Christopher Cosser, who was 16th in the Tokyo Olympics, has done Show Your Teeth (9a) in Wolf Point. The 25-yesr-old South African has previously sent two 9a’s and one 9a+.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
It’s been a great couple weekends climbing up at Wolf Point! One of the first routes I did was a line called Sheep Eye (8c), notoriously spicy, and then accidentally found myself on the white panel of Show Your Teeth, only to discover it is one of the best lines at the Point. Psyched to get it done in two days of effort. Major props to Bj Tilden for the vision up here.

What are your summer plans?
I have my eyes set on a big project (Wind Up Bird (9b)) for the fall season, so it’s a training summer for me.

Enrique Beltrán Blasco has completed El Picacho (9a+) in Rodellar. To avoid the heat wave, the Spaniard did wake up 3:30 and arrived to the crag one hour later with his friends Lizer and Samuel. Jonathan Flor did the FA in 2021 and suggested 9b. ”I think the route didn’t have enough hard boulders to be a solid 9b so I suggest 9a+.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
This is the last project from Dani Andrada in Ali baba cave. It’s a hard boulder traverse (in my opinion because it has 22 moves) around 8c route and you go directly to Ali Hulk Extension Total (9a+).

What is your next plan?
My main goal this season is to be in shape for Perfecto Mundo (9b+) and I think this route is a good approach.

Jorge Diaz-Rullo, who climbed Café Colombia (9c) earlier this spring, has spent nearly a month on a bouldering trip in the high mountains of Ticino. During the trip, the Spaniard ticked more than 20 problems graded 8A and harder, including Adularia (8C), and even flashed Voz suave del mar (8B).

”After getting up at 5 am to try Hazel Grace and realising I couldn’t hold onto the holds because of the heat, I ended up on this wall. Somehow, I channelled that frustration, which helped me tackle this attempt with determination and without any pressure. It was more about endurance than strength, but still stoked to have achieved what might be my toughest flash ever.”

What made you go for this boulder trip and did it meet your expectations?
After finally finishing my long-term project, Café Colombia, I went through a lot of different emotions. In a way, I felt a bit lost, like I had no clear direction or goal for the first time in a long while. I know it’s just a phase and that I’ll soon be fully motivated again, but in the meantime I wanted to take a step back from my usual routine, travel, discover new places, and spend time climbing with friends. It felt like the perfect excuse to get back into bouldering. I didn’t come here with any expectations or specific goals. I just wanted to enjoy climbing whatever inspired me. Although, for me, taking it easy still means climbing as much as possible! I wasn’t in my best shape, and the conditions weren’t always ideal, but bouldering definitely gave me a reality check, it’s so hard!

More importantly, I’ve really enjoyed being here. The boulders are incredible, and I’ve met so many amazing climbers over the past few days. Being surrounded by such strong and passionate people has been really inspiring and has motivated me even more.

What was the most memorable climbs and what made it special?
I’ve climbed quite a lot during this trip, around twenty problems from 8A up to 8C, including a few flash up to an 8B. But honestly, the most memorable moments weren’t any particular sends. They were the sessions where I felt I learned something new. That’s what makes this trip special for me. Being here is about the experience, and I know I still have a lot to learn when it comes to bouldering. Those moments of progress are what I’ll remember the most.

What are your next summer plans?
In a few days I’ll be back to training, this time with clear goals for the autumn season. I’m excited to start a new chapter in my climbing career and focus on the projects ahead.

Gianluca Vighetti, who last year sent two 9a+’ at age 16, has done The famous gem (9a) in La Saume. Last year the Italian won the Euro youth cup overall. (c) Nicolò Vece

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I wanted to spend a weekend climbing on rock after the end of the Italian competitions, but I still wanted to try a "comp-style" route, or at least something that could help me train a lot. The Famous Gem was perfect for my goal: a bouldery, crimpy, and overhanging line without many kneebars. On the first day, I never managed to get past the first crux, which is shared with the 8c section, and I started doubting myself and my fitness. The next day, I was having the exact same issue, but once I climbed past the crux, everything went perfectly, and I sent this beautiful line.

What are your summer plans?
My summer plan is to focus on the international competions, the European youth cups, European senior cups and the World youth championship in Arco. I'm also really excited for the rock season in Autumn! I have some really cool lines in my mind.

How come you have not done any IFSC comps in 2026?
Unfortunately I had a shoulder injury that kept me off the wall for some time at the beginning of the season and I wasn't able to compete in the first wc selection and in the other one I wasn't fully recovered. But it isn't a problem, next year I'm going to give my best for sure.

Laura Rogora, who is on a break from the competition scene, has sent Moon landing (9a) in Passo della Presolana. The five star line was bolted by Luca Bana, who did the third ascent, and FA’ed by Stefano Carnati. The 25-year-old has sent 16 routes 9a and beyond during the last year and she is number one in the ranking game ahead of Jorge Diaz-Rullo. (c) Carolina Meloni

Can you tell us more about the weekend?
Last weekend I went to Passo della Presolana to try Moonlanding. On Saturday I worked the moves, and after the first two burns the final crux felt pretty hard, so I decided to do the 8c+ exit instead, especially because it had started raining and the 9a exit was wet.

On my third go my foot slipped on a wet hold and then I sent it on the fourth try. I tried the exit again and found some better beta, but I didn’t have high hopes for the next day.

The following day, however, on my second go the wind had picked up a bit and I realized I had a chance. I didn’t make any mistakes, and after a good fight on the final boulder I clipped the chain.

