Climbing Africa's tallest mountain is no small feat. The trip to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, takes trekkers through 19,341ft (5,895m) of varied African terrain, including dense jungles and arid desert landscapes. There's also dangerous wildlife to contend with, and the harrowing effects of hiking 4 to 10 miles (6.5 to 16km) a day in rapidly increasing altitude.

On average, between three and 10 people die each year on the mountain, often due to altitude sickness or hiking injuries. However, the dangers aren't enough to stop a team of blind hikers from attempting to make history by climbing the mountain next month.

All 11 trekkers from the Kilimanjaro Blind project are either fully blind or visually impaired and are making their final preparations for the daunting week-long ascent. If successful, they will become the largest group of blind climbers to scale Kilimanjaro.

They will be assisted throughout by guides, who will offer physical support and give crucial information about the underfoot terrain ahead.

Calgary hiker Peter Quaiattini is one of the organizers of the trek, and explained some of the difficulties he expects to encounter to the Calgary Eyeopener.

"The risk with climbing Kilimanjaro, failure rate is altitude sickness, you're going to almost 20,000ft," he said.

"By having a seven-day ascent, it gives your body more time to acclimatize to the higher elevation."

Altitude sickness is caused by rapid exposure to the low oxygen levels at altitude. Common symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, and shortness of breath, but sufferers can sometimes experience more severe effects like hallucinations.

Spending time in the mountains mitigates the risks by saturating the oxygen in your red blood cells and preparing your body for the effects of altitude.

Among those summitting the mountain is retired NASA engineer Michael McCulloch, who has shared his videos of his workouts and preparation on social media.

"Right down the road from me, a few blocks down, there's a fourteen-story professional building," he explains on Instagram.

"Here I am in my Kili training centre doing stairs. This week I'm hitting 75 floors up and down," he jokes from a stairwell.

• The best hiking shoes: capable summit-baggers and fast-paced walkers
• The best trekking poles: take the pressure off when you're out on the trails

Trail running superstar Kilian Jornet has begun his latest crazy adventure - climbing 67 of America's tallest mountains, and hiking and cycling between them.

Jornet began his States of Altitude Project last week on Longs Peak in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, and is aiming to summit every mountain over 14,000ft (4,267m) in the US, aside from those in Alaska, as fast as he can.

Following his initial summit, Jornet continued to the South Arapaho Peak on the Continental Divide and went down to set off on a 49-mile (79km) cycle ride south to the Echo Lake campground. Six hours of sleep later, he was back in the mountains, working his way through Colorado's Mosquito mountain range.

"Kilian barely slept following the LA Freeway epic, and he woke up feeling every one of those 16 hours as well as the Colorado altitude in his body," explains a post on his Instagram account.

"The morning brought Mt. Blue Sky (formerly Evans) and Bierstadt, but Colorado’s afternoon storms had other plans. A weather system rolled in, forcing route changes that added 4 hours to the day," it continued.

"In just over 41 hours of movement & 160 miles (259km) on foot and by bike, Kilian has now summited 6 Colorado 14ers."

At the time of writing, Kilian remains in Colorado as he attempts to tick off each of the 58 peaks above 14,000 feet (4,267m) that the state has to offer.

Jornet, who's previously set records on the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, and scaled Everest without supplemental oxygen, announced his latest adventure in August, and says there are two main reasons for doing it now.

"What I experienced in the Pyrenees and the Alps motivated me to keep exploring this dimension of long traverses with a strong physical, cognitive, and creative component," he said before setting off.

"It’s also about exploring the American West - the vastness of the terrain and the cultures that have lived and continue to live there, as well as a nature that is often wild and incredibly diverse, ranging from alpine areas to dense forests and deserts."

• The best trekking poles: take the pressure off when you're out on the trails
• The best hiking shorts: cool, comfy legs mean more miles on the trails

A former rugby star, who was told he would never walk again after breaking his neck, has become the first person to scale a previously unsummitted peak in Krgyzstan's Tian Shan mountain range.

Ed Jackson, 36, sustained the life-changing injury in 2017 when he dove into the shallow end of a swimming pool and has lived with various physical and neurological disabilities ever since.

On Friday, August 21, he returned home from a month-long expedition to the remote Tien Shan mountains, where he became the first person to reach the unexplored summit of a peak he's dubbed 'Hope Mountain'.

The challenge, which has raised £6,000 ($8,000) for his Millimeters to Mountains (M2M) foundation and various children's organizations, is the culmination of years of hard work. Jackson and his wife Lois launched M2M a year after his injury to help facilitate outdoor adventures for people facing adversity.

"There was a lot of meaning behind reaching the summit, other than just ticking a box to stand on top of it," Jackson told BBC Radio Bristol.

"Whatever your limitations are, you can get out and do extraordinary things."

Jackson and his team overcame plenty of tricky terrain and challenging conditions during the ascent, negotiating icy glacial slopes, uneven valleys, and steep, elevated ridges. The former England and Wales player says the help he received from locals was one of the highlights of the adventure.

"One of the most amazing things was connecting with the local shepherds and the nomads in the mountain," says Jackson.

"They became invaluable for us to be able to get our kit into different locations, they were lending us their horses or coming with us."

