Where Limits Shift and Stories Begin
Every week, climbing finds a new way to surprise us. One athlete rewrites what a multi-pitch ascent can look like. Another stands atop a World Cup podium for the first time. Between iconic crags, competition walls, and conversations shaping our community, this week's stories prove that climbing keeps evolving — often in the most unexpected ways.
The Moments Everyone Is Talking About
Laura Rogora continues her astonishing run with yet another elite onsight, reminding us why she's one of the strongest climbers on the planet. Leo Ketil Bøe's visionary 130-metre Verdens Ende (9a+) blurs the line between sport climbing and adventure, while Chamonix delivers unforgettable World Cup drama with breakthrough victories. Beyond performance, Patagonia's response to the shrinking of Bears Ears National Monument highlights a different kind of fight — one for the future of the places we climb.
Patagonia Responds to the Shrinking of Bears Ears
Patagonia condemns the move to all but eliminate Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments, reaffirming its commitment to defending sacred cultural landscapes alongside the Tribal Nations who have stewarded them for time immemorial.
View post →
Annie Sanders Takes Lead Gold in Chamonix
Sanders claims her third Lead Series gold of the season — her fourth overall and her first in Chamonix — finishing just one move from the top and using every second on the clock.
View post →
Alberto Ginés López Wins First Senior World Cup Gold in Chamonix
Olympic champion Alberto Ginés López takes his first-ever senior WCS gold with a 39+ high point. Luka Potocar silver over Putra Tri Ramadani on countback; Annie Sanders crushes the women's final at 52+.
View post →
Leo Ketil Bøe's 130m Verdens Ende (9a+) in Flatanger
A single 130m continuous pitch through the huge Flatanger roof, protected first by bolts then trad gear. To avoid rope drag on one 80m rope, Bøe performed three unorthodox rope changes at kneebar rests — blurring the line between sport and adventure.
View post →
Laura Rogora Onsights Another 8c and 8c+
Rogora adds another 8c+ onsight with Così Fan Tutte, plus Così Se Arete (9a) second go and other extreme pitches across Spain and Umbria — extending one of the sport's most impressive onsight streaks.
Read article →Creativity Beyond the Crux
This week isn't just about hard grades — it's about imagination. Leo Ketil Bøe's unconventional ascent strategy on a massive Flatanger roof challenges long-held ideas of what's possible on a single pitch. Laura Rogora once again makes impossible onsights look routine, while Jakob Schubert, Yannick Flohé and Shauna Coxsey remind us that the world's strongest climbers are still finding new ways to inspire. Even Stefano Ghisolfi sparks a debate that every climber has had at least once: when is an ascent really valid?
Yannick Flohé's Summer in Magic Wood
Summer sessions in Magic Wood, Switzerland — Yannick Flohé makes the most of the granite.
View post →
Alex Megos and the World's Craziest Campus Boulder
The longest, hardest, steepest, craziest and most dangerous campus boulder in the world — plus a new portable fingerboard from Megos and Woods.
View post →
Jakob Schubert's Shaolin 9A/V17 — Full Video Live
"The best boulder I've ever climbed." The full video of Schubert's Shaolin ascent is out — line, location, holds, and moves as close to perfection as it gets, with the unique Las Vegas contrast of city and quiet crag.
View post →
Stefano Ghisolfi's Dab Debate: Highlander 8B+
Ghisolfi climbed Highlander 8B+ in Sustenpass — but his shirt touched a pad. Is the ascent valid? He opens the debate (and jokes he's not climbing it again either way).
View post →
Mikel Inoriza Climbs El Niño on El Capitan
"Still speechless from the experience on the giant wall of The Captain." 7 days, 3 friends, lots of laughs, falls, heat, cold, music, rain, hammocks and motivation on El Niño.
View post →
Jakob Schubert vs Shaolin — The Video
From Jakob Schubert's YouTube channel, the video of his repeat of Shaolin at Red Rock — his third 9A boulder problem.
Read article →
Shauna Coxsey Sends Quiet Storm 8B+ — First Female Ascent
On the Gotthard granite, Shauna Coxsey makes the first female ascent of Quiet Storm — her sixth 8B+.
Read article →
Simone Tentori Repeats Equanimity 8C at Kirkwood Lake
In the American Kirkwood Lake area, Lecco's Simone Tentori repeats the beautiful and demanding 8C boulder Equanimity.
Read article →Chamonix Delivers the Magic Again
Few venues create moments quite like Chamonix. Annie Sanders continues her incredible season with another World Cup victory, Alberto Ginés López captures his long-awaited first senior Lead gold, and an emotional farewell begins as Manon Hily announces her retirement from competition climbing. Historic wins, career milestones, and unforgettable performances — all in one spectacular weekend beneath Mont Blanc.
Manon Hily Announces Retirement — Chamonix Her Final Comp
French climber Manon Hily has announced that the World Climbing Series Chamonix 2026 will be the final competition of her career — bowing out fighting for a podium in front of a home crowd.
View post →
Emma Hunt & Sam Watson Win First-Ever Speed Mixed Relay
Emma Hunt and Sam Watson made history in Kraków, becoming the first-ever winners of the Speed Mixed Relay at the World Climbing Series.
View post →Ginés López Golden Dream, Sanders Makes It Three in Chamonix
Spain's Alberto Ginés López took an emotional gold in the men's Lead in Chamonix, as USA's Annie Sanders made it three wins for the season in the women's.
Read article →New to climbing?
Start with our guides
Plain English explainers on gear, grades and skills, so every edition makes sense from the first read.
All guides →Strength Starts Long Before the Crag
The best equipment is useless without a healthy body and refined movement. Sasha DiGiulian shares a powerful reflection on moving beyond the obsession with body weight, while Lattice breaks down the often-overlooked details behind stronger toe hooks. This week's gear section isn't about buying more — it's about climbing smarter.
Sasha DiGiulian on Strength Over Shrinking
"For years I believed the quiet math of this sport: lighter meant stronger. It took losing my strength and going through injuries to learn that isn't the truth. Strength isn't something you shrink into. Taking up space is the point."
View post →
Lattice — How to Make Your Toe Hooks Stronger
A good toe hook isn't just about your toe. Engage as much of your foot as possible for a stronger, more secure position — and shoes with larger toe rubber patches give you more friction to work with.
View post →UKC Gear Competition — Win an Edelrid OHMEGA
UKClimbing runs a giveaway for the Edelrid OHMEGA. "The best gear disappears when you're using it."
Read article →Why Climbing Matters
Some stories reach far beyond grades and podiums. Patagonia's stand for Bears Ears reminds us that protecting climbing landscapes is part of protecting the sport itself. Meanwhile, Girl Climber celebrates the next generation through storytelling, and a new French initiative aims to make outdoor bouldering more accessible in urban spaces. Together, these stories explore what climbing can become — not just what it already is.
Girl Climber Documentary Now Streaming
The Girl Climber documentary is available on CBC Gem in Canada and Amazon Prime in the USA — celebrating the next generation through storytelling.
View post →Scotland's Top 5 Mountain Routes at E2
UKClimbing's destination guide to Scotland's magic grade: E2. The traditional magic grades were E1, E3 and E5 — but for Scottish mountain rock, E2 might be the magic grade.
Read article →
FFME and Monolithe Partner on Free Urban Outdoor Bouldering
The French Mountain and Climbing Federation partners with startup Monolithe to develop free, open-access outdoor natural-rock bouldering spaces in urban areas.
Read article →Don't miss the next edition
You just read one weekly issue. Join free and get every edition, the ascents, comps and stories worth your time, straight to your inbox.
Free. Weekly. Unsubscribe anytime.