Puigblanque and Adam Ondra. (c) Andrea Cossu We caught up with Stefano on his way back to Italy where he will do some more specific training and then probably go back in a weeks time. "Ganchon perfecto was totally unexpected for me, I tried few times and found it very hard. Then decided to give a go and sent it. My plan for 2018 is to do just the Lead World Cup and the World Championship plus some hard rock project. For the olympics I'm doing some speed and bouldering comps but just in Italy this year. From the next year I'll compete in international comps. Perfecto Mundo project first part could be 8c to a rest, then the main section starts, about ten intense moves with the crux that is a jump from a mono to a pinch which is the hardest move. I can do it as single move but not always. From there is still a bit hard, 8a+ to the chain I think." Sharma projecting video