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best women’s climbing shoes: for indoor climbing sessions, valley cragging and all-day mountain adventures

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

Two new faces topped the podium as the Climbing World Cup returned for the penultimate lead climbing round in Madrid, Spain, over the weekend. Women's competition winner Annie Sanders secured an astonishing victory at just 17 years old, while South Korea's Dohyun Lee won his first lead competition in style.

Read on for our roundup of all the action from a brilliant climbing competition.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's lead competition

The 2025 men's lead climbing competition has been a tense affair, with several climbers in contention for the coveted series victory. The penultimate round was no different, as South Korea's Dohyun Lee snatched gold in a tight final bout with Alberto Gines Lopez of Spain.

Following a hard-fought qualification round, the pair were neck and neck throughout the final, but Lee's score of 40+ just edged out his opponent, who finished marginally behind him with 40 points.

Gold in Madrid represents Lee's first-ever World Cup lead climbing victory. The 22-year-old has been threatening to win a round for some time, with some consistent performances in qualification and an impressive second-place finish in the final lead event of 2024.

After his victory, an ecstatic Lee told the IFSC: "This feels unreal, I can't believe it.

"When I finished my climb, I didn't think it was worth a gold medal. I would have expected fourth or fifth."

Last weekend's competition propelled both Lee and Lopez up the lead climbing table and put them in contention for the series victory, although Japanese prodigy Sorato Anraku remains the favorite.

Although he finished in fifth in Madrid, Anraku, 18, is the only climber to have won two lead competitions this season. He already won the bouldering series earlier in the season and will be eager to wrap up the lead title when the competition returns in September.

Women's lead competition

American teenager Annie Sanders stole the spotlight in the women's competition with a commanding first lead climbing victory. The 17-year-old climbed with skill and composure well beyond her years in the qualifying round before she secured gold with a dominant display in the final.

Sanders was within touching distance of her first lead gold in the previous round, but slipped at the crucial moment and had to settle for second. There would be no such errors in Madrid, as she dominated the final route ahead of Italy's Laura Rogora, who won silver.

Over the moon after her victory, Sanders told the IFSC, "I'm honestly still in shock right now.

"I didn't know what to expect at the beginning of the season, but after the first Lead World Cup in China, I knew I was capable of doing this, and I'm glad it finally happened".

Sanders marked herself as one to watch at the first lead climbing event of the season with a bronze medal in Wujiang, China. Victory over the weekend cements her place as one of sport climbing's brightest young talents.

The women's lead climbing table is currently led by South Korea's Chaehyun Seo and Erin McNeice of Great Britain. They've each won two gold medals and been in and around the podium during the other events.

Both climbers had the chance to secure the series victory in Madrid, but neither managed to make the podium. Sanders' unlikely win means that the competition will be decided at the final round, in Koper, Slovenia, in September.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The world's best sport climbers will now take a month-long break before they return to the wall for the decisive lead climbing event in Koper, Slovenia. The final round will decide the series winners for the 2025 competition and begins on September 5.

Stick with Advnture for our preview of the event and a roundup of all the action from Koper.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best women’s climbing shoes: for indoor climbing sessions, valley cragging and all-day mountain adventures

The world's best climbers have their eyes on the leaderboard as a thrilling climbing World Cup competition hurtles towards its conclusion. This week, the crème de la crème of lead climbers are limbering up to take on the wall in Madrid, Spain, for the penultimate World Cup round.

The men's and women's qualification rounds begin tomorrow, July 18, before the finals take place on Saturday, July 19.

There's lots of action to look forward to, as a superstar climbers like Sorato Anraku, Erin McNeice, and Chaehyun Seo look to battle it out in pursuit of lead climbing gold.

Read on for our preview of the 12th round of this season's climbing World Cup, which includes the schedule, information on how to watch the competition, and who to look out for on the wall.

Ones to watch

Men's lead climbing

Spectators in Madrid will have their eyes firmly fixed on one man in the men's lead competition, as Japan's Sorato Anraku looks to make history by winning a second series victory in as many competitions.

Early this year, the 18-year-old claimed his crown as the world's best male boulderer by winning three of the six bouldering rounds. Gold in Madrid would represent Anraku's third lead climbing win of the season and give him a near-unassailable lead atop the competition table.

Series wins in two out of the three World Cup climbing events would be a historic achievement and cement the teenager's spot as the world's best multi-discipline sport climber.

Despite his stellar form, Anraku can't celebrate too early, as he'll have to get through countrymen Satone Yoshida and Neo Suzuki, and a fired-up Toby Roberts of Great Britain.

Yoshida and Suzuki have won this year's other two lead climbing rounds and closely trail Anraku on the leaderboard, while Olympic champion Roberts has a point to prove following a sluggish start to the competition. Victory for any of the three would dent Anraku's title hopes and keep the competition alive before the final round in September.

Women's lead climbing

This year's women's lead climbing competition has turned into something of a shootout between two otherwise unproven climbers who're gunning for the coveted series gold.

We're four rounds in, and there's little to separate South Korea's Chaehyun Seo and Erin McNeice of Great Britain. They've each won two gold medals and been in and around the podium during the other events.

