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 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.

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.

Joshua Ibbertson has done Primeur de luxe 8a+ (b) in Frankenjura and his father, James gives us the story. "We spent the half term holiday with some good friends of ours the Perwitsky family, who live the Frankenjura. They recommended we tried Primeur de Luxe due to the foggy conditions as it's quick to dry. Josh managed to do all the moves that day and link it overlapping sections. We returned the next day but it was his third day of climbing and his skin was too sore to pull on small holds so he took a rest day. Luckily the sun came out, dried the rock and we enjoyed really great conditions allowing him to get it in a couple of tries.

Adam Ondra has done yet another 9a+ FA and his second one in Czech Republic, Predator in Srbsko. In total, the best climber in the world of the last five years has put up 21 routes 9a+ and harder. (c) Pavel Zvire "Very nice route with awesome sequence in the crux, which is impossible to grade. For me probably 9a/a+, but with no flexibility definitely much harder...1 daz month ago, now sent 2nd go in 30mins" Read also the article in the right column, which was published before this amazing knee drop picture appeared on the website: "Stretching the fastest way to improve".

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.