Cathy Wagner has done Mr Benjoin 8b in Verdon, which shows that she is at her peak being 50 years old. In total she has done 647 routes 8a and harder, 60 out of which in last year. Would it not be nice if the grand lady could inspire us all by doing her first 8b+ this year?

Last year, Kajsa Rosén was Top-10 in two Lead World Cups and onsighted an 8a+. This year she onsighted, with ease, T-1 Full Equip 8c in Oliana and last weekend she won the European Youth Cup in Imst. The 19-year-old is a new star in the making! (c) Stefan Ösund What is your climbing background? My parents climb, so I've been hanging by a cliff since early age. Back then I didn't enjoy climbing very much and where mostly whining. My former love/hate- relationship to climbing has by the time developed to pure love. Now I'm the one in my family who mostly nag about climbing, while the others seem to get tired about the fact that it's takes all of my time. How do you live your current climbing life? I spend a lot of hours training at my everyday gym "klättercentret". Now when the weather allows for outdoor climbing I try do get that into my weekly climbing as well. Some days I start with an indoor session and then I join my friends (but mostly my dad) to climb outdoors after their work. I would say outdoor climbing is my biggest passion and my family usually go abroad to climb every summer. Sometimes I also manage to sneak in some more travelling at the holidays. I would lie if I said I was an "lifestyle" climber though, me and my coach Daniela Ebler has a good contact and I follow the schedule she gives me quite strictly. However, we discuss my training together to agree on what training works best for me. How can you explain your great progress lately? I'm very dedicated as a person and take my training seriously. I guess training has paid off. Personally I can't see any major changes in my climbing level lately, it's more of an slow progress. I guess stuff has just gone my way. What is your future plan and ambition? I'm graduating now in the beginning of June and I don't have any clear future plan so far, which makes me a bit nervous. I know I'm going to work some at klättercentret, the gym when I mostly spend my time at the moment. Then, some competitions and hopefully also some outdoor climbing abroad. My ambition is simply to develop as a climber and on the meantime enjoy the climbing and , hopefully, the progress I make.

The Kalymnos topo was one of the first to give specific guidelines on how close the first bolts should be placed. #1 at the most on 2.8 meters above ground, #2 at four meters and the #3 at six meters. Even if this guideline has had a great impact on reducing a number of "old school" potentially deadly routes, the FFME recommendation does not make hitting the ground avoidable when clipping the second or third bolt. If you fall while clipping the second bolt, based on FFEM, at least 1.5 meter rope will be out. This means that your feet will actually hit the ground before the rope gets tight. (First bolt 2.8 meter above ground but including the hanger and quick-draw it is 2.5 meters. Add 1.5 meters rope and that your feet is 1 meter below your harness.) If you fall while clipping the third bolt at six meters based on FFME example, you will also hit the ground as normally 2.5 meters rope is out. (4 meters, minus 0.3 for bolt and hanger and 2.5 meters rope, 0.5 meter dynamic and 1 meter for feet below the harness.) Climbing is a risky sport and clearly the FFEM bolting guidelines have had positive impact but with the new generation of 6a gym climbers who want to come out to the rock, it should be revised. Here are the 8a bolting recommendations for easier routes: #1 at 3 meters #2 at 4 meters #3 at 5.5 meters #4 at 7.5 meters #5 at 10 meters If we are talking about very hard routes with a relatively much easier start, it is normally OK with longer distance in between the bolts. When it comes to clipping positions and grades, on a 6a route the clipping positions should be adjusted to 160 cm climbers meanwhile on an 8a route, 170 cm could be applicable.