In an extraordinary opening round, the pair shared gold after both recorded the same scores in the final, semi-final, and qualification rounds. McNeice then sped ahead with a convincing win in the next round, before Seo evened up the tally with a close run victory in last week's World Cup in Chamonix, France.

The rivalry has come as something of a surprise to climbing fanatics, as neither athlete was fancied for the series gold before the competition. Prior to the opening round, Seo hadn't won a World Cup round for over four years, while McNeice's only real success came in the form of Olympic bronze at last summer's Paris games.

The women's bouldering competition looks a little different this year due to the absence of two of the world's best all-around climbers. Natalia Grossman of the USA is recovering from two long-term knee injuries, while two-time Olympic champion Janja Garnbret has missed all but one round as she takes time to rest.

Garnbret returned from her lengthy absence in the third round of this year's lead climbing competition, where she claimed a decisive victory to remind the world of why she's won two Olympic golds and a whopping 47 IFSC World Cup events.

Despite her dominance, Garnbret has opted to continue her break, opening to competition to either Seo or McNeice to claim a first World Cup series win.

IFSC World Cup Schedule

Lead qualification

• 11.30pm PT (July 17) / 2.30am EST (July 18) / 9.30am BST (July 18) Men's and women's qualification

Lead finals

• 11.30am PT (July 18) / 2.30pm EST (July 19) / 9.30pm BST (July 18) Men's and women's semi-finals
• 11.30am PT (July 19) / 2.30pm EST (July 20) / 9.30pm BST (July 19) Men's final
• 12.30pm PT (July 19) / 3.30pm EST (July 20) / 10.30pm BST (July 19) Women's final

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place over 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

How to watch the IFSC World Cup

There are loads of ways to watch the upcoming World Cup competition, with plenty of broadcasters and streaming services providing coverage.

Check out how you can watch where you are with our expert guide.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best climbing films: 10 great movies about incredible mountain adventures

Back in 2024, Luke Tarrant from Bedford in the UK had taken a break from working as an investment banker to go on a trip of a lifetime, riding a motorbike through the Americas. However, he was left fighting for his life when, in May, he was involved in a crash in Columbia.

He had to have his leg amputated, and then contracted sepsis. Luckily he survived, and today is determined not to let his disability stand in his way. Just over one year on from the crash, Luke is now hoping to summit a 16,400ft (5,000m) never-before-been-climbed mountain in Kyrgyzstan.

He will be taking part in the remote expedition with adaptive mountaineer Ed Jackson. Ed is a former professional rugby union player and lifelong outdoor enthusiast. In 2017, when he was 28, he fractured multiple vertebrae in his spine and doctors warned him that he may never walk again.

Since then, Ed has defied the experts and returned to the mountains. He uses kit modified by Berghaus to help him climb and started the charity, Millimeters 2 Mountains, which supports individuals to overcome adversity through adventure.

In an Instagram post announcing the expedition, Luke said: "I've done tons of crazy things in my life but this is without doubt the most mental yet.

"[Ed] told me just after my crash that one day we'd climb a mountain together. I thought, 'alright mate, maybe a local hill in five years time'. But no, just half a year after I got out of the wheelchair and started learning to walk again, we're attempting a world first."

The expedition, named First Ascent, will kick off in mid-August and Bergaus says it intends to "rewrite the rules of who gets to explore, and prove that with the right mindset, innovation and support, anything is possible".

The project has these key aims:

• Access: Using customized kit, including gear from the Berghaus Adapts initiative, they hope to drive innovation in the outdoor industry to make mountaineering more inclusive for people with physical impairments.
• Education: The adventurers will share insights and unfiltered stories from the mountain to paint a picture of what it's like living with disability.
• Science: The team will be helping researchers study how disabilities affect individuals in different environments by tracking their biometrics.
• Legacy: Ed and Luke hope that their successful ascent will allow them to name the mountain, making mountaineering history and inspiring future generations.

In an Instagram post revealing how the idea of the expedition came about, Ed says:

"In three weeks I'm heading to Kyrgyzstan to attempt a true first ascent, a 5,000m giant that no human has ever stood on, one of the last unnamed peaks on Earth. Still wild, still completely untouched.

"Luke and I bonded over similar attitudes and a lust for adventure, so six months ago I asked him to come to K with me, but just to base camp. But, plans have changed. He's trained, he's transformed, to the point where I asked if he'd consider joining me for the summit push.

"The crazy part is a year ago he had two legs, and a month ago he'd never worn crampons."

The expedition will be broadcast in real time through satellite links and via social media. Ed and Luke will be fundraising for Millimetres 2 Mountains. Donations can be pledged at First Ascent: Ed & Luke take on a World-First climb.

• Take your own adventure to new heights with the best approach shoes
• Keep sure-footed on the summit push with the the best crampons

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

A couple of familiar faces returned to the podium after a thrilling climbing World Cup event in Chamonix, France, this weekend. The speed and lead climbing double header was full of entertainment and resulted in a couple of big victories for some of the world's best climbers.

Read on for our roundup of all the action from a brilliant climbing competition.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's speed competition

American prodigy Sam Watson put distance between himself and the rest of the IFSC World Cup leaderboard with a close-run second win of the season in Chamonix. The 19-year-old was a heavy favorite coming into the 2025 competition, but has fallen a little flat in previous rounds, winning just the one, in Bali, back in May.

