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!

khosro hashemzadeh reports that he and his team have put up the hardest MP in Iran, the 15 pitches Python in Bisotun-Kermanshah with pieces up to 8a/+. The route was bolted by Hasan Javadian, who is dying for bolting another route. Khosro estimates that there are some 5 000 climbers in Iran and more than 100 crags and there is more potential also for Bouldering and Big Wall.

Painting names makes it easier to find the Route or Boulder you are looking for but if you do not have a topo, the grade is even more important. The problem is of course that the grade can be changed and that it is kind of hard using a paint brush. With the paint marker in the picture, it is super easy to paint grades on the rock and if the grade changes, you can brush it away with some water within a minute, at least on granite.

David Graham, one of the leading climbers of the last 15 years, has done his 14th 8C, Delirium and comments on Facebook. (c) Diego Montull - Made the 3rd ascent of Delirium [8c] last night up at Wolvoland after the big thunderstorm ⚡️⚡️⚡️ YESSSSS!!!! Amazing roof to bulge problem established by @jwebxl a couple years ago. 7 days of effort spread over the last three weeks. Super challenging conditions this June! Extreme heat, thunderstorms, or just pure rain made the send seem like a pipe dream, especially after falling off the last move two separate occasions with the same disastrous heel slip punting. Super relieved I could piece this thing together before heading to South Africa