Arthur Poindefert jumps three grades and repeats Supercrackinette (9a+) in Saint Léger after more than 100 tries. During the two years of projecting, the alpine guide had his shoulder dislocated and underwent compartment syndrome surgery. (c) Timothée Nietschke

Can you tell us more about the ascent and what went into completing it?
This project was something I had in mind during every training session for two years. I had other smaller climbing projects on the side, but this one really taught me how to detach myself from the result while still putting everything into training. In the end, you can climb there in autumn, winter and spring, so quite often. But I also had long periods where I couldn’t go because of injuries that stopped me from climbing.

Can you tell us more about the day of the send?
To tell you about that day, you first need to know that I was supposed to try the route at the end of winter, but with my shoulder injury, my delayed training, and everything else, my shape only came back at the end of May. I was a bit alone in the process, because not many people were at the cliff in early June because of the heat. Every week, from Grenoble, I was doing day trips to put in 2 to 4 tries in the route around 8 p.m., before driving all the way back the same evening.

In the end, I kept feeling better and better in the route, but the guiding season had definitely started! After a first Mont Blanc with two clients, I had to drive from Chamonix for one last day before being completely taken by work for the rest of June. Two good friends were on holiday, and one of them was preparing for the 90 km du Mont-Blanc and had to run. So we planned to meet there: he would run during the day and come belay me in the evening. I drove from Annecy that same day, with my car’s air conditioning broken. Let’s just say I didn’t arrive at the cliff feeling very fresh, and I wasn’t particularly motivated that time… I felt like I was maybe starting to fall into pure stubbornness. So I delayed my arrival at the cliff, spent time with my friends, played some ping-pong, and the motivation came back.

Around 8 p.m., I arrived at the cliff, warmed up in 15 minutes on the ground and on the hangboard there. Then I went up to brush the holds, and by 9 p.m., the day was over, with the route done on the first try. It felt pretty unreal. My climbing was perfect, no detail had escaped me, and the wind probably saved me. For once, I had the energy I needed for the last move, and even though the rock was still warm from the day, the strong wind made it just good enough. Funny little anecdote: the two friends are not really climbers, and 5 minutes before sending the route, I had to explain to Thibaut how a Grigri works! I had been talking to them about the route for two years, and it was their first time at the cliff. They must have thought climbing wasn’t actually that hard after all!

What about the compartments syndrome problem and surgery?
My arms always used to ache when I was training for endurance climbing, but I thought that was the same for everyone. Over time, I realised last year that this wasn’t normal: I was finding it increasingly difficult and my performance was dropping significantly. I couldn’t even climb my warm-up routes without feeling severe pain in my arms, like tendonitis. I eventually discovered that I also had visible muscle hernias in my arms. Once we’d identified the problem, things moved quickly. I had an operation and within two or three weeks I was climbing again! To put it simply, the tissue surrounding my muscle isn’t elastic, and my muscle kept growing without having enough space to do so.

Beckett Hsin, who sent his first 9A in February, has repeated Drew Ruana’s Insomniac (8C+) in Lincoln Lake. (c) Brennan Robinson

The 16-year-old got his driver's license last month, and with that newfound freedom, he visited the area for the first time since 2024 and he comments on Instagram.

”Spent my first few days back grinding out the wolvo cave, and last weekend I managed to avoid the dab and take down the big link! I remember coming to Lincoln for the first time in 2022, and wondering if I’d ever be strong enough to do this one. Looks like I’ve leveled up a bit since then… Was also able to make my way up “Wheel Of Wolvo” and “Variant”, (both v14ish). Alpine szn off to a good start! Hyped to get out of the cave and take on some king lines🔜”

Manon Hily, who was 8th in Innsbruck, included an ascent of Bronx (8c+) in Orgon - Canal as a preparation. Since making her World Cup debut in 2013, the 32-year-old has established herself as one of the sport’s top performers, with ten ascents graded 8c+ or harder, including her first 9a+ route last year. She also enjoyed her second-best overall World Cup season in 2025, finishing 10th in the standings. Her next challenge will be the World Cup event in Chamonix in three weeks’ time.

Ainhize Belar Barrutia, with seven 9a and beyond under her harness, has done Obaba (9a) in Baltzola. "A style that's very different from what's usual at Baltzola, super awesome!!!" (c) Mar Díaz Miranda

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Actually, I put the quickdraws on this route a year ago, but for one reason or another, I’ve never tried it again. It has been a period of combining trainings and some rocks around home, and since the route has been dry in the last few weeks, I decided to try it!!

Pepa Šindel, who last month sent his first 9b, has done Proces (9a) in Višňové. ”With wet holds and without kneepad. So many tries. Not my style at all. When I started trying it 3 years ago I was not able to do most of the moves then after so much time I did the harder variant with kneepad. Today I came full circle and did it honestly.”

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
Proces is an old-school, groundbreaking route in Višňové (Slovakia) FA’d by Juraj Repčík in 2004. It’s the closest 9a to my home, and I’ve spent so much time on it.

It’s an ultra-physical climb in a cave with good holds, huge moves, and a boulder problem in the middle and at the top. Last year, I fell six times on the last jump move, which is a complete comp-style dyno to a jug. I gave up on the move and first did the harder variant, called Procesor 9a/9a+, which skips the final jump. This year, I returned and promised to myself and to my dad that I would do it the original way, without a kneepad. On my first day back this year, I did it without a kneepad and with some of the holds being wet.

What are your summer plans?
I will start my summer trip in Frankenjura where I want to finish Black Label 9a from last year. Then my plans are still open but I will also definitely visit some crags in Dolomites:)