Despite his mixed form, a second win of the season solidifies Watson's place atop the leaderboard and makes him the clear front-runner for the speed climbing series gold when the competition concludes in September.

After a steady qualifying round, he met Kazakhstan’s Rishat Khaibullin in the final, who lost out to the American by just 0.22 seconds. Zach Hammer, also American, rounded out the leaderboard after a tight third-place playoff against Erik Noya Cardona of Spain.

Following the event, a proud Watson told the IFSC: "This is the crown jewel of the World Cup circuit here in Chamonix. It’s my second time, so a repeat of last year, and this one meant a lot."

Khaibullin, 25, was equally pleased to be on the podium. He said: "I’m a little bit tired, but I am so excited after this competition. It’s a wonderful place for a World Cup, so I really enjoy it."

Women's speed competition

Another familiar face topped the podium in the women's speed climbing event.

Poland's Aleksandra Miroslaw has been exceptional in this year's speed climbing competition, and although she's only won one previous event, has been consistently in and among the medals.

The 31-year-old put on a dominant display in Chamonix, racing up the wall in just 6.19 seconds in the final to comfortably beat the winner of the previous round, Indonesia’s Desak Dewi, who finished in 6.46 seconds to take the silver.

Like Watson, Miroslaw can now enjoy a comfortable lead atop the speed climbing table, as no one else in the competition has more than one gold.

Miroslaw won her first-ever IFSC World Cup gold at the same venue eight years ago, so she was more than happy to return to Chamonix.

"I actually return here after seven years as my last Chamonix World Cup was in 2018 when I also won, so I’m happy because Chamonix is very special," she told the IFSC.

"My first gold was here also, so it’s like the cycle of history.”

American climber Emma Hunt was also happy after this weekend's event. The 22-year-old has enjoyed an impressive 2025 season and remains near the top of the leaderboard after a pacy third-place finish.

“It’s so special because it’s the first competition that my whole family has been to where I’ve medalled, so it’s a special place," she explained to the IFSC.

Men's lead competition

Japanese superstar Sorato Anraku continued to cement his place as one of the world's best multi-discipline sport climbers with a speedy victory in the men's lead event.

After a typically faultless qualifying round, the 18-year-old held his nerve in the final as the only climber to top a challenging route. Lead climbing gold in Chamonix was his second of an incredible season, in which he's already won the bouldering series.

Spain's Alberto Ginés López finished just behind Anraku in second, after falling short of the final hold, while an ecstatic Filip Schenk of Italy won his first-ever World Cup medal with bronze.

Anraku's dazzling climb continues his incredible run in this year's IFSC World Cup and puts him out and ahead as a clear favorite for the lead series gold. It comes after back-to-back competitions where he missed out on the final round.

"I’m happy to come back and get the victory," he told the IFSC.

"I missed finals in Bali and Innsbruck, then I trained a lot after Innsbruck as I really wanted to win in Chamonix."

Women's lead

South Korea's Seo Chaehyun won her second lead climbing gold of the season with a precise climb in Chamonix.

The 21-year-old previously claimed victory in the first lead climbing round of the season, and sped to another win over the weekend, her sixth World Cup gold of a short but very impressive career.

"I'm super happy and I’m just lost for words. I can’t believe it," Seo told the IFSC after she topped the podium with a technical 44+ scored climb.

“I won my first gold medal here, and it felt amazing to climb again in front of such a huge crowd.”

American youngster Annie Sanders followed in second, after slipping a couple of times to lose the top spot. At just 17, Sanders is considered to be one of sport climbing's brightest young talents and can look forward to a big future, after she also impressed in the bouldering competition earlier this season.

In third place, Erin McNeice of Great Britain continued her excellent lead climbing campaign with another medal. The 21-year-old, who wasn't favoured before this year's competition, has medalled at every lead competition this season, and looks to be a real contender for the coveted series gold.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The next IFSC World Cup event takes place on July 18 and 19 in Madrid, Spain. The two-day competition continues this year's thrilling lead climbing contest and will be crucial for deciding the men's and women's lead series winners.

Stick with Advnture for our preview of the event and a roundup of all the action the next week.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best women’s climbing shoes: for indoor climbing sessions, valley cragging and all-day mountain adventures

The Climbing World Cup is back, and heading to Chamonix, France, for what promises to be a thrilling weekend of competition climbing action. This weekend's round pits the world's best speed and lead climbers against each other in two separate events.

The speed climbing competition starts today with a qualification round, before the finals take place tomorrow, July 12. The lead climbing competition begins tomorrow, with a tense final round taking place on Sunday, July 13.

There's plenty to look forward to this weekend, as climbers from both disciplines look to climb the leaderboard in pursuit a the coveted series win.

Read on for our preview of the 11th round of this season's climbing World Cup, which includes the schedule, information on how to watch the competition, and who to look out for on the wall.

Ones to watch

Men's speed climbing

The men's speed climbing competition is heading towards a thrilling conclusion, and this week's penultimate event is likely to make a huge difference to the leaderboard.

