Lucy Mitchell has completed the 50m long Free fight intégral (8c) in Luberon. ”I have tried it on and off in the past 2 years but the ‘big’ move in the middle has always been a bit of a stopper for me. This Easter I came back a little stronger and it went from a ‘maybe get it before my skin gave up’ move to an ‘I’d get it every other go’ move. It took a little longer than I thought to finish off as I struggled with the increase in temperature in the region. But, luckily I found a weather window of cool temps and managed not make the most of it! On to the next :)”

What could "the next" be?
Going home on Monday. Next Christmas I hope to get stuck into trying some harder things if all is well

What about the next eight months until Christmas?
Just working at home, unfortunately. I manage a bouldering wall. And set and coach freelance on the side. Some of my staff are doing the competition season and want time off this summer to train and compete. So I am happy to give them that opportunity with no strings attached. Perhaps I could get a week in Ceuse in July … that would be amazing. I am head setter for the youth series of competitions in Ireland from September - November. So I am too busy to go then.

What about your local outdoor scene?
My nearest rock is 2 hours from my house. And then a minimum hour walk up a mountain to get to it. It’s is all trad. There is one small side area bolted with 6 routes 6c - 8b+, but I have done them all. Ireland is nice to look at. Less nice to climb in. Britain is closest, which is £300 ferry and 5-hour drive. Easier to fly to France!

Michaela Kirsch repeated Chris Sharma’s classic five-star climb, Era Vella (9a) at Margalef, last November, after trying it for roughly seven sessions.

Brian Squire, who has already climbed ten 8B+'s has completed Pegasus (8C) and Sound of Violence (8C), logging it as 8B+, in Joe's Valley (UT).

Can you tell us more about your latest ascents?
Pegasus was sorta the final boss of Joe’s Valley for me. After moving to SLC last year I spent a bunch of time here trying to tick off all of the classic 13s [8B's] first and then move up to the harder stuff and finally I got to Pegasus and was able to take it down after a couple of sessions. 15 minutes or so after doing Pegasus I was able to do Sound of Silence as well. I had done the stand (Sound of Silence) before, but never tried the sit. I managed to do it pretty quickly riding a wave of psych! [It] Made for one of my better days climbing!

Michaela Kiersch has onsighted Crimptonite (8b+) in Oliana and redpointed Victima Perfecta (9a+) in Margalef. "So happy to send it after some true heartbreaking attempts falling at the last move — maybe 6 times. A good lesson in perseverance and being patient and in the moment." (c) Jan Novak

Can you tell us more about your first 8b+ onsight?
I gave 2 tries on a new project in Oliana and decided to go for it at the end of the day. Turns out climbing on pockets at 50-60 degrees every day didn’t hurt my crimp strength. I just climbed slowly and took my time to find the right holds and sequences.

Babsi Zangerl reports on Instagram that she has done Pungitopo (8c+) in Arco. (c) Jacopo Larcher

Can you tell us more about your latest redpoint?
Originally I wanted to get back on Solitary Souls (8c+) but it was always soaking wet so I checked out Pungitopo. I guess that one fits my style pretty well. I had some struggles on a very reachy move in the middle. It took me 6 days to climb it.

Jacopo [Larcher] also did the first ascent of “Strange” a route on the left of Pungitopo. Alfredo Webber bolted that route and did it from the second bolt. He was unsure if it was easier or the same grade as Pungitopo.

Tomoa Narasaki won his seventh Boulder World Cup. The runner-up was Sorato Anraku, the overall WC winner in both Lead and Boulder in 2023. Narasaki won by flashing two boulders and all four zones meanwhile 17-year-old Anraku needed four tries for his two tops. Hannes van Duysen, who last year won the Lead Youth World Championship and took the bronze in Boulder, completed the podium. The final round was cancelled due to bad weather and the top six were also among the top eight after the qualification.

Narasaki: "I’m happy to take the win. It’s important to get focussed on the Olympic Games and it starts now with this win. I just have to continue training now for the Games." More quotes can be found on the IFSC website and here are their highlights and more.

1. Tomoa Narasaki JPN 24 (2)
2. Soratu Anraku JPN 24 (4)
3. Hannes van Duysen BEL 23 (4 & 4)
4. Toby Roberts GBR 23 (4 & 6)
5. Sam Avezou FRA 23 (5)
6. Meichi Narasaki JPN 22
Complete results

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Domen Škofic, overall Lead World Cup winner in 2016, has climbed Catxasa (9a+) in Santa Linya. "Such a brutal climb, I’m proud I’ve done it! I tried the route two years ago and almost did it without kneepads. This time I decided that I do it with kneepads since everyone is doing it that way and the grade should stand for what is the easiest way to climb it. My opinion on the grade is that it definitely makes it a bit easier with kneepads but it makes no sense for this route to be only 9a since you’re doing a hard 8c+ into another solid 8c+. The upper 8c+(Fabela) has been done with kneepads for the last 10 years and the grade still stands. I’ve done most of the routes in the cave and my opinion is to either downgrade everything or leave it as it is."

Janja Garnbret won all three rounds in Kequiao and in the final she only needed five attempts, including a foot slip on the slab, to do all four boulders and win her 16th Boulder World Cup.

“It’s the first World Cup of the season and you are always a little bit nervous because although I have been training hard over the winter you don’t really know what your competitors have been doing. I knew I was strong and I felt good, but you never know in a competition.” More quotes on IFSC website.

On a side note, none of the three highest ranked female boulderers, Natalia Grossman, Brooke Raboutou and Oriane Bertone, participated.
1. Janja Garnbret SLO 44 (5)
2. Camilla Moroni ITA 23 (10)
3. Zhilu Luo CHN 22 (2)
4. Zelia Avezou FRA 13 (5)
5. Erin Mcneice AUS 12 (1)
6. Anon Matsufuji JPN 12 (2)
Final results and a video of the final day.

Tanguy Merard, who did five 9a+’s last year, has completed Le Cadafist (9a/+) in Saint Léger, Anidalle tracteur (9a) in L'Abattoir and Amicalement blues (9a) in Saint-Pancrasse. (c) Milan Keller

”Le Cadafist was for me my return to high level outdoors after 6 months without rock and without motivation. It's a route that required a lot of mental investment from me. I almost only fell in the second part (Rêve de poutre 8c) which gave me a lot of trouble. I fell 3 times on the last move to go to the final jug then I changed method and I sent.”

What made you lose motivation?
I think it's because I climbed outside a lot until I get bored of it and suddenly I didn't want to go outside at all. I've only been climbing for a little more than 10 years so I wanted to do something else, so I did partying, routsetting and fun climbing. 4/5 sessions per week but only spraywall climbing.