Alex Megos has flashed Ben Moon’s Agincourt (8c) and La chiquette du graal (8b+) during a six days climbing trip to Buoux, where he also tried a famous 9? project.

Can you tell us more about the preperation and the running beta for the flashes?
I just got a tiny bit of beta while I was climbing. I mostly watched my friend Felix [Neumärker] on it twice and had him explain the holds to me. We also watched the video from Seb Bouin.

What is the story of the picture?
It's some street art on a ruin (destroyed house) just before the parking of the area. Someone thought it would be cool to have some climbing graffiti. It's Patrick Edlinger*.

What about the Bombé Bleu famous project?
After a couple of days on the route it didn't feel possible yet. You need a very strong big toe 😂. Bombe Bleau is really hard and very very specific. The first jump is very very hard, but for sure possible. It will be very tricky to actually stick the move from the ground. And then you still have the rest of the route after that.

Did you manage to do all other hard moves?
Not even close actually. After the first jump there are still a lot of hard moves. Nico Pelorson does the sequences without shoes to be able to use his big toe in the pockets. I also tried that but I had absolutely no chance without shoes. The problem is, also with shoes I had no chances of doing the moves. It felt hard, awkward and one pocket is quite small.

* Patrick Edlinger (1960–2012) was a French rock climber and one of the pioneers of free solo climbing. He gained fame in the 1980s for his bold ascents without ropes, and sending several 8c’s during the 80’ies, including the second ascent of Agincourt. Known for his grace, strength, and mental focus, Edlinger helped popularize sport climbing through films like La Vie au Bout des Doigts (1982) and Opéra Vertical (1983). His influence on modern climbing was immense, inspiring generations of climbers with his philosophy of movement and dedication to the sport.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo finished his trip to Flatanger last summer, where he sent two 9b+', by ticking Illusionist (9a).

Martina Demmel, who last week first did two 8c+’ in Santa Linya , has completed another two last weekend.

Open your mind (8c+): ”The curiosity was back to go "A muerte" in these athletic moves! Prime cold condis brought the friction on another level. The "nothing to loose" mindset on the wall let me commit enough, especially for its 3 big moves. After already surprising myself in my 2nd try, I remembered all my footholds what let me flow to the chains the next try including a little power-scream!!”

La Fabela (8c+): ”Several out of my comfort-zone moves and plenty of possible solutions for all hard sections... I've been 1-hanging it from the first day on, but kept on falling in the upper crux (6 times around the pinch)... finally my body was just executing the choreographie! Completing this classic makes me really proud:)) (what's a rare thing for me to say)!”

How can you best explain your super shape?
While I was in police school in fall & winter, I had about 3,5 months of only training inside, mainly for the lead comps. The weeks before coming here, I already felt like I could fight longer in lead routes but also my max strength improved, so I was glad that it reflected also in how I was feeling in the cave. It took about 10 days to adapt to the athletic style because my body felt really destroyed after the first days only climbing in steep terrain. To not force any send too much was another challenge on its own. Accepting to walk away without finishing my proj's brought me the necessary confidence and joy on the wall to start the send-train;)!

Pepa Šindel, who did his first 9a at age 15, has done Capricorn (8c+) and Nid De Fadas (9a) in Leonidio.

Can you tell us more about the trip?
I flew to Leonidio with my brother Venca for a week and my main goal was Capricorn. However, I managed to send it on the first day on the third attempt. I felt quite strong so I started looking for something harder. I was recommended the route Nid de Fadas in the Nifada sector. Right after the first go, I started to get obsessed with it as how nice it was. The beginning is very overhanging with long moves on on good holds and pockets, then there is a kneebar in which you can't rest too much, but you can concentrate on the following CRUX, which is surprisingly a Frankenjura style boulder on one and two finger pockets. In the middle of the boulder, there is a bad clipping and a risk of a groundfall, so I had to extend the quickdraw twice. The second half of the boulder are long pumpy moves on small crimps. After that comes a nohand kneebar rest and an overhanging finnish on nice jugs. You just have to watch out that you dont get pumped too much. The last disturbing part were the last two meters where the holds were wet. According to my information, this is the second repetition.

Alex Johnson, with six 8B’s under her belt, has sent After Hours (8B) in Huntington Canyon and here is the video. ”Resilience, climbing and life. Split 3 tips and sent with tape which is crazy. Solo session with my sun :)”

. Between 2008 and 2010, the 35-year-old won two World Cups and secured second place twice.

Can you tell us more about doing your first 8B in 2.5 years?
I have really fought my way back these last 18 months. Life throws curveballs and you just keep trying to be and do the best you can. Climbing has had to take the backseat many times this past year during some traumatic life events, and my fitness has been very up and down. But it all cumulated with this boulder.

After Hours was the first climb I tried after knee surgery 18 months ago and it felt impossible. Pepper in those curveballs, and sending this boulder really feels full circle. Like closing a chapter bigger than climbing. Here’s to continuing to try to be and do the best I can.

At the beginning of February, Stefan Hochbaum made the first ascent of Obsidian (8C+) in Scharfenstein, a boulder known as the "King Kong Project" for 17 years. He spent three years working on it, requiring over 55 sessions to complete the climb.

The problem can be broken down into two sections: a difficult 8A+ start that leads directly into an 8B+ boulder with no rest in between. This combination made it incredibly challenging to send. The entire climb consists of 12 moves, with the crux in the final three.