There have been four winners from the four events so far, with little separating the favorites. Indonesia's Kiromal Katabin currently holds the pole position, thanks to a speedy gold in Denver last month and an impressive second-place finish in the previous speed climbing competition in Krakow, Poland.

Breathing down his neck is American prodigy Sam Watson, who's also won one event this year and has shown plenty of promise in the rest of the competition. Watson has been a mainstay atop speed climbing leaderboards after he burst onto the scene with a world record time in last year's Olympic Games.

Victory for either climber would solidify their place as the favorite for the series gold, and put clear water between them and the rest of the competition.

Women's speed climbing

This year's women's competition has been similarly tight, with several close calls and four different winners. The pick of the bunch has been Poland's Aleksandra Miroslaw, who sped up the wall to claim a terrific victory at the second speed climbing event of the year in Bali, Indonesia.

Although she missed out on gold at her home World Cup last weekend, the 31-year-old remains in contention, thanks to her consistent performances throughout the 2025 competition.

Although she'll be confident, Miroslaw will have to contend with two fierce competitors in Chamonix, Indonesia's Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi, and American Prodigy Emma Hunt. The former won her first-ever IFSC World Cup event with a lightning-fast climb in the previous round, while the latter has shown composure well beyond her years, with several impressive climbs in this year's competition.

Hunt, 22, surged to victory with an unstoppable qualification climb in Denver, before the competition was stopped due to poor weather.

All three will be eager to make it to the final round and get their shot at more World Cup glory on Sunday, July 13.

Men's lead climbing

We're only three rounds into the 2025 lead climbing competition, and there's already plenty to climb for.

Like many modern climbing competitions, this one has been dominated by youngsters, with Japan's Sorato Anraku catching the eye after an exciting victory at the first lead climbing event of the season. The 18-year-old has been in and around the medals at the two competitions since, but narrowly lost out to countrymen Satone Yoshida and Neo Suzuki.

Anraku will be eager to claim an elusive second lead climbing win of the season in Chamonix and take one step further towards the lead series victory.

Spectators will also have their eyes out for Great Britain's Toby Roberts, who's run hot and cold in this year's competition. Roberts, 20, was considered to be one of the favorites coming into the 2025 lead climbing event, but has so far fallen flat and failed to win any of the previous rounds.

He'll be hoping to get back to the form that won him Olympic gold at last year's games when he returns to the wall on Saturday. Despite his slow start, the open nature of the competition still means that Roberts is in with a shot at series gold if he takes victory over the weekend.

Women's lead climbing

Before the season, few fans would've thought that a young and unknown British climber would be out and ahead atop the women's lead climbing leaderboard, but here we are. Just three competitions into the 2025 season, 21-year-old Erin McNeice has two gold medals and one bronze.

In an extraordinary opening round, she tied with South Korea's Chaehyun Seo, after both recorded the same scores in the final, semi-final, and qualification rounds in Wujiang, China. The next event would be a little less close, with the aggressive Brit speeding up the wall to claim a decisive second gold of the season.

McNeice will be waiting patiently for Saturday's qualifying round to see if World Cup legend Janja Garnbret is competing. The 26-year-old, who's won an astonishing 47 World Cup competitions, has missed most of the World Cup season while she takes a break to recover from years of competitive climbing, but returned last week with a dominant gold medal display.

The Slovenian climber is yet to confirm whether she'll be in attendance this weekend. If she is, Garnbret will be a sure-fire favorite and could challenge McNeice for her position as the competition leader.

IFSC World Cup Schedule

Speed qualification

• 10am PT (July 11) / 1am EST (July 11) / 4pm BST (July 11) Men's and women's qualification

Speed finals

• 12am PT (July 12) / 3pm EST (July 12) / 8am BST (July 12) Men's and women's finals

Lead qualification

• 12am PT (July 12) / 3am EST (July 12) / 8pm BST (July 12) Men's and women's qualification

Lead finals

• 11.30am PT (July 13) / 2.30pm EST (July 13) / 7.30pm BST (July 13) Men's final
• 12.25pm PT (July 13) / 3.25pm EST (July 13) / 8.25pm BST (July 13) Women's final

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place over 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

How to watch the IFSC World Cup

There are loads of ways to watch the upcoming World Cup competition, with plenty of broadcasters and streaming services providing coverage.

Check out how you can watch where you are with our expert guide.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best climbing films: 10 great movies about incredible mountain adventures

It's been a busy few weeks in the world of rock climbing. Following Sasha DiGiulian and Marianna Ordóñez first female free climb of Bravo Les Filles, a Madagascan big wall route, German climber Yannick Flohé has gone and achieved the most difficult flash in bouldering history.

Very much at the other end of the climbing spectrum but no less impressive than DiGiulian and Ordóñez's ascent, on July 9 Flohé flashed Foundation's Edge in Fionnay, Switzerland. This 39ft (12m) boulder problem is graded V15 (Font 8c), making it potentially the most difficult problem that has ever been flashed.

For the uninitiated, a flash is a climbing term used to describe the completion of a climb cleanly at the first time of asking, having received beta (prior information) or conducted research on the route. Most climbers work on such boulder problems for significant amounts of time, a process known as projecting. Climbing a V15 at the first time of asking is unheard of, until now.