UKC reports that Alex Megos has done Hubble, which Ben Moon set up in 1990 as an 8c+. It has been repeated four times and none of the repeaters have suggested 9a for it. However, as many strong climbers like Ondra, Graham and McColl have tried it without success the media have started to speculate whether it should be upgraded to 9a. In fact, UKC actually says that, "it's regarded as the first 9a in the world." - 8c+, 9a+ or 8b+. Who cares?! It's the name that counts! And the name is HUBBLE! It's a piece of history! Thanks @ben_moon for putting up that thing and for having a vision! A vision for hear is possible, the next step! Pic @dave_heaton

Fanatic climbing reports that Clerc Maxime has done his first 9a, Trip Tik Tonik in Gorges du Loup. It should be noted that previously he has done Abyss, which he gave a personal 8c+ grade. (c) Adrien Ragiot - Trip Tik Tonik is among the most beautiful 9a's on the planet and we must specify on this crag, completely natural.

Stefano Ghisolfi, who was in Top-13 in all seven Lead WCs last year, has done Le Cadre Nouvelle Version in Céüse. Originally it was a chipped 8c but than Adam Ondra found a new version taking a big loop to the left avoiding the chipped holds. In total, Stefano has done 16 routes 9a to 9b and he is #3 in the ranking game. So what is the 2016 plan? I'm taking part in all lead world cup competitions and have some rock trips. I'm thinking about Norway in the summer and Spain in the winter But first I'd like to go back to Céüse which is just 3,5 hours from my home. I tried once Three degrees of Separation but it is a really long jump and the first part is not easy too. Maybe I'm gonna try Jungle Boogie and Et dieu crea la femme but I'm sure I want to try some really hard route, and Céüse is a full of them!

Ross Ferguson is a cabinetmaker and the founder of a training tool company called Awesome Woodys, which he started in 2008. The Cliff Boards are a unique, 2-sided, portable wooden hangboards and have many useful features including finger pockets. The Woodys come in three sizes weighing from 500 grams and their compact size makes them perfect for a traveling climber and as a warm-up board. Ross says, “I wanted to make something new, useful and interesting – not copy the other gear on the market. I wanted to make tools that were unique in design, skin friendly and super practical for all climbers of all levels.” Video presentation.

NY Times has published a long article about climbing in China - ‘Unexplored’ China? Not for Long the Way These Climbers Are Going.

Domen Škofic has done the 60 meter long Thor's Hammer 9a+ in Flatanger and he comments on Facebook, - Yesterday @jakob.schubert and I hopped on a sending train. He fired of the shortest (Kangaroo's Limb) and I the longest 9a+ of the cave! After 4 days of work I was able to finish my by far the longest, nicest and hardest route so far, Thor's hammer 9a+. We didn't have enough and later both did Nordic Flower 8c, Jakob onsighted and I flashed it right after. (c) Elias Holzknecht Last year, Jakob was #3 in the Lead World Cup and Domen was #4. It should be noted that Nordic Flower was set up as a 9a but was given a personal 8c grade by Adam Ondra once he onsigthed it, which most repeaters seem to agree upon lately.

NKF - Ledig stilling som sportssjef Arbeidsoppgaver<> Ansvar for forbundets konkurranseprogram, med planlegging, koordinering og gjennomføring av Norgescup, NM og internasjonale konkurranser i samarbeid med lokale arrangører Ansvar for oppfølging av nasjonale lag Ansvar for oppfølging av forbundets trener Ansvar for trenerutdanning og utvikling av trenerløypa Andre oppgaver Andre oppgaver kan bli fordelt mellom sportssjefen og NKFs øvrige ansatte etter behov og kvalifikasjoner: Informasjonsarbeid Kontakt og samarbeid med andre organisasjoner Godkjenning og regodkjenning av trenere og instruktører Organisering av kvalifiserende kurs og nasjonale samlinger Planlegging og prosjektarbeid i samarbeid med forbundets fagkomiteer Administrativt og forefallende arbeid for forbundskontoret Ønskelige kvalifikasjoner Utdanning på høyskolenivå innenfor idrett eller annen relevant fagkrets God kjennskap til klatresporten generelt, og særlig til sportsklatring God kjennskap til idrettens organisering Gode organisatoriske evner Erfaring med prosjektgjennomføring, fra idé til handling