Climbing · Worth knowing

Emilie Gerhardt completed Wrestling with an alligator (8B) in Maltatal after taking a break from climbing due to work commitments at her boulder gym. The ascent marks another significant achievement for Gerhardt, who was a Youth World Champion silver medalist in 2013 and has amassed over a dozen 8A grades and two 8B's throughout her climbing career. Noah Wheeler sent Sound of Violence (8C) at Joe's Valley on his first day there, using a left-hand gaston throw beta that suited his style, and subsequently flashed an 8B the same day. Wheeler, who has previously completed nine 8B+ ascents, transitioned to outdoor bouldering two years ago after competing in youth nationals and credits his tension board training for translating well to outdoor climbing styles.

Giuliano Cameroni completed the first ascent of Eye in the Sky (8C) in Valle Bavona after around ten sessions of projecting. He describes the boulder as requiring a mix of power and technique with precise footwork and body tension. Since 2014, Cameroni has completed 26 boulders graded 8C or 8C+, including ten first ascents, and two 9a first ascents. His training approach focuses on visualization and understanding which muscles are needed for harder moves, allowing him to train almost daily while staying fresh. He incorporates moonboard training in summer before applying the gained strength to outdoor climbing in winter. Several other significant ascents were logged: Marwin Winkler completed Chilam Salsera (9a) in Villanueva del Rosario after struggling with the crux boulder for years; Lucy Mitchell sent Freefight intégral (8c), a 50-meter route in Luberon; Brian Squire completed both Pegasus (8C) and Sound of Violence (8C) in Joe's Valley within minutes of each other; Michaela Kiersch onsighted Crimptonite (8b+) in Oliana and redpointed Victima Perfecta (9a+) in Margalef after multiple attempts; and Babsi Zangerl redpointed Pungitopo (8c+) in Arco after six days of climbing.

Molly Thompson-Smith returned to competition climbing after recovering from a pulley injury that sidelined her through most of the year. The British climber, ranked #7 in the 2017 Lead World Cup, completed a climbing trip to Spain where she ascended Kale Borraka 8b+ in Siurana and Fabelita 8c in Santa Linya. She plans to compete in all lead World Cups next year and some bouldering events, while targeting Olympic qualification. Jakob Schubert, this year's Lead and Combined World Champion, made the second ascent of Chris Sharma's El Bon Combat near Barcelona, grading it hard 9a+ rather than the original 9b/+ assessment. Felipe Camargo repeated Sharma's Gancho Perfecto 9a in Margalef after two months of effort, suggesting an upgrade to 9a+. Matilda Söderlund sent Pure Imagination 8c+ in Red River Gorge after returning to serious climbing following years focused on her MBA.