Foundation's Edge

Following his success, Flohé took to social media to spread the news, proclaiming "yesterday I flashed my hardest boulder ever," and going on to say that the climb "went perfectly."

To put the grade into context, the hardest boulder problems in the world sit at V17 (Font 9a), just a couple of grades above what Flohé flashed. The world's elite tend to spend months or even years unlocking the crux moves of such problems. The hardest section of the one of the world's hardest sport climbs, Silence, sent by Adam Ondra in 2017, is a V15 problem. Widely regarded as the world's finest, Ondra has flashed V14s (Font 8b+) in the past, but never a problem graded V15.

Of course, it should be stated that climbing grades are always vulnerable to subjectivity. However, Foundation's Edge is an established problem and has been climbed by other elite climbers, including Daniel Woods, Will Bosi, Shawn Raboutou, Simon Lorenzi, Clément Lechaptois, Pietro Vidi and Dylan Chuat. While there's general consensus of the V15 grade, some have said that it's soft for the grade, according to one report.

In his Instagram post, Flohé was magnanimous admitting that he "knew for a while that this is probably the most flashable 8c in the world" and that he didn't "really think this is a proper 8c, even though no one has ever downgraded it and there’s for sure some softer ones out there". Nonetheless, the modest German deserves kudos for his achievement.

Who is Yannick Flohé?

Yannick Flohé is a 25-year-old German rock climber who is a regular on the competition climbing scene. He's won gold for the Combined Bouldering and Lead at the 2021 World Championships and in the Bouldering event at the 2022 World Cup.

In the bouldering world, he's sent several V16 (Font 8c+) problems in France and Switzerland, putting him among the world's elite. He's sponsored by Swiss outdoor brand Mammut.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best approach shoes: for alpine adventures, via ferrata, scrambling, and more

Some 26 years ago, the legendary American climber Lynn Hill and all-star team were busy developing what was, at the time, the most difficult big wall climb ever sent by an all-female group. Madagascar's spectacular Tsaranoro massif's granite cliffs were the setting for what would be a pioneering and historic climb.

They named the 2,000ft (600m) route Bravo les Filles – Well done Girls in French (one of the two main languages spoken on the island). During their 15-day ascent, one pitch eluded the team, the 5.13d (8b) crux of the route, which they were unable to free climb.

But that's all changed, after Hill's protégé Sasha DiGuilian and climbing partner Marianna "Mango" Ordóñez successfully free climbed the route, becoming the first women in history to do so and finishing what Hill and her team started.

After a three-day effort involving some committing run outs (long sections without protection) and nights spent on a portaledge, the pair emerged victorious, writing their name into climbing history.

In a post on Instagram, DiGiulian said: "Elated, proud, and grateful to have had such a memorable experience on a legendary line with an incredible friend!!! Also grateful for the amazing line established by Lynn Hill, Nancy Feagin, Kath Pyke and Beth Rodden!"

The 1999 attempt

Widely regarded as one of the greatest sport climbers in history, Lynn Hill had already wowed the world with her incredible achievements during the 1980s and '90s. Her first free climb of El Cap's The Nose in 1993 stamped her name into the history books. She repeated the feat in just 23 hours the following year, prompting German climbing legend Alexander Huber to state that she had "passed men’s dominance in climbing and left them behind".

In 1999, she spearheaded an all-female team of Nancy Feaginm, Kathy Pyke and a 19-year-old Beth Rodden in an attempt to climb the hardest big wall route ever put up by a female team. The team painstakingly developed the sport climbing route on Tsaranoro Kelly, a hugely challenging granite cliff. This involved weeks of climbing where they'd drill bolts into the face to setup the route.

• Don't know your Gri-gris from your redpoints? Check out our guide to climbing terminology

After all this effort, Hill was exhausted. The act of setting the 13-pitch route up seemed to have scuppered her chances of achieving a redpoint - a form of free climb wherein the climber rehearses a route before sending it without falling or resting on the rope.

Nevertheless, the team managed to mostly free climb climb the route, requiring aid only on the eighth pitch, the 5.13d (8b) crux.

The film below tells the story of their 1999 expedition.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best approach shoes: for alpine adventures, via ferrata, scrambling, and more

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

We're now into the second half of the 2025 IFSC Climbing World Cup, and things are heating up in the speed climbing competition.

Last weekend's round was one to remember, with plenty of close climbs, a tantalising men's final, and a new winner in the women's competition. Read on for our rundown of an eye-catching competition in Krakow, Poland.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's competition

The men's competition reached a thrilling conclusion, as Indonesia's Raharjati Nursamsa won gold by just 0.2 seconds. The 24-year-old, who's only won one other IFSC World Cup competition in his career, wasn't touted as a favorite before the competition, but came out on top after a steady performance in qualification and an inspired climb in the final.

He edged out his in-form countryman Kiromal Katibin with a lightning-fast time of 4.73 seconds on the outdoor climbing wall. Katabin, who was chasing a second World Cup gold of the season, was also impressive, and both climbers broke the Asian speed record in a tense final round.

Silver in Krakow puts Katabin in pole position to win the 2025 speed climbing series, especially as competition favorite Sam Watson crashed out in qualifying after a false start.

