Jain Kim reports on Instagram that she has flashed China Climb 8c in Yangshuo. "I had watched just one time and after that I did climb to solve the moves but I really didn't expect that I make topped off! It felt really really psyched even I can't remember how I climb." During the last six years, Jain has been one of the best competition climbers in the world, having won the World Cup three times, and the World Championship 2014.

Seb Bouin dropped one shoe and repeated a 9a and calling it an 8c+. It is somehow logical that if a climb is easier without shoes, the grade should go down. When Charles Albert, who has been climbing barefoot for the last years, repeated an 8C (+) in Font he said it was 8B+ for him, even though he did a much more difficult direct line (9A or harder with shoes). Now the 20-year-old has done an 8C FA barefoot in Font which he thinks is harder with shoes. Once this barefoot trend grows bigger, we might see some downgradings. On the other hand, as the grades are supposed to reflect the difficulty, Charles's latest 8C FA might be considered an 8C+ or even 9A in the future. Charles has developed an amazing skill pulling with his big toes for four years, contrary to the standing stability strength all climbers with shoes train. Even if the best boulderer tried the 8C FA shoeless, it could take years before they would develop the big toe pulling strength needed. In other words, the best boulderers in the world might consider the 8C FA and the direct 8B+ mentioned above equally hard to repeat as Hukkataival's recent 9A. Furthermore, in the future the most difficult route and boulders to repeat might be climbs where you actually need to take the shoes off and put them back on while climbing, as you approach different cruxes.

Iker Pou, one of the best multi-discipline climbers in the world, who did Action Direct 9a in 2000 and a 9a+ FA last year, reports on Instagram. "THE ARROITA TRAVERSE 8C+/9A TRAV. (Hard 9a+ route). Very happy for send this old project that always had in mind since more than 15 years. First ascent by @dani_andrada_climb. Thanks @arroitajauregi for the futuristic visión!!Never stop dreaming! Foto @blomuandonisiempreamuerte."

Alex Puccio has done her 54th 8A+, Right Martini in Hueco Tanks. "The BIG move was hard to stick from the start. Long Boulder! Psyched to be getting fitter and stronger! :) I LOVE BIG moves!" (c) John Bishop In 2014, Alex was runner-up in the world championship but both in June 2015 and 2016, she badly injured herself in World Cups and had to undergo knee and spinal surgeries. In a Climbing interview she said, “Everyone thinks I heal abnormally fast, but the reality is I don’t give up during an injury," she said. "Some people get injured and sit around waiting to heal. I find ways to work around my injury so I can stay fit and come back sooner than expected.“

As published by one of the most important newsletters in Spain, the bouldering area of Alcañiz keeps increasing month after month. With more than a thousand lines existing nowadays and its fast development, it will probably become one of the best spots in the future. Some of the best boulderers such as Chris Sharma and Paul Robinson visited Alcañiz (500+ ascents in 8a data base) last year and got impressed with the quality and quantity of the problems. You can see a nice video here. Alcañiz is 2 h north east of Albarracín and 3 h south west of Barcelona. Image copyright Chris Sharma

Podľa článku vydaného jedným z najväčších španielskych newsletterov sa bouldrová oblasť Alcañiz každým mesiacom. S viac ako tisíckou už existujúcich línií a vďaka rýchlemu tvoreniu nových problémov má Alcañiz potenciál byť v budúcnosti veľmi kvalitnou bouldrovou oblasťou. Svetoznámi lezci ako Chris Sharma a Paul Robinson navštívili Alcañiz (500+ prelezov v 8a databáze) minulý rok a boli prekvapení z kvality a množstva bouldrov. Pekné video dostupné video tu. Oblasť sa nachádza 2h severo-východne od Albarracínu a 3h na juh od Barcelony. Foto kredit Chris Sharma

Príkladom toho je Seb Bouin, ktorý vďaka vyzutiu lezečky zopakoval 9a a zhodil ho na 8c+. Je celkom logické, že ak je cesta ľahšia bez použitia lezečiek, tak by mala klesnúť jej celková obtiažnosť. Alebo? Keď Charles Albert, ktorý lezie bez lezečiek už po niekoľko rokov, zopakoval 8C (+) vo Fontainebleau, povedal, že preňho je boulder 8B+, aj keď vyliezol jeho priamejšiu a ťažšiu variantu (možné 9A s lezečkami). Nedávno preliezol svoj projekt vo Fontainebleau a ohodnotil ho na 8C naboso, pričom s lezečkami by to bolo pravdepodobne ťažšie. Ak sa lezenie naboso stane trendom, je možné, že v budúcnosti uvidíme častejšie zhadzovanie ciest. Na druhú stranu sa Charlesove 8C môže stať 8C+ alebo 9A, ak bude prelezené v lezečkách. Charles počas štyroch rokov lezenia naboso natrénoval úžasnú vlastnosť zaberať prstami na nohách, čo je presný opak stability, ktorú trénujú a dosahujú lezci v lezečkách. Aj keby sa najlepší bouldristi pokúšali preliezť Charlesove 8C naboso, pravdepodobne by trvalo roky, kým by získali potrebnú silu a techniku prstov na nohách. Inak povedané, aj najlepší lezci môžu považovať spomínané 8B+ a 8C za omnoho ťažšie pri použití lezečiek, možno zrovnateľné s nedávnym 9A od Nalleho Hukkataivala. Naviac je možné, že v budúcnosti budú najťažšie cesty práve tie, v ktorých si lezec musí vyzúvať a obúvať lezečku pri tom, ako prelieza rozličné pasáže cesty.

Fred Moix, one of the leading climbing photographers of the last 12 years, has done the iconic Greenspit 8b (+) in Valle dell'Orco, Italy. Amazingly, it was his second trad ascent ever! Full story on his Instagram. (c) Eric Blanc " It's kind of a love story for me with this route as I was belaying my close friend Didier Berthod in 2003 during the first historical pinkpoint ascent of Europa's hardest crack, and was lucky enough to shoot that special picture which went published worldwide just after. This route kind of launched Didier's career as a climber and totally rocketed my photographer's one on the side of my main passion as an osteopath."

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IFSC comes with the great news that Sport Climbing has been added to the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Buenos Aires, which will begin on October 1, 2018. "IOC meetings are taking place this week in Lausanne, Switzerland, and yesterday the IOC Executive Board officially agreed to add three sports to the YOG Buenos Aires 2018 Sports Programme: Dance Sport, Karate and Sport Climbing. These sports are in addition to the 28 sports currently on the programme for the third summer of YOG. The Sport Climbing event will be a combined event of the three disciplines (Bouldering, Lead, Speed) for both males and females." IFSC is working with the Combined format together with the federations and they have also asked 8a to send our suggestions. The format will be presented the next spring. In practice, it is just to start training Speed climbing as most probably at least part of the selection will begin during the Youth World Championships in Austria starting 30/8 in 2017. Noteworthy is also that there will be a record number of European Youth Cups in 2017, out of which nine will take place before the Youth Worlds but there is just one Speed event on 27/8.