Having got some emails saying that there there had been much less climbers at the popular sectors on Kalymnos this year, I asked (c) Aris Theododopoulos if he could find another explanation for it, apart from the fact that Ryan Air have reduced their number of flights with 50% last two years. - Actually this year the airport of Kos has 25% less arrivals in comparison with last year. I think this is happened first of all because of the refugee situation at Greek islands last year. Kalymnos it is at its best quality ever, with more than 3.000 friendly bolted routes with a big rebolting project just completed. Another possible reason why there have not been any queues this spring, even on the popular routes, is that it seems climbers are more frequently checking out the new sectors, especially on Telendos. There is also new sector being developed just on the other side of Arginonta with possibly close to 100 mainly easier routes with just 5 - 10 minutes approach. Full info on the refugee situation, new routes and rebolting. Mayte Radek at Axium 6c+, Ghost Kitchen.

Most advanced climbers are very close to their physical peak when it comes to maximum strength and endurance. Surely, the advanced could improve a bit if they spend another 100 hours which possibly could mean they could do their project. However, based on the knowledge that the #1 rock climbers, Adam Ondra and Ashima Shiraishi, are also possibly the most flexible advanced climbers out there, it might be better to invest the extra hours improving your flexibility rather than your strength. When you come to the regular 8a climber, I bet, training flexibility is at least ten times more effective rather than doing another campus or endurance session. (c) Pavel Zvire

USA Today reported last month that Andrew Shapiro had set three world records in pull-ups. After six hours he did 3 515 of them, after 12 hours - 5 742 and then he continued another six hours to set a new 24 hours record with 7 306. The Guiness book official record holder for 6, 12 and 24h, is Jan Kares (41) who did 6 800 in 24 hours. In 1998, Kares was #17 in a Lead World Cup.

Megan Mascarenas took an impressive victory in front of her home crowd topping out all four problems in just five tries. The lowest WC result since the 18-year-old won in Vail last year is #4, whereas one of her biggest successes is winning Adidas Rock Master. In the 8a ranking game she is #3 and she has not finished highschool yet. Shauna Coxey was #2, which means she has secured the overall victory 2016. Among the male, Kokoro Fujii won again and he is now in the overall lead in front of Tomoa Narasaki, who was second in Vail. #3 was Alexey Rubtsov, who also is #3 overall. Among the top-5, there were only guys from Japan or Russia and the biggest change this year is how Japan dominates the scene at the same time when the western Europeans are having their worst year ever. (c) Eddie Fowke

Laura Rogora, who did her first 9a being 14 years old, has done Il traverso dei sogni 8c in Collevardo in five tries during one day. Later she onsighted Tomorrowland 8a+ and the 15-year-old is #1 in the female ranking game.

1. Shauna Coxsey 480 GBR - Tomoa Narasaki 362 JPN 2. Miho Nonaka 346 JPN - Kokoro Fujii 355 JPN 3. Melissa Le Neve 313 FRA - Alexey Rubtsov 307 RUS 4. Akiyo Noguchi 259 JPN - Rustam Gelmanov 267 RUS 5. Monika Retschy 229 GER - Jongwon Chon 264 KOR 6. Megan Mascarenas 220 USA - Sean McColl 232 CAN In the above rankings, the worst result has not been included. Shauna Coxsey has secured the overall title counting four victories and once being the runner-up. If Alexej wins the last event in Munich in August, Narasaki needs to be #6 and Fujii #4 to win overall. The biggest blow in 2016 is that Japan has strengthened their position and that western Europe is having the worst results ever among the male. However, this relates to the fact that only one male, Jan Hojer, has participated in at least all but one event.

Rafa Fanega, who started climbing in 1991, has done his fifth 8c+, La Chispa in Villanueva del Rosario. The amazing news is that the 41-year-old has done three of his 8c+'s during the last eight months. In the 8a ranking game for 40+, the 163 cm tall, who has made 55 8b to 8c+ FAs, is #2.

Drew Ruana has added 41 ascents to his new scorecard including his FA of The Assassin 9a in Smith Rock, Just do it 8c+, which he did when he was 14 years old and Direct North 8B+ in Bishop. In the combined 8a ranking game, the 16 year old is #6. - I have been climbing for about 13 years, but only seriously for the last eight. I joined a competitive team when I was 8. Since then, I've competed in the youth circuit, and I've climbed outside a lot. My best results are 1st place at the 2015 USA SCS youth, and 2nd place at 2014 WYCH. In the future, I want to send 9a+ and 8C, and have a 8c+ Onsight or flash. I hope to achieve these goals in the next five years His trainer is Tyson Schoene, who actually was babysitter by Drew's mother some 30 years ago a few times and since then, Tyson has had a close relationship with the Ruana family. - I had already worked with many top kids, our team was built of them, but early on you knew Drew was the exception. He had a drive that others didn't. But for the most part that drive was very different than many of the top kids out there. It wasn't like more hours in the gym or harder drills or anything like that. It was more like obsession with sending routes. When he was trying a route, it was, and is gnarly how dedicated to that moment he is. It's like nothing else matters. But in training, it was different. It was nothing spectacular. His climbing during training was good, but the training wasn't amazing. I mean I have a dozen kids that used to work harder than him. But he is smarter. He technically is better than most. His success comes because of the dedication from his family, my assistant coaches, friends and his team that all support him. He relies on all of us, more than he knows. His father and mother are some of the best people I know. They have raised him well and try to give him what he needs to be successful, but it's not just handed to him, he has to work for it. He is also a straight A+ student. He works very hard at that too. He does not like failure. No matter what aspect of his life it is coming from. I have said this 100 times, I am thankful for the opportunity to work with these kids, not just him, but all of them. They teach me things every day. They teach me about coaching, and training, and life.

112 athletes are scheduled to participate in the Vail Boulder World Cup, almost half out of which are from USA or Canada. Live streaming on Saturday - GMT -6 10:00 - 12:30 Semi-Finals Men and Women 16:30 Finals Men and Women