The bronze went to Japanese youngster Ryo Omasa, who's enjoyed an impressive season. He won silver at the second speed climbing event of the season, in Bali, and comfortably beat American Zach Hammer in Krakow after the 19-year-old stumbled in the third-place playoff.

Women's competition

Indonesian supporters were also celebrating after the women's event last weekend, as Desak Made Rita Kusuma Dewi won her maiden IFSC World Cup event.

The 24-year-old has been on the professional speed climbing scene since 2021, but had never won a World Cup round. That changed on Sunday, when she surged past America's Emma Hunt to secure gold with an impressive time of 6.27 seconds. The pair were neck and neck until the halfway point on the wall when Hunt lost her footing and stumbled to the silver.

World-record holder and Olympic gold medalist Aleksandra Miroslaw had to settle for bronze on her home turf. The Polish climber has been the pick of the bunch in this year's competition and would have been hoping for gold as the World Cup returned to her home country for the first time in 15 years.

She beat compatriot Natalia Kalucka in a tight bronze medal match to remain in contention for the coveted series victory when the speed climbing competition reaches its finale in September.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The next round of the 2025 IFSC climbing World Cup is a lead and speed climbing double header in Chamonix, France.

The bumper competition lasts from July 11 to July 13, with qualification beginning this Friday. You can catch all the build-up here on Advnture.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best women’s climbing shoes: for indoor climbing sessions, valley cragging and all-day mountain adventures

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

We're over halfway through the 2025 IFSC Climbing World Cup, and things are getting interesting.

Last week's competition was full of action. The bouldering and lead climbing round lasted for five days, in which the bouldering series winners were crowned and a familiar favorite returned to the lead climbing podium.

Read on for our rundown of a thrilling competition in Innsbruck, Austria.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's bouldering competition

This was the final bouldering event of the 2025 season and, as a result, crowned this year's bouldering world champions.

Climbing fans won't be surprised to hear that Japan's Sorato Anraku secured a series victory with a silver medal in the men's competition. The 18-year-old won the first three bouldering competitions of the season and has been miles ahead of his competitors on the leaderboard ever since.

His convincing series victory is his third in three seasons, marking an unheard-of beginning to the teenager's young career.

He was pipped to the competition gold in Innsbruck by Olympic champion Toby Roberts, who's struggled through a tricky start to the 2025 competition but now appears to be finding his feet. The 20-year-old British climber took on a tricky boulder with resiliency in the final and topped the leaderboard with 69.8 points.

Speaking to the IFSC, Roberts said: "I'm at a loss for words, I don’t really know what just happened."

“This season has been quite hard, but going into this event, I wanted to give everything, and to be honest, I’m a little bit starstruck. I’m just so happy.”

Women's bouldering competition

This year's women's bouldering competition has been a tense affair, with six different winners in six rounds.

In the end, the series win went to a deserving victor in the form of France's Oriane Bertone, who climbed consistently throughout, winning one gold and three silvers in this year's event. Bertone, 20, secured her place atop this year's leaderboard with another plucky second-place finish in Innsbruck, but was beaten on the day by returning titan Janja Garnbret.

Slovenia's Garnbret is a 47-time World Cup winner and modern-day competition climbing legend. She's missed every other event in the 2025 competition while taking time out to rest.

She returned to the wall in spectacular fashion over the weekend, climbing with aggression and topping each round of the final to finish with an untouchable score of 99.3. Her final, faultless climb was met by an eruption of applause from spectators and other climbers alike.

After securing the gold, she told the IFSC: "It feels amazing. I didn’t know how I would feel coming back, but this amazing Innsbruck crowd welcomed me back.”

“You never forget how to compete, but being back after nine months, in the middle of the season, was not the easiest thing. I had a lot of doubts: ‘Am I ready? Am I not? Am I even motivated?’ But I’m so glad I came back, I enjoyed it so much."

Men's lead climbing

While one event has drawn to a close, another is only just heating up.

We're now over halfway through the 2025 lead climbing World Cup competition, and still none the wiser as to who'll win the men's series when it concludes in September.

The latest round was another close affair, with five different climbers topping the challenging final route, meaning the winner was decided on countback. Roberts came close to completing a historic boulder-lead double, but it was Japan's Suzuki Neo who took the gold, thanks to a bold, fast, and faultless climb in the semi-final.

Gold in Innsbruck represents the first victory of the 20-year-old's young career, but he doesn't want to stop there.

“I’m very happy with my first gold medal,” he told the IFSC.

“I believe the route was a bit easy, but I found it difficult in the middle section, that's when I felt tired. Innsbruck is an awesome venue, there were so many people supporting me. My season is going very well, I would like to win the overall title".

Women's lead climbing

If you thought Janja Garnbret was content with just one gold medal on her return to competitive climbing, you'd be wrong. With bouldering victory secured, she raced up the wall with yet another dominant display in the lead climbing final.

Her final score of 41 was way ahead of anyone else in the competition, and reminded fans why she's been so successful for so long.

Incredibly, this is the third time in three years that she's won the boulder-lead combo in Innsbruck, a venue she's evidently very fond of.

"I love Innsbruck," an admittedly tired Garnbret told the IFSC.

"That’s why I chose this competition for my return after the Olympic year, the crowd is fantastic, they give you fuel, they give you energy to climb, I just love it. And I hope Innsbruck loves me too.”

