Eli Perry, who did his first 7C in 2022, has done Grand Illusion (8C+) in Little Cottonwood.

Can you tell us more about your ascent?
I first tried the stand start of this climb, Euro Roof, in spring of 2023, every shoulder season I would put more time into this boulder working my way down from each start. Every season I came back I felt a bit stronger and made some good progression. This spring I was able to climb on it pretty early in the season because some of my homies, Brian and Jackson, dug it out. Always just had the best time up at the boulder, all the moves a really fun and always had a good crew, it was also very convenient with how close it is to my house.

How can you best explain your extreme progress the last years?
Not really sure how to best explain it but I just got very hooked on climbing and started going out as much as possible, I think a big reason why I’ve progressed quickly is because of how many days I’m willing to put into a boulder. Very soon after I started really getting into climbing I would put between 8-13 sessions on a project, which soon evolved into putting in 30-50 sessions to get a boulder done. I feel like this has definitely helped me learn how to solve moves and use a lot of different tactics to get up the wall rather than just strength. I also owe a big part of it to the boards, pretty much anytime I’m not projecting a climb I am on the boards.

What is next?
I just checked out the low moves on the Sosa roof V16 [8C+] and got pretty psyched on that one, hoping I can T it up this spring for the fall. Other than that I am going to be in Rocklands this summer so I’m psyched to get on a bunch of different blocs out there!

Brooke Raboutou, who two weeks ago sent Excalibur (9b+), has posted on Instagram that she will not do any Boulder World Cups and instead focus on outdoors. (c) Crimp.Films

” Ever since the Tokyo Olympics, I’ve told myself that 2025 would be my “outdoor year.” Over the past six years, I’ve prioritized competitions and sprinkled in outdoor climbing to keep my spirit alive. But this year, I really wanted to commit to my big goals on rock.”

Last week, Janja Garnbret announced that she plans to compete in only three events in 2025, choosing to focus on outdoor climbing.

Benito Blanco muñoz has completed La Sensacion del Bloque (9a) in Valle de los Cóndores. Now 23, he started climbing at 17, and six months ago his personal best was 8b. The route was first ascended by Alex Megos in 2017 and has since been repeated by Adam Ondra, Facundo Langbehn, and, just two weeks ago, Ronny Escobar. (c) Cris Posadas

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
The route has gained a really high reputation in Chile, it's like the gem or the 'pride' of the country in a way. It is really sustained and with my sequence it is about 35 moves before the hard part is over. It starts with an 'easy' intro that you have to climb very efficiently, and then it all comes down to two main hard boulders stacked on top of each other with no rest.

The climbing on this crag is very special, the wall is very steep (about 50°) and it's full of big hexagonal like blocks, which makes for lots of heel hooks, toehooks, knee bars and generally really psychical compression climbing.

I was really intimidated to come and try it because of its reputation and climbing style, I didn't feel confident at all on this psychical heel hook compression tricky climbing style and I thought of it as my antistyle. At the same time, it was really nice because I came with no expectations and really open to learn and get better, with a really playful attitude.

It was really helpful for me to share some days on the route with Ronny Escobar, a really experienced and strong climber from Santiago, not only to share betas and sensations on the route, but he also helped to boost my confidence that I could do it. Ronny did the 4th ascent of the route two weeks ago and watching him send the route made me really psyched to do it too.

My process on the route was much easier and smoother than expected, the links came together quite quickly, and after two weeks of being here I found myself dropping the last hard move of the route. Then it took another week of bad skin, nerves, fatigue or just bad luck with the rope tangling on my feet to actually send it. I had planned to rest on the day of the send, as my skin wasn't great, but I got psyched seeing people trying hard on their projects, that I decided to tape my fingers and do some 'training burns'... and on the first go of the day I found myself clipping the chains of this beautiful line.

Can you say something about your climbing background and your fast progress in grades lately?
I've been climbing for just over 6 years and I've always been attracted to doing things that challenge me and I get a lot of enjoyment from trying things that I don't know if I can do.

I was out of Chile for nearly two years, and before I left, I didn't climb that hard and hadn't try many things, so when I came back to Chile, I knew I was stronger and I had lots of things to try and new crags to go to.

I was really psyched with bouldering at the time and doing Inferno (8B+) gave me some confidence to try other hard things. I hadn't planned to try 'la sensacion del bloque' any time soon, but after a trip to Patagonia, where I did the 2nd ascent of 'acordeon session', the idea came up as a joke with a friend.

