Alex Khazanov has done Underground 9a in Arco. "Glad to have made my first, and Israels first 9a ascent! It was a crazy battle for me. It was the first sport rout I have climbed since February and to say that I was lacking indurance would be an understatement. The progression came with every go, until one time, after a big mental challenge, I clipped the anchor. Even though I mostly (or just) boulder, climbing 9a was a little dream of mine. Well, here it is, and it's the first one of my country!!! Psyched out of my mined right now!"

Joe Kinder, who did his last 9a over three years ago, has done his sixth by Planet Garbage in Rifle. "A route I bolted in 2013. Tried the 9a exit last year and loved it. Returned this June and couldn't take it seriously due to its wetness and my fitness. I came home, trained and returned. Completed it in my two week allotment. Stoked as fuck."

Matteo Menardi has done his second 9a, Welcome to the Club in Campo, which actually his father bolted in 1982. "Second ascent after Luca Zardini Canon's FA in 2009."

Piotr Schab has had some nice weeks in Baltzola, where he has ticked two 8c+s, onsighted Nuska 8c and done XL 9a. "The longest route I've ever done with 165 moves and 38 clips :) No hard moves!! Does there exist a route with more than 38 clips? The 20 year old Pole is #5 in the 8a ranking game.

Rock & Ice report that Matty Hong has done three 9as in just two weeks. First he did Fat Camp in Rifle, two weeks ago, which was bolted by Joe Kinder and on which Jon Cardwell got the FA in August. Last Sunday he did Shadowboxing also in Rifle and this Monday he did Kryptonite both in Fortress of Soltitude. "Of the three, Hong says Kryptonite was his favorite climb, mainly because of its location and quality: “The Fortress is the most badass wall, it’s so unique and beautiful, and there’s no one out there. It also has the best rock quality.” For difficulty, he says “Fat Camp felt the hardest of the three, and it’s also my style. Shadowboxing felt harder than Kryptonite, but [Shadowboxing] is not really my style, so they’re hard to compare. They’re all different. I had to try the hardest on Shadowboxing, but Fat Camp took the longest.”

Adam Ondra has done Robin Úd in Alternativa Stena, which was his seventh 9b FA, not counting his three 9b+ FAs. "4 days of work this year, 1 day in 2014. Ultra athlethic climbing in the cave - 30 moves of hard climbing." The double world champion from 2014, who got one gold and one silver in the World Championships 2016, also onsighted his 18th 8c+, C'est la vie. "So happy to have waited for the moment and onsight this legendary route!" The day before he did his 120th 9a or harder by Jungfrau Marathon in Gimmelwald, "Such a bummer not to have onsighted this one! Messed up the sequence so badly and continued to the top straight after the fall. Then sent the following morning in the full sun." Here are some stats showing the superiority of the 23-year-old. # of 9bs and harder in comparison with runner up: 15 versus 8 (Sharma) # of 8c+s and harder onsight: 21 versus 2 (Megos) Next stop is Yosemite, where he might have a go on the Dawn Wall!

Dai Koyamada, one of the leading climbers of the last 20 years, reports on his blog in Japanese that he has done two 9a's in Frankenjura; Unplugged and The House of Shock, after just a couple of days. His plan is to stay in Europe for two months. He has also done two 8c+s. In 1998, Dai was #4 in a Lead World Cup but later he left that scene and to date he has put up at least five 8C Boulders and repeated at least a dozen 9a and harder routes.

Isabelle Faus strengthens her leading position in the 8a ranking game by doing The Wheel of Chaos 8B+ in RMNP. (c) Caroline Treadway "Wow, crazy experience. Started trying last year, took me two or three days just to be able do all the moves. This year started started out a lil quicker, by my 2nd day this year (or it could have been third I can't even remember) I was made it up to the jug rest and fell dry firing of the slopey rail. Then the battle started. I went up there maybe 6 times after the first day of getting very close. Basically I would get to the jug like 3 times a session and 75% of the time fall because my skin was to dry/cold or my foot would pop off the smears. Rarely did I feel like I was falling because I was too tired, always my third try of the day I would pump out but the first tries always felt really good. In the end I probably made it to the jug more than 20 times... I stopped counting it got that bad. I was getting really frustrated and honestly just wanted to quit trying it for this year, but Chad wouldn't let me! Credit goes to him ! :)) really amped and feeling extra super fit! Really amazing boulder with great movement, so satisfying."

Christof Rauch has done 82 8A and harder boulders this year, eight out of which are 8B FAs. Great video of his latest FA, The Source 8B+, "A new Kingline is born! My best first ascent ever!"

Christof Rauch - The Source 8B+, First Ascent from Martin Tischitz on Vimeo.