Obsidian demands extreme power endurance, body tension, and finger strength—three key areas Stefan focused on in his training, with board training and fingerboarding playing a crucial role. During his first year on the project, conditions were relatively good, but the last two years were tough, making consistent attempts nearly impossible. This inconsistency added to the challenge, both physically and mentally. Yet, the project remained on his mind, and he was determined to complete it. In the end, it was the hardest climb he had ever attempted and the biggest mental battle he had faced.

Eva Hammelmüller continues her strike in Oliana by redpointing Joe-cita (9a) and onsighting Humildes pa Casa (8b+). ”Felt a bit lost in space while kneebar kneebar kneebar tufa tufa tufa :D Unique route with a spicy slab at the end - definitely felt the pressure up there!” (c) Felix Mast

The 24-year-old Austrian has during the last two weeks also redpointed seven routes 8b+ to 9a and flashed four routes 8a+ or harder. Only these ascents would have put her as #2 in the VL annual ranking game.

Can you tell us more about the amazing finish of your trip?
On the last two days of our climbing trip, I onsighted my first 8b+ and climbed another 9a, which still feels surreal. ‘Humildes pa Casa’ is very long with a tricky part at the very top. I didn‘t climb well at the beginning of this route, overcrimped every hold and didn‘t find my flow at all. However, I managed to calm down at the rest before the long, unique tufas. The upper part felt more solid, and I am really happy with how I dealt with the little crux on top!!

‘Joe-cita’ is a combination of ‘La Morenita’ and ‘Joe Blau’ which requires doing the crux of ‘La Morenita’ after climbing through the hard part of ‘Joe Blau’. I didn’t really expect to send it, but I liked the challenge of trying to link so many hard moves. The sun was shining relentlessly on our last climbing day, so I had to wait until 5 p.m. to do an attempt (in which my climbing felt terrible, and I fell in the crux of Joe Blau😅).

I decided to give it one last try, climbed not perfectly but well enough through the first part, arrived pretty tired at the last crux - and somehow managed to stick the hard shoulder move! Clipping the chain, I still couldn’t believe it. This trip has simply been perferct.

Maël Musson, who sent his first 9a in 2023 at age 17, has done Redoublement d'effort (9a) in Roche de rame.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Redoublement was first climbed by my friend Diego Fourbet a few years ago. The route is divided into two difficult sections: the first, very intense, involves climbing the crux of "La Proue Débridée", an 8c/+, up to a moderate rest. Then comes a second section of about ten meters, which corresponds to the hardest part of "Les Trois Points", another 8c/+. While this final section doesn’t seem too challenging when climbed on its own, it quickly becomes brutal once fatigue sets in. The key to the route lies in managing effort: you have to get through the first section while conserving as much energy as possible.

I started trying this route last year after sending "Les Trois Points". Very quickly, I fell on the final moves, which made me think I could complete it within a few sessions. However, from that point on, I kept repeating the same attempts without making any real progress. The route became a mental battle. I spent the entire winter working on it, but to no avail. After several months without trying it, I seriously got back to it in 2025. Progress came quickly, and I found myself falling multiple times on the last move. With ten free days ahead, it was the perfect opportunity to go for the send. And on the second day, my nemesis finally gave in!

Nicolai Užnik, #5 in the World Championship in 2023, has done the first ascent of Mount Doom (9A) in Maltatal. The 24-year-old has this winter sent two 8C’s in “1.5 sessions” each and Forgotten Gem (8C) he did second go.

Can you tell us more about this amazing 9A FA?
I started trying it in 2021 after doing the stand Hide and Sick (8B+) in 2020. It took me quite a few sessions and a lot of work to figure out the moves over the year. In the fall of 2024 I had the beta perfected and also trained on the moves quite well. In january I did the intro into the stand for the first time and shortly after started giving send goes. I total it took me 8-9 more sessions with send attempts to actually do it. A lot of effort for the final reward.

Can you also describe the challenge?
In general it‘s very crimpy and intense. You have 8-9 moves 8B+/C intro into Hide and Sick, 8 moves or so without any rest which makes it super hard to link. It is super tension and you need to be on point the whole time cause any second you can slip or miss a hold slightly which will affect your chances of doing it.

Martina Demmel, with a dozen 8c+’ or 9a’s under her belt, has done two 8c+’ in Santa Linya. The upper part of Digital System Extension (8c+) she had only checked out the try before the send of the 8c first pitch and she comments.

”After experiencing a personal setback the previous day which left me emotionally drained, feeling confident & unstoppable on the wall was priceless! Adapting to those pinches involved some struggles... 5 tries.”

”[8c+] The valley defines the mountain! All-in for the final lanch... a bit in disbelief to have never fallen up there! Verengaaa;)”

Blomu L3 (8c+): ”After leaving my nervousness on the ground, I found a perfect rhythm on that line which displayed that my strength still lies more in face-climbing. Therefore, more predictable and less like such a meaningful achievement because I wasn't investing that much with 3 tries in total. Onto the main one's;))”

Which are the “main one’s”?
I've been trying I've been trying La Fabela (8c+) and La Novena Puerta (8c+) which I both managed to one-hang quickly at the beginning of the trip but the progress is rather stagnating since then😅...