Fanatic climbing reports that Seb Bouin has made the first repeat of Enzo Oddo's Salidad de Sol in Cantobre giving it a personal grade of 8c+. "Funny trick : for the send, Seb Bouin has left one climbing shoe for doing the crux barefoot for being able to grip a hole with the big toe, finishing the route with a shoe less. Charles Albert attracts imitators!" This could possibly create a new trend. Where you can stick in your big toe in a two finger pocket and pull with the toe it might be an easier way compared to just standing on some millimeters on the outside of the little pocket. Charles Albert has already showed this in Bouldering. Last year 8a said that in the future there might be a market for shoes where the big toe is actually separated from the other four toes. Alternatively, climbers could start with a shoe which they can easily take off, doing the crux barefoot, and later put it on again. This could actually mean that some routes could be downgraded! That might be the case for routes with drilled two finger pockets! The picture shows Marius Morstad's design from some 25 years ago which he sent to some shoe producers.

Toshi Takeuchi, #3 in the ranking game, has made the FA of Babylon 8C in Toyota and there is a video coming up. (c) Horinori Baba "Finally managed to do Longstanding project in Toyota. One of the best and hardest things I've ever done. I first touched this project 2 years ago. Since then, I tried this project a lot but never had chance to link all the moves. In my opinion, 11 moves hard V14 +12moves V11. Total 23moves. On to the next project:)"

Rock & Ice vydali pekný a rozsiahly rozhovor s Adamom Ondrom ohľadne Dawn Wall, pričom sa na viaceré veci pozreli z nových uhlov. Malá ukážka: Čo by si si z terajšieho pohľadu prial, aby si vedel pred prelezom? "Zobral som si veľa rozličných lezečiek, no nakoniec mi sadli jedine Katana Laces. Boty v "pohodlnej veľkosti" jednoducho nie sú na Dawn Wall dobré, ani do ľahkých dĺžok. Jedine tesné lezečky." "Že som mal skorej začať používať Antihydral." (pozn.: masť, ktorá vysušuje kožu) "Že na Dawn Wall veľa záleží od podmienok. Jedným z dôvodom, prečo mi prišli niektoré dĺžky v prvých týždňoch také ťažké bolo, že bolo príliš teplo. V niektoré dni sa jednoducho do nich ani neoplatí nastupovať." "Že si treba zobrať pohodlnejšiu karimatku." "Že sme si mal zobrať omnoho viac toaleťáku, knižiek na časy v bivaku a OMNOHO viac mádža." "Že som mal viac trénovať nohy, hlavne lýtka. Keďže som každý deň stál na malých stupoch niekoľko hodín, moje slabé nohy skalkára a pretekára sa jednoducho unavili a rozklepali."

Fanatic climbing oznámili, že Seb Bouin spravil prvé opakovania Salidad de Sol v Cantobre z dielne Enza Odda a zapísal si ho ako 8c+. "Srandovný trik: pri preleze si Seb vyzul ľavú lezečku a boulder v ceste preliezol bez nej, aby mohol použiť dierku, kde presne pasoval ľavý palec. Zvyšok cesty doliezol s ľavou nohou bosou. Charles Albert začína mať nasledovníkov!" Je dokonca možné, že by sa z tohto mohol stať nový trend. Ak bude pre lezcov jednoduchšie použiť dierku na celý palec, skôr ako stáť na jej niekoľko-milimetrovom okraji, potom je logické, že by sa takýto štýl mohol ujať. Charles Albert to už demonštroval vo Fontainebleau. Minulý rok 8a poukázalo na to, že na trhu by mohol byť priestor pre lezečky s oddeleným palcom. Takisto by lezci mohli naliezať do cesty s obomi lezečkami, vyzuť si jednu či obe kvôli špecifickej pasáži a znovu ich nazuť pri vhodnej príležitosti. Mohlo by to znamenať, že sa niektoré cesty dokonca budú zhadzovať. Zvlášť by to mohlo platiť pri tých, kde sú umelo vyvŕtané dierky! Na fotke je design od Mariusa Morstada spred 25 rokov, ktorý v tej dobe posielal niekoľkým výrobcom.

Angela Eiter, the best female Lead competition climber in the history, reports that she is back after her injuries. During the last months she has done two 8A Boulders in Silvretta, British Airways and Shining. With rope, she has just done three 8b+'s in Jaen and flashed Lagunas mentales, 8a+ (b). "This year I have struggled with an inflammation on the tendon of my ringfinger, which almost recovered. Moreover, I ripped a tendon on my thigh, but regular therapy help me recover. I am sure that recovery periods are essential when you focus on hard climbs and maybe more when you are getting older. Climbing on high level bears the risk for injuries. Therefore I need a sensitive body feeling and have to listen deeply to the signals of my body. This method payed off!"

Laura Rogora has made the FA of Tomorrowland extension 8c+ in Collepardo after eight tries. " It is one of the most beautiful route I have ever tried, congrats to Intorre Domenico who bolted this super line leaving it completely natural." (c) Franco Loadi This spring the 15-year-old did her first 9a and she is #1 in the 8a ranking game. When it comes to onsights, she is actually quite superior with four 8a+'s and two 8b's.

18 months ago, Jonathan Siegrist compared Era Vella with 8c and 12 months ago, Magnus Midtbö was the first one to call it an 8c+. In the picture you can see Pablo Barbero. (c) TrilobitePro Prior to these statements, Era Vella was by far the most popular 9a in the world with 30 ascents during just five years. After these downgrade suggestions, however, it has just been repeated twice in 18 months. This route, put up by Chris Sharma, is one of the highest star-rated routes in the 8a data base so you wonder if the drop in popularity is because some climbers have chosen to redpoint another 9a instead doing something that is at risk of being downgraded?

Claude Remy has put up some 15 000 routes/pitches during the last 40 years. Recently he has has been focused on Leonidio and before that - Kalymnos. The Swiss says that he has more or less always been working half-time for 30 years and the other half he has spent putting up routes, mainly with his older brother. The picture from Leonidio shows Claude helping out when local children try to climb for the first time. - Please do not ask me why I have this obsession. My wife has asked me that so many times and I just do not have any answer. I like in an area in Switzerland where I practically can go out every day and just open new routes. I love to be part of opening up new destinations like Kalymnos and Leonidio. During the last years, he has not so often paid for the bolts but other than that he covers all expenses himself and does not get paid for his work. - It is strange that I often meet so many climbers who think that this is my job and that I make good money out of it. It is noteworthy that he recently did get the Albert Mountain Award and that his father Marcel (94) did an eight pitches long 5a this summer.

Jongwon Chon, the World Cup 2015 winner, has made an amazing show in the La Sportiva Legends in Stockholm by doing all five problems in his first try. The format was redpoint and the competitors had worked the problems on Thursday. In the final they had three tries and with many tops, Jongwon had actually secured his victory in just 1 hour. It is interesting that actually only the winner uses La Sportiva. Video. 1. Jongwon Chon KOR 5t5 5b5 2. Kokoro Fujii JPN 5t7 5b6 3. Alex Megos GER 4t4 4b4