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.

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.

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

Nathan Williams, who started climbing in 2012, has flashed his first 8A+, Black Hawk Down in Topside. The 17-year-old did his first 7C+ just 17 months ago so do not be surprised if Nathan shows up in more news from Rocklands shortly.

Megan Mascarenas, who was #4 in the last Boulder WC, which actually was her worst result during her last four WC events, has done Jack's Broken Heart 8A+ and Sofa Surfer 8A in Magic Wood. In the 8a ranking game, the 18-year-old is #3. In two weeks she will try to defend her title from last year in the Boulder World Cup in Vail.

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.

In total, there are close to 4 million ascents in the 8a database and there is a Tick List available for almost 6 000 crags. You can add more crags to the database in a link at the top where you add routes and boulders. The crag with most ascents is Fontainebleau with 104 000, followed by Kalymnos with 98 000.

Be One is an innovation from Beal that will reduce rope wear, which is especially useful for the redpoint guys working on their projects. Be One has an enlarged receiving zone meaning lower impact on the rope. Instead of the normal thin and often oval bottom of the carbiner, Be One is thicker and more rounded. If you are one of the projecting redpointers, it might be a very good investment to place a Be One at the crux as it will reduce rope wear.