A review is coming up for the 9th grade - 150 years of climbing, aka the Bible. There are some short interesting stories in the book. Buy it here for only 43 Euro including freight. Fred Rouhling put up Akira 9b in 1995, which created some controversies as nobody had done 9a+ and there were just some few 9a's at that time. Very few have tried it but Jibé Tribout was once coached by Fred. - I had 8c+ at the time and the route seemed tome very hard but perhaps feasible. When Fred tried he was using more difficult methods than me, I was using easier ones but he did not them. He obviously preferred his own. 9a seemed a good ratingf to me but 9b was definitely to high, especially since historically one does not jump grades because it is impossible to understand such leap. Fred has previously confirmed that he did not opt for the easiest methods on Akira, "I go where the route seems most imposing." He has also said that if he had done it again, he would not have given it 9b. When it comes to the controversy of Bernabe Fernandez's grade of 9b+ for Chilam Balam from 2003, his ethics are criticized too. Orujo, the first 9a in Spain, "included several bolted-on artificial holds but two years later he removed three of them to raise the level to 9a+." The book tells also the story of Andrada criticising him for breaking natural holds next to artificial ones after his ascent! Fernandez opinion was that he could do what ever he liked with the route until it had been repeated, in order to force repeaters to use the FA's methods! For Chilam Balam, Adam Ondra has repeated it suggesting 9b which also might be confirmed as in 2006, it is told that Chris Sharma spent three weeks on it without being able to join up various sections. Andrada actually questioned Fernandez as he did not find chalk or rubber at the upper part of Chilam Balam. Interesting is also that in accordance to 8a data, Action Direct is said to have been 8c+/9a originally and that might be the only case where a slash grade is mentioned.

karoline sinnhuber has flashed her second 8A in 2015, Unterholz 8 in Zillertal and she goes to #4 place in the ranking game. Her comment on Facebook: Then I checked out the first few moves of 'Drischiebl' 8A+/8B (the first moves are different from Unterholz 8, the rest is equal). After falling about 4 or 5 times from the nearly the top, I was finally able to stuck the last 2 moves. A video of Drischiebl is coming soon. Here is the 8A+ video.

ESPN has done a deep interview with Ashima Shiraishi (14) and her father and trainer Poppo, who has never climbed. - The Beatles in 1960, they made it big, influencing people all around the world. Ashima also in that manner, says Poppo. During the last two years, Ashima has had the most impressive female combined boulder and route ticklist in the world.

Alex Puccio has done her fourth 8B during the last five weeks, Dark Waters in Clear Creek Canyon. In the 8a ranking game, the runner up in the last world championship is #25 even if she did go through knee surgery this spring. (c) Chris Motta "This Boulder was an epic for me! It took me longer than any other climb I have done to date!! This was my 8th day on in over 6 year period. I fell off the last move of this long boulder my first day on it all the ways till I sent it. So so psyched to put this one to rest!!! 😄😄😄😄 thank you for all the support Joel and everyone that came to this Boulder with me! 👊👊😄

New Zealand 2015 from Jimmy Webb on Vimeo.

Matilda Söderlund has onsighted Amboss in Frankenjura, which might be the second female 8a+ onsight in Frankenjura after the one that Lynn Hill did on the route Simon back in 1992. Her trainer Dicki Korb from Cafe Kraft comments: "It is so nice to see, how Matilda climbs now. I'm very happy with her performance, cause we worked a lot on her climbing speed and her dynamic, and now she climbs so much faster and more efficient, and so I'm very happy for her. It was a perfect onsight, she just did everything right." As a matter of fact, it was just a spontaneous onsight and as it was mostly pockets, she mainly read the route on the go. In 2006, when Matilda was #6 in he world Championships, and before all her injuries, she onsighted three 8b's and flashed two 8b+'s.

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Christof Rauch, who has done 98 boulders 8A and harder in the last year (probably most in the world), has done two more 8B+'s in Magic Wood: Ill Thrill and The Never Ending Story, "Maybe the problem which took me the most time! Fell much more than 50 times on the first move of the second part. Once I got that first move I did it. Superhappy now!!! Amazing line and awesome moves, no more words needed!" Is there anybody else who has done more than 100 boulders 8A and harder in one year? It should be mentioned that the Austrian often gives personal grades. In 2014, James Webb did 146 boulders 8A and harder which probably is All time high.

Nico Pelorson, #2 in the Youth World Championship this year, has done his second 9a FA in St Pancrasse, La 9ème centenaire. - It is a perfect route, totally natural that was bolted by Quentin Chastagnier There are two sections. The first is really hard and short (drop-knee, heal-hooks above the head...) This section is about 8B boulder I think. Then, you have done the harder part but there is again an 8b crimpy which finishes with an horrible slab. It took my seven sessions for redpointing it.