Karoline Sinnhuber has during one busy day in Zillertal sent Mother Firestarter (8A), No lazy tendons (8A+) and The Restless mind (8B), Insta video. (c) Igor Depoorter

Can you tell us more about that productive day?
The Weather forecast didn’t look that great, as we heard it was raining in the morning in the Zillertal. We still decided to risk it and first went to the boulder „No lazy tendons“, where I had already spent 2 sessions and fell super close in the 2nd session. Surprisingly, the bloc was super dry and after a few warm-up tries I knew that this one would definitely be possible today. It’s quite an unknown river bloc where there is basically only this boulder. It climbs super well and it took me one session to figure out all the Moves because they are super techy (at least for me).

As I had still some unfinished business from 2 days ago in the other valley, we drove over. It was raining quite a lot over there. We were sitting in the car „Should we go up, or should we train in the gym?“ - „Let’s risk it and hike up!“. Good decision, as the bloc was dry and only the top out wet. „Restless mind“ is the lower start to „Dark Dog“, which adds 4 tensiony moves into the stand start. I struggled a lot with doing the first move of the stand, when coming in from the sit. Topping out on the wet boulder added definitely some spice.

The last one on the list was „Mother Firestarter“, which shredded my pinky already twice due to a super sharp crimpy thing. This boulder is unique. First, a super fancy cross move and then a hard shoulder move with a super small high feet box. Imo it could also be 8A+, but this one is my anti-style, so idk. As I can’t do the small box movement with tape on the pinky, I decided to put it off, knowing this is probably my one and only try with my semi-shredded pinky. And wow. I managed to wander up with my feet, next to my Hand; managed to match the shoulder somehow and to add the last move. What a day. Super psyched for some more bouldering days outside now!

"Follow Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell and Sonnie Trotter, as they share their thoughts on juggling family, work, and their process of difficult repoint climbing from February 2024 in Las Vegas, until Sonnie's ascent of 'Spirit Quest' on June 10th, 2024. Located in Squamish, BC, Canada. "

Jules Marchaland, who last month sent his fifth 9a+, has done the FA of Le bruit de l’acid (9b) in Claret.

Can you tell us more about the FA?
It links Guère de bruit (9a) with a hard boulder with a massive cross dyno. Fell 20 times here and 4 times at the last boulder problem of Super Samson (8c). 7c+ route - 8b boulder - 7c+ boulder without rest. So happy for this mega route. First time tried a route that suited me so well. Harder than the 9a+’s I’ve done. Super psyched. Thanks again Lucien.

Emily Nicole has completed Power Slave (8A+), her first of the grade, in Gateway Canyon.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I gravitate towards overhanging, powerful problems with small holds and decent feet so Power Slave was exactly what I was looking for in a boulder. The first two sessions I was able to do every move except the crux. I spent the next 3 months building up endurance on the bottom moves so I would have a chance at sticking the crux from the start. By month 3 I could only do the crux in isolation 25% of the time, and it was 5 moves in. I don’t climb at the gym and during this time I didn’t climb anything else outside, I just ran laps on Power Slave and kept dialing in every possible micro-beta.

It was starting to get hot in Vegas but there was a window of better temps and everything aligned for me to walk away with the send! I started climbing 24 years ago so bouldering v12 is something I’ve dreamed about for a long time. I’m so psyched!!!

Štěpán Volf has done the FA of Valašský express (8C) in Moravský kras. ”Longest Boulder project till date. Around 8 moves 8A+/B, into basically just 4 moves of 8B/B+. Pure power in the roof with Bat hang rest in the middle of the Boulder on this weird crack. Almost everytime wet, super happy to finnish this project of before China!”

Can you tell us more about the FA?
The last hold of the first part, Cheating Power (8B), is actually the start hold of the second half, Muscle Power (8B), so I am bit surprised no one had already done it. The whole thing has no more than 15 moves, but the hardest are actually two sequences with feet adjustment. I love climbing in the roofs so this line was pretty obvious line for me to try. The proces was kind of long, first part is almost every time wet so most of the sessions I was just practising second part, till I was able to do it two times in a row. Then I was just waiting till the Boulder was finally dry and luckily enough, I sent it in first dry session.

What is happening in China and can you tell us more about the bat hang?
There is World cup in lead in couple of days and I am going there with the Czech team as a Coach.

In the middle of the two sections there is an open crack where you can rest afrer jamming your feet, but to really rest there properly it requires a lot of toehooking strength. I could hang there around 30 seconds. But you need to save some energy because right after this rest there is hard sequence where you still need that toehook power. Luckily, toehooks are my strong skill.

