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Fanatic Climbing reports that Cedric Lachat has done Era Vella 9a (8c+) in Margalef in just six tries after having been off seven months due to injuries. "I wouldn’t downgrade it, it’s a long endurance battle and it’s hard to find a decent rest because the holds are all small. But I might not be a good reference these days since I haven’t trained much lately." Era Vella is the most repeated 9a in the world with 36 ascents. Interesting is that it had on average six repeats a year until 2015, once the 9a grade started to be questioned. During the last three years, it has only received one ascent per year. Cedric is a former very successful competition climbers who made his first podium in the World Cup in 2002 and his last in his very last appearance in 2013. In 2010, he was the European Lead Champion. In 2007, he got the bronze in both the Lead and Boulder World Championship. He has previously done several 9a's and two 9a+'.

Amelia Marcuson, who did her first 7C+ when she was 13 years old, has done her first 8A, Beefy Gecko in Bishop. The 15 year old is also a successful competition climber, #18 last week USA Lead Nationals and last year she got the silver in bouldering in her age group. (c) Jesse Weiner

Estado Critico was set up in 2004 as a 9a but was later down graded. In 2010, a hold broke and it was back to 9a and in 2013 Alex Megos made his historical onsight. Several climbers have later confirmed that grade but also 8c+ have been forwarded by Gonzalo Larrocha as he found a new sequence. Last week Jon Cardwell and Matty Hong did it in just six respectively three tries saying their personal grade would be 8c+. One year before Megos onsigted Estado Critico, Adam Ondra onsighted Golden Ticket down grading it to 8c+. Later Adam has onsighted three 9a's which all have been confirmed. As of now, Megos should be credited for onsighting the first 9a but it just might be that a new sequence have been found of Estado Critico and Ondra should get the historical fame? When it comes to redpointing, it seems Ben Moon and the UK scene thinks that based on the current gradings, Hubble done in 1990 should be considered the first 9a. Action Direct was given an UIIA grade equivalent to 8c+/9a in 1991 but has later been upgraded although an easier sequence have been found.

Claire Buhrfeind, the most accomplished female Lead and Speed athlete, got her double victory in the USA Nationals. Interesting was that Miachaela Kirsch and Alex Puccio accompanied her in the Lead Podium, beating three famous girls; Margo Hayes, Brooke Raboutou and Delaney Miller in both qually and the semi which set the ranking, as five girls later topped the final route. Among the male, Sean Bailey won ahead of Drew Ruana and Salomon Barth. Complete results

Excellent route setting at Studio Bloc Master based only on volumes created nice spectacular show. The scores were presented visually making it easy to follow who was in the lead, although the commentators did not got it straight. In total, 509 male and female participated and both Alexsei Rubtsov and Miho Nonaka won, Euro 3 000, by attempts, having got the same score*. (c) Miho Nonaka 1. Alexsei Rubsov 44 (10A) - Miho Nonaka 33 (8) 2. Jan Hojer 44 (14) - Janja Garnbret 33 (9) 3. Jernej Kruder 34 - Fanny Gibert 24 Interesting was that Domen Skofic, who was #10 in the semifinal, would have been #4 and made it to the final with the old IFSC scoring. * The official rule, as of 2018, is to present the results based on the # of Tops and Zones. However, in order to simplify, 8a has presented the result as a point score. This was basically also how it was presented at SBM.

Isabelle Faus has, beside two 8B+', done her eleventh 8B Wonderlust in St Vrain. (c) Chad Greedy "Damn so psyched. Power endurance, steep and tech, climbs great. Wasn't even thinking when I did this.. just did my choreography and kept moving, felt great to finish it ! ....... this is my first time logging since my last euro trip... I kinda got sick of the whole thing in a way... and just didn't want too log.. but now after it having been so long.. i'm starting to forget things. I'm realizing that I need to keep track because otherwise I would just forget everything.. seeing my ascents and comments I wrote after doing things is really nice.. so im back.. Also during the past 9months ish.. I had my first two serious injures.. first I strained my left ring finger.. and probably would have been back way quicker if I didn't destroy my shoulder a week later.. 6 months before that I had slightly strained my teres major.. and thought it was better.. but after taking a week off of climbing for my finger I went and did a conditioning work out.. and shocked my muscles.. basically I over used my teres major and serratus anterior so much that they just locked up.. and I had to "remodel the muscles." if I tired to hard to quick they would just lock up again and I would have to start over.. so I had a to practice a lot of patience... now its feeling basically all the way better, but I still get some phantom pains, but super happy to be feeling good just before Swiss!"

Mark Edwards did the FA of Nuts Are Not The Only Fruit, un cut video in 1991. "I originally gave this 40m pitch an 8b+ grade, but now think with modern upgrading adjustment it is closer to 8c+/9a." (c) Rowland Edwards He based the modern grade on the 8c's he has done in Sella which was so much easier. In theory, 8c+/9a would mean it is a contender for being the hardest endurance route at that time. Anybody who wants to confirm this and also do the second ascent of Nuts need to rebolt it as the route was later chopped. Mark is a Sella pioneer where he also lives and climbs and being 56 years old, he is still doing 8b's and last year he did an E9. Some of his routes from back then have been upgraded with two or three grades. "I am no grade nerd I am going for the quality but you are asking so many grade questions :) .Sadly, whatever grade the route is, is irrelevant, what is lost is a very fine sports route.

Daniel Jung, who has done a dozen 9a or harder including La Rambla, reports on Instagram that he has done the FA of Jamais Deux Sans Toit 9a+ (9a) in Mollans. (c) Hannes Kutza

It is normally the local climbers that bolt the new routes, rebolt, clean, work with access issues and produce the topos. Sales from the topos often contribute for bolts etc. During the years, we have seen many foreign companies more or less copying the local ones just in order to make commercial profit. On the sign found i St Leger, we can see that the locals ask the climbing community to support the local by buying their topo and not the "Vampire Topo". The company doing most such competitive topos just to make profit is a UK company. This happened in southern France, Mallorca etc and now it could be the case in Kalymnos.