Silvio Reffo, who did his twelfth 9a in 2018, has added one more to his scorecard, Sever The Wicked Hand in Frankenjura. "I did a try some years ago, last week I checked the moves but the route was wet and this week I tried two days."

How come this was the first 9a since 2018?
I climbed some 9a but I downgraded them to 8c+ 😂😂😂... Last year due to lockdown I didn't climb and skip the good climbing season in Italy. With work and family, it's also difficult to be in a good shape every moment...

What are your summer plans?
I’d like to finish some projects near home but I must wait for fresh conditions So for the summer I’ll work, train and climb in some summer spots in Italy.

Giuliano Cameroni has done the fourth ascent of Daniel Woods' La force tranquille 8C. (c) Clément Lechaptois

"Started trying it in 2016. First epic moment was in 2018 falling off the topout due to a silly foot slip. Next day it snowed a meter or so and had to wait the whole winter. Seemed like it was a matter of tries to get it done but in 2019 and 2020 it didn’t work out. This season, after focusing on improving the crimp power, the line felt doable again and on the 2nd try I found myself on top!" More comments on his Insta

Geila Macia, daughter to famous Spanish climbers Berta Martin and (c) Israel Macia, has done her second 8b+, Orion in Sadernes. "It is a long steep route on crimps and some slopy holds. There is a first section with non-stop climbing till a kind of a good rest before the crux. It is very powerful on some bad edges, a hard clip, and a long move from a very slopy hold to a small vertical crimp. Then just easy climbing. The weekend before I couldn’t climb until the rest but I could link all the hard moves in a row so I felt excited because I knew that I could reach the resting holds."

So you are strongest in your family now and what are your summer plans?
My mum is trying an 8b next to this route. She could climb it with one fall... This summer we will travel around Europe if the Covid situation alow us and I’m going to participate in Tout a Bloc in July.

Stephan Vogt, who did Action Direct 9a in 2017, has done the first repeat of Giani Clement's Stil vor Talent 8C in Magic Wood. "What a feeling! Thank you, Giani for having the vision. For sure the hardest boulder I have ever done. Concerning the grade, I think that 8C is more fitting than 8C/+. This boulder really suites my style but I don`t think it is hard enough for the plus. Let's see what other people think!"

Last week, Stephan did his second 9a, Unendliche Geschichte 1+2+3, which shares the same 8B+ start as Stil vor Talent and then a 7C+/8A boulder finish. "After climbing to the sloper rail of the 8B+ you traverse left to a bad rest followed by a powerful dyno. From there you have a delicate slab in front of you that leads to the top of the Bruno block. It is the obvious way to top out this huge boulder without the use of a rope."

How come you have been able to step up the game so much after not that many hard climbs after AD in 2017?
As a full-time Master cinematography student, I have less and less time for training and climbing in general. That and some health problems during the past few years made it quite difficult to get out there and climb. This year is a strange one. Although I have not been training for over a year I feel stronger than ever. I believe the reason is that I can climb with no expectations and pressure. It is very much a mental game for me!

Karoline Sinnhuber has done her 33rd 8A+, Rombuk in Silvretta in just two sessions out of which one four years ago. "So happy that my knee finally got its shit together and could do that massive heel hook! Proud to tick this one of the bucket list :-)" Great intense video on her Insta

What are your summer plans?
Well, let‘s hope for a dry summer with a lot of clouds, little sun and nice temps 😅 #notgonnahappen. I have no trips planned yet, but I really wanna go to "Sustenpass" again and maybe also "Blaueis" (if I survive the hike). I have one more long-term project in Silvretta, "More shining". I hope my finger can handle those mini crimps already and I‘m curious if I have made some strength process over the last year ☺️

Nigel Armino skips 8c+ and does his first 9a (8c+), Coup d’état in Fleron. "6 sessions (around 25-30 tries including warmup/checking out the moves etc..). For sure my hardest route to date. 20 moves power endurance. Grade wise I would say soft 9a or veeeeeeryyy hard 8c+.... But I can't really tell. It was great to put some time in a route at my limit and to see the progression. I never had that feeling before in a route where I had to do everything perfectly. Click here to go to the video."

Tomoa Narasaki, the possibly best dynamic competition boulderer in the world, explains his four techniques he is using doing double dynos; Only swing once, Pull and then Push, Focus on lower foot, Wait - Jump

Gordon Anderson has done his first 8C by repeating Daniel Woods Dicktopia at Camp Dick. "Put in a lot of work for this beautiful line, I'm fucken psyched!!! Hardest climb so far. Classic one Daniel."

Linus Raatz and Stephan Vogt have repeated Peter Würth's Unendliche Geschichte 1+2+3 9a in Magic Woods. It is a seven-bolt extension to the boulder Never Ending Story 8B+ and also 8C has been suggested although clipping into a rope. In the picture by Vogt, he is also belaying meanwhile Raatz is climbing.

Vogt: "The End... too cheesy to be true. On the last attempt of the day when it was already pitch black, I decided to give it one more burn. Standing on the slab with a headlamp was one of the more rewarding feelings I felt in my climbing career. The key was running through part 1 and 2 in 40 seconds to escape the pump. Thank you Linus for being on the other end of the rope! It was super inspiring to see him send the day before. For sure a team ascent. Eight days over six Years.

So after climbing the 8B+ there is an ok rest. From there you clip into the rope. then you have 5 bolts to the lip of the Bruno Bloc. It is a 7B boulder in my opinion. The boulder has really polished holds and insecure body positions, very easy to slip out of. After a powerful move to the lip, there is a cool mantle and a spicy slab to finish it off. Falling on the slab would be really dangerous so after talking with the locals Marvin Rueppel and I placed two more bolts on top of the Bruno bloc right before I send the route that evening. Now no one needs to die while topping out this beautiful route."

Raatz: "The perfect line! I got obsessed with this climb for some time and now this chapter is over, this story is told. It's been a crazy ride. From pt. 1 to 1+2 to 1+2+3. Super happy, I enjoyed every single session on this climb. For me, it was very important to speed up my pace on the 8B+ boulder problem. In total, I improved from 1:15 on my send of the 8B+ boulder to 0:55 to the top jug of the boulder part when I sent the whole route. On that jug I optimized my rest position and rested for just over 2 minutes. On the send attempt, I could feel that I was about to send it, as I arrived with just a little bit more left in my forearms somehow. Earlier that day I fell on the move to the top edge. Topping out that line and standing on top of the famous "Bruno Block" felt amazing, an emotional moment for me. I'm so happy that Stephan and I opened and closed this chapter together, we wouldn't have done it alone I guess."

Amandine Loury, who did her first 8c+ last year, has done her seventh 8c, Saoulé Sonné in Buoux. (c) Jeunet

"I’m super happy to be the first female to send this very physical route on one and two-finger holds typical of Buoux. But contrary to historical routes in Buoux that are rather vertical, this one is an endurance route in a big roof. The first routes in this roof were bolted twenty years ago, but "Le saoulé sonné" is a quite recent route sent by a few boys like Adrien Boulon, Manu Lopez and Mathieu Bouyoud. Yet it’s summertime, temperatures are very hot in the south of France. I'm waiting to finish my work in late June to go climbing in the mountains in better conditions."

What about that "Objectif 👉 9a" posted on your Insta?
I wanted to try a route this winter near my home, in Saint Léger du Ventoux, but finally, I had a different plan. So I will try this later maybe. I love too much climbing on different crags, different routes. I love the diversity of climbing. I don’t like to try a unique route for months and months.