Yuji Hirayama, one of the true legends in the climbing history, has done Odin's Eye 8c+ in Flatanger. In 1991 he got the silver in the World Lead Championship and later he won the Lead World Cup twice. After retiring from comps he made speed records on El capitain and did a 9a+ in 2003. Five years ago he explored and bolted a new climbing area up on 4 000 meters in Borneo with routes up to 9a+, where he made a 9a FA.

Alex Honnold, the world's most famous solo climber, has recorded his first 8b onsight, Spectrum in Lauterbrennen. Previously he has has onsighted three 8b's, for which he has given a personal grade. In fact, looking at his scorecard with 700 routes, he, together with Adam Ondra, is one of the guys who suggest most personal downgrades. Photo by Jimmy Chin. Check his 360 solo video where he presents The Needles.

Isabelle Faus is peaking having done her third 8B in June, Don't Get To Greedy in RMNP. "Fun fun! squeezing and jumping." Isabelle is the new #1 in the 8a ranking game. Next week she is flying to Africa. Video

There are 13 female who have done a route that was originally 9a but if we exclude the routes that are subject of being downgraded, only seven remain. The most repeated 9a, although personal downgrades have been suggested, is Era Vella with four female ascents. Josune Bereziartu has done four 9a's. Angela Eiter and Mar Alvarez have done three. Josune was also the first female to do a 9a in 2002 by Bain de Sang which, has also been given 8c+. Muriel Sarkany did her first and only 9a when she was 39 years old and Ashima Shiraishi was 14 years old when she conquered her first 9a. More info

Tom O'Halloran has done his first 9a, Baker's Dozen in Blue Mountains. "Relief. The hardest I've ever had to try."

The expeditions of American climbers like Lynn Hill and Todd Skinner in the 1990s introduced climbing to Ha Long Bay. Since then this sport has steadily developed and Ha Long Bay is now an established stop on the South East Asia climbing circuit. Deep Water Soloing is especially popular and has been featured in Big Up Productions' Dosage Vol III, and Chris Lindner’s film “The Players”. Commissioned by Asia Outdoors, the local climbing center, this new guidebook contains 120 sport climbing routes on 13 crags and 230 deep water solo lines on 24 cliffs. These 140 full-color pages contain enough lines ranging from 4a’s to 8a’s to keep you sweating for a long time. More info

Alex Puccio, who injured herself badly in the Vail Boulder WC isolation for the second year in a row, reports on Facebook. - Surgeon and PT's said I'm ok to start light hang boarding!!!

Chris Sharma, who has always been a true lifestyle climber and has recently became a father, is experimenting with Patxi Usobiaga's training and he has promised to share some of the program. - I've never really "trained" before and now I kinda have the perfect situation to really give it a go and see what this is all about. I've always been skeptical. Climbing has always been about freedom, being in nature and following the beat of my own drum, so this is a big experiment. Of course I'm open to getting stronger than ever, but my main goal is just to not get injured. Also it's a big exercise in yielding to someone else's instructions. That's never been my forte, and that has always been the beauty of climbing for me, is (finding your own path.) But hey let's give this a try! Venga!!!!

Moon Climbing has published the truly amazing story of how Martin Keller, who finished his 13 year long project high up in Sustenpass, Highlander 8C. Martin started climbing being 20 years old and five years later he found the Boulder about which he has had a nice obsession since 2003. In 2012, Martin did an 8C FA in Chironico, which has just been repeated by Dai Koyamada. Later he ripped off his hamstring at the crux of his project. "Coming out from these eight months of rehab I was straight on my way into the next three months of rehab. While training indoors I managed to split my meniscus, which locked my knee." In 2016, he reduced his workload in order to get more sleep and to spend more time at the crag with prime conditions. He also started training his crimp power in combination with 30 min circuits of 5A's indoors three times a week. Furthermore, he reduced his dinner chocolate intake and started running/biking three times a week. In March, he started to try it again and directly he felt stronger than ever. In order to come to the scene to prepare, he had to walk 2 hours with his skis as the road was closed. Next, he had to spend hours with the shovel. Later, more snow came so he had to go up with his shovel again before the big sending day. "In an act of panic and desperation I bumped my right hand up out of the shoulder. Somehow it stayed on the second and better sloper. Now all I had to do was to lock with my right and go with my left to the monster-finish-jug. Easy. But watching my right arm in pure disbelief it just did not do anything. Then instincts and experience of twenty years of climbing kicked in. I flagged my left leg and kicked it hard twice. The resulting swing got my left arm to the intermediate and finally – thirteen years after I first tried this line – into the big finish-jug. It was done. I could not really believe it. May I still can’t today." Gradewise, Martin says it is totally irrelevant and he finishes up his great story with some nice philosophical thoughts describing his essence of climbing. Read it and get amazed!