The 310-page book about the full climbing history by David Chambre could be named the new climbing Bible. Each of the almost A4 size pages are just full of nice stories and great pictures. Having spent about four hours reading it in fascination, I understood that there are many more interesting hours to follow. What a great book! From the 8a visitor perspective, we get more insight of some of the historical grades, indicating that it might be better to start calling Fred Rouhling's Akira a 9a+. Chris Sharma's Es Pontas was given a 9a+ even if 9b is mostly used for it. In general there are many comments that go in line with what 8a.nu has been saying for many years like Action Directe was originally an 8c+/9a but actually slash grades are not used in the Bible. It seems that everything is included in the Bible but Flatanger and from my point of view, also Santa Linya, Ashima Shiraishi and Alex Megos' 9a onsight, should have gained greater focus. On the other hand, 8a.nu and the impact it has on the climbing scene is mentioned on almost one page. "Hence the brilliant but slightly perverse idea of the scorecard, attributing points for each performance and placing climbers in classification enabling them to dream and exploits to improve their position." All in all, paying 49 Euro including free shipping, seems to be the perfect bargain for a very nice Christmas gift.

Vertigo Boulder Contest 2015, the biggest bouldering competition ever organized in Portugal, will be held in Lisbon on the 28th and 29th of November with 5 000 euro to be shared. More than 400 participants are expected. The first day is reserved for the seniors but the youngest can also compete and are eligible for granting the prize money. The second day is for the youth and the format for both of the comps are the same as the IFSC youth rules.

Pirmin Bertle has done the FA Meoise 9b in Charmey after 50 days of working on it and 150 tries, it was the last try the last day before leaving to Buenos Aires with his family for nine months! On the 30th March 2012, The German did two 9a's, Chromosome Y and X in 75 minutes, video. Meoise is a link up which actually goes straight up through two 8B cruxes. Previously in 2015, he did one 8C+ and one 9a+. His 9b blog story is just amazing and here topo for Charmey and Jansegg.

Climbing Technology has presented an interesting analysis of the child approach to climbing from their team manager Paolo Cattaneo.

Nika Potapova has done Kaj ti je deklica? 8b+ in Osp/Misja Pec. The 12-year-old has previously done two 8b's, the first of which 18 months ago. Video of her hanging 2.40 min on Zlagboard. This is some 40 seconds more than the best female and on the level of the second best male. Ramionet holds the world record at 2.45.

Easier routes sometimes pass unnoticed among so many hard sends and so many big numbers, although sometimes 'smaller achievements', especially when they are reached at precocious ages like this of our two protagonists in this piece of news, are really praiseworthy. Hector Bazán turned 13 in September and more recently sent his second 8c route some 3 months after his first - 'La Florida' in Rodellar. This time the turn came for L'espiadimonis in La Cova Boix at Margalef. A very different style from that of the previous 8c, but as he once said: "it's a place I like and a style that fits me." A little bit older, more exactly 16 years old, Muriel Ruiz de Larramendi, who not long ago was proclaimed the female Spanish sub-18 champion, has jumped from 8a+ to 8b+ with Tekken in Etxauri, as informed by Desnivel. This line, which can be found in the Kale Borroca sector, is a vertical and technical route, where crimps and thin footwork are predominant. News by Esteban Diez fernández / Translation and pic by Ignacio Sandoval Burón.

Pirmin Bertle, who has done six 9a's, did yesterday do his hardest route ever, which made him share the news that in April he did a 8C+ FA, Drop a line in Couisimbert and that he in August did the FA of Des scènes bizzarres dans la mine d'or 9a+ in Jansegg, video. Last week, he also did the FA of Mediomalomania 8C in Lindental, "but the hardest thing in my life I sent yesterday." Interesting is that he did not climb at all during the first six months of 2014 due to having caught bone mark edema. Then he just climbed very easily for some months until he started to work only on the 8C+ boulder. Interesting is also that he only trains five hours a week and never indoors. More info on his blog and on 8a tomorrow. :)

Drop a line 8C+ at Cousimbert, the real video from Pirmin Bertle on Vimeo.

Click on the picture to see what 8a highlights when it comes to Parking, Trespassing, Screaming, Camping, Litter and Toilet. The Access Fund has also asked us to give some further info on Human waste. If you have any specific access info add it as a comment or directly in the crag data base. During the last year, we heard about increasing problems and bad behavior in several boulder areas and last week a new record was set in Västervik. "He jumped out from a white Volvo, raised his arms, bent backwards arched and did the "helicopter". It was 22.30 and I was on my way home from the stable on a dark dirt road. I called the police as I was afraid that there was a link to the center for girls with self-destructive behavior where I had worked and my mother is the boss." Even if the youngster was wearing orange underpants, it was clearly a violation towards her integrity and just imagine what would happen if the police had caught the boulderers and it had been presented in the local newspaper. As a direct consequence, the recommended parking has been moved tripling the approach to some 30+ minutes. The whole climbing community including gyms, federations, and clubs has to start dealing with the increasing number of adrenaline seeking boulderers, especially young, that go outdoors.