Katalin Paertan, with eleven 8A’s under her belt, has done Sundance Sit (8A+) in Zillertal. “What an amazing line! Really suits my style. On the first day I had to get quite creative and found some weird beta that worked quite well for me, but getting the last kneebar in stayed quite a struggle. Really psyched I could fight through it two sessions later. First of the grade!”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I really wanted to do this line when visiting Zillertal. At first I got a little desperate as the conventional betas either felt too difficult or too reachy for me. Then I managed to make a different heel hook work and optimize the beta in the upper part. It rained quite a lot in our last few days there which made it uncertain whether there would be another chance to send it after I failed to do so in the second session. Luckily it dried up quite quickly and I could use this final opportunity.

David Mason has during the last month done Last Wave Goodbye (8B+) in Peak District and The Boss (8B+) in Yarncliff. Amazingly, just 14 months after undergoing ACL surgery due to a skiing accident, the 39-year-old is hitting his peak. David boasts one of the flattest grade pyramids ever recorded, with over 600 boulders graded 8A and above—yet only four at 8B+. (c) Dave Parry

How was it possible to recover from the surgery so fast?
Recovery wise I still don’t think I’m fully recovered as I don’t yet have full flexion, and full extension without activation is only just returning. From a climbing perspective I very rarely notice this but I’m yet to fall off something of a decent height or totally out of control. The actual rehab was a lot of hard work and very tedious especially in the first few months. I was doing physio 3-4 times a day for the first 2-3 months. As the intensity increased it dropped to once a day, then 3 times a week and now I try to do 1 leg session a week with mobility work a further 2-3 times. I started climbing around 4 months post surgery just on our board, which is very low and then a month or so later started to put some outside climbing in. As my confidence increased I tried a larger variety of moves etc. Climbing itself is great rehab as we need to put force through our legs in a variety of contorted positions.

How does a typical climbing week look like for you?
I typically try to climb 3 times, if I can get a fourth session in then I will. These sessions will be a mixture of inside and outside predominantly focussed on strength or projecting and then 1 session focused on bouldering fitness. I try to do 2-3 exercises of upper body conditioning 3 times a week, 1 leg session a week and then some form of finger board or pick-ups work 1-2 times. If I get all this in then I’m pleased but invariably I end up dropping the odd session.

Why does your grade pyramid appear so unusually flat?
Before Mina [Leslie-Wujastyk] and I had children we were lucky enough to be able to travel a lot and I always wanted to be able to go to an area and climb as many different styles as possible. This meant I focussed on being the most all-around boulderer I could be rather than honing my skills in one small niche area. My training also focussed around having good capacity so I could climb multiple problems in a day and lots of days on, rather than projecting at the very top of my ability. This has meant I have climbed a huge amount of boulders at around 80-95% of my max but very little in that last 5%. I think when I was younger this was good for my ego, I loved ’ticking’ problems and coming back from a day without having done something I found hard mentally. I’d love to have had my current outlook and mental capacity for failure when I was younger as it means I would have really been able to explore what was possible for me but I’m also really proud of my ticklist and all-around ability (except on slabs!).

How would you explain your recent peak performance, managing to send two 8B+ boulders within a single month?
Regardless of these 2 boulders I’ve actually had the best winter season of my life. I’ve climbed more hard boulders on the gritstone than I have ever done previously. I think there are a few reasons for this. Firstly, being a father of two means I don’t have as much time as I used to and so sessions have to be much more efficient and focussed. Instead of big day trips to do something below my top level I’ve focussed on quick hits close to home on problems that require me to be better technically, mentally and physically. I don’t have much “mileage” to do around the Peak as I’ve done a lot so I’ve been forced to work on problems in that top 5% of my ability. I also have a local project that will require me to be the best I can be in order to do it and that has kept me motivated. It’s long but the moves are also hard (for me) so a lot of my outdoor bouldering has focussed on problems that will help me build towards to this. My legs are stronger and so I can do moves I previously couldn’t or take weight off my fingers by using my legs more. I’m basically a bit stronger but also better at climbing.

Lastly, I’m much stronger mentally. I’m ok with not ticking for longer periods if it’s building towards me being better. I want to be a better climber and I think this requires us not to always be climbing problems quickly, although that challenge can be included. Becoming a father has helped my mental game so much - I love climbing as much as ever, if not more, but at the end of the day Isaac and Lily don’t care whether I’ve sent my project or not, they just want to play and learn, and this really helps me to be more relaxed, most of the time ;).