Giuliano Cameroni has had a good week having done six boulders 8A and harder including The Never Ending Story 8B+ in Magic Woods which is a 20 move link up. You start in the roof down in the right corner of the picture and continue up in the overhang. "I did 1st and 2nd part last summer, but after having decided to climb the full line, it took me two days. Psyched!"In total, the 16 year old has done 71 boulders 8A and harder including one 8C, The Story of Two Worlds.

We shall wait you all ! :) http://www.grimper.com/news-grimper-155-kiosque

Save Getu reports some chocking news that the the famous beautiful Getu in China is about to get destroyed in order to create a big tourist attraction. Four local guys protesting have been sent to jail for ten days. A Chinese petitition page. "To construct the expanded parking lots and gates, so throngs of visitors can conveniently drive into the peaceful valley, developers and officials forcibly appropriated hundreds of acres of farm and forest land from the locals, many of the ethnic Miao descent. Local people’s protests were suppressed by police deployed by the local officials. Four most vocal leaders were jailed for 10 days. Now the damages to the lower portions of the caves done, developers have moved for the “holiest of the holiest,” the Chuanshang, or Through Upper Cave, under the Great Arch! Workers are already clearing the delicate vegetation to make site for a hotel and restaurant!

Alex Raczyński has had some productive days in the Lleida area by doing two 8c+'s, Directa Cornualles in Siurana and Pal este in Margalef. The 19 year old, also onsighted Sandokan 8b in Masriudoms. Alex has previously done two 9a's, the first when he was 17.

James Webb has done the second ascent of Nalle Hukkataival's The Understanding 8C in Magic Woods. "Somehow managed to climb it in 1 session. Only had 6 pads and 1 spotter but when the problem is this good you just gotta go for it when it feels right. Literally the best boulder problem I have ever climbed. The perfect line. Nice one Nalle!" Nalle's great video. This could be the first confirmed 8C in one session meaning that there is plenty of room for an 8C+ or possibly even 9A for James. During the last month, James has done 27 boulders only counting 8A flashes and 8B redpoints and harder. No other boulderer has ever made such an impressive tick list and bear in mind that the list is based on his personal grades.

Previously, several E10 and harder have been reported on the UK trad scene but during the last few years almost none have been done beside Psykovsky's Sequins which later was down graded to E8. The most famous is possibly Dave MacLeod's Rhapsody E11 from 2006, see the picture and video trailer from Hot Aches. The logical explanation for this is that most of the finest hard and dangerous lines have been done and it is not equally interesting to repeat a dangerous route as to make the FA. Another possible explanation could be that crash pads and better belay strategies have down graded potential E10's as they have reduced the death and injury potential. Further more, dangerous routes might not be so interesting for the new younger gym generation as the boulder and sport climbing possibilities are much greater compared to ten years ago. It should be noted that the trad scene when it comes to more moderate E-grades are very much alive in and that the trad climbing in UK is probably the best in the world not counting crack climbing. The E-grades has a great tradition and work fine for anybody who wants to select which route to onsight as the scale are based both on the pure difficulty and how dangerous they are.

DMM has the great story of Ben Bransby 2nd ascent of Pete Whittaker’s impressive Baron Greenback at Wimberry Rocks, check the video. In order to protect the start Ben carried up a nine-foot wooden fencing post, see the picture. Higher up on the route he used a half a meter bamboo cane to stick clip the 50+ year old 6 mm and 1 cm long rusty bolt as the FA did. Once it was stick clipped Ben reversed to the ground before he started his attempt, the first half on two top ropes. This weekend, the FA Pete Whittaker, did a new direct FA where he first equalized bolts 2 and 3 together with a sling that had a loop for the quick draw. Pete also used several crash pads to protect the start. Regarding the grade, Ben has said, “I think the grade would probably be E9 6c but it is pretty dependent on whether 50+ year-old aid bolts stay in! If they are bomber it would be more like E8 and if they ripped it would be E10, so E9 seems like a good compromise. Hard F8a+ is probably accurate for the climbing.” The UK E-grades are partly based on how dangerous a route is so if it turns out nobody is injured on the route, it will get E8 but in the worst case (and also in the future if the bolts are not replaced) it will become an E10. It should also be noted that the E-grades measures how hard and dangerous a route is to onsight so in practice the E-grade of Baron Greenback is just fun fiction.

Ethan Walker has had two good weeks making two personal best by first doing Keen Roof 8B and later Belly of the Beast giving it a personal grade of 8B+. "Never fought as hard on anything before I don't think! All out on the final moves. Had turned into a slight mental battle but today with warmer temps, everything clicked liked it should. Feeling in the best shape of my whole life right now, super psyched for whatevers next! Pizza time!

There are now 5 000 crags in the 8a database. All these crags and mentioned sectors have at least 50 ascents. Now the webmaster has made it possible for 8a members to manually add crags and sectors in order to promote also smaller and new climbing spots. You find the link at the top where you add routes and boulders. Once you have done this, you can sort the climbs from Left-to-Right in order to create a Topo that is both visible in the 8A Topo and in the 8a database. We hope the App, available both for iPhones and Androids, will become the future topo bible.