Although she didn't win the gold, it was another impressive competition for Great Britain's Erin McNeice. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a great start to the lead climbing season and won the previous two lead climbing events in Wujiang and Bali.

Her third-place finish is enough to keep McNeice at the top of the leaderboard going into the final two lead climbing rounds in July and September.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The next round of the 2025 IFSC climbing World Cup takes the world's best speed climbers to Kraków, Poland, where they'll compete over two days of hard climbing.

Qualification begins on July 5, and you can catch all the build-up here on Advnture.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best women’s climbing shoes: for indoor climbing sessions, valley cragging and all-day mountain adventures

American alpinist Balin Miller is claiming to be the first person to solo the famous Slovak Direct climb on Denali mountain in the Alaska Range.

It's the first known solo ascent of the route, which leads to the right of the Cassin Ridge, and has only been completed 20 times in total since the 1980s.

Posting on Instagram, the 23-year-old Alaskan said: "My 53 day tenure in the central Alaska Range comes to a close. The most recent ascent I made was a solo ascent of the Slovak Direct. Fun times with high pressure on the south face. A more casual ascent at about 56 hours with 70% of that time spent sleeping. Incredibly excited for summer to start and be out of that hellscape."

The south face of Denali is home to some of the arduous climbing routes in the world, including the Cassin Ridge, Denali Diamond and Slovak Direct. Slovak climbers Blažej Adam, Tono Križo, and František Korl established the Sloval Direct route in 1984. It took them 11 days to complete as they battled difficult conditions.

The route is approximately 9,000ft (2,700m) long and graded VI, 5.9X, M6, WI6, A2. You can read more about just how hard that is in our guide to climbing grades here.

Earlier this year in May, as part of his Alaskan trip, Miller posted on Instagram claiming to have completed the first solo ascent of the French Connection North Buttress on Mount Begguya, a mountain in Denali National Park approximately eight miles (13km) south of Denali. However, this was rebutted in the comments by a climber who said:

"I definitely disagree with your claim of the 'first proper solo ascent of [the] North Buttress'." The commenter goes on to explain that Miller's solo route veered right to avoid the hardest parts of the North Buttress route, and other climbers had soloed more direct routes in the past.

"Your ascent is super duper badass as it is, and you don't need to search for a bigger 'first' claim for it to be recognized as such. Just call it what it is: first solo ascent of the French Connection."

Denali was controversially stripped of its indigenous name and renamed Mount McKinley by President Trump as one of his first moves in office.

• Break vertiginous records of your own in the best climbing shoes
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Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

This weekend's bouldering round of the IFSC climbing World Cup ended in dramatic fashion as Pan Yufei struck late to grab gold, edging out Mejdi Schalck by the narrowest of margins.

The win was the first World Cup title for the Chinese climber and came despite a highly competitive men's field.

Britain's Erin McNeice won the women's competition, holding off teen sensation Annie Sanders to secure her first bouldering gold.

Read on for our rundown of all the action from Bern.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Men's competition

All eyes were on Schalck in the men's competition after his thrilling "comeback" gold in Prague last week. The Frenchman was in the lead in Bern as he headed into the final route, securing the zone on the fourth problem and closing with 84.1 points.

But it was on that last problem that Yufei edged him into second place, finishing with 84.2 points and taking his first bouldering World Cup medal. World number one Anraku Sorato ended up going home with bronze with a score of 83.7.

Pan has previously won a bronze medal in Xiamen in 2017 and a silver medal in Villars in 2019, both in Lead Climbing. The 24-year-old told the IFSC the win "feels unreal."

"The last few years have been really tough for myself, I struggled so much and I thought I was not good enough."

However, he explains that a recent change of approach may be the reason behind his surprise win.

“I started to change my mind and not put too much pressure on myself. At the beginning of the season, it was not so good, but this time I just wanted to enjoy myself.”

Schalck, 20, has been in every bouldering final this season and last week in Prague he surged to pole position with an eye-opening score of 99.1 in the final, 15 points ahead of Japan's Anraku.

However, Anraku's massive overall bouldering lead remains insurmountable ahead of the final stop in Innsbruck at the end of the month.

Women's competition

In the women's competition, Britain's Erin McNiece also clinched her first bouldering World Cup gold, and her career third over the weekend.

Despite a strong showing from the sensational Annie Sanders, 17, who took an early lead and finished with 84.4, McNiece expertly topped all four problems and easily won with 99.5. She was one of only two climbers to complete the third boulder, giving her an easy lead over the competition. She now holds fourth place overall in bouldering.

“I am happy, elated, and quite shocked. It just feels so good,” McNeice told the IFSC following her win.

“It feels pretty good to get a gold in both. It is a massive long-term goal for me, and it feels so good to tick it off.”

Annie Sanders continues to lead the women's table. Her silver medal marked her third podium finish of 2025, having already taken gold in Keqiao, China, and bronze in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Japan's Miho Nonaka had to settle for third place, coming in just 0.1 points behind Sanders on Sunday. The bronze is the 26th career World Cup medal for Nonaka.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The world's best boulderers will return to the wall next week for one more round of the IFSC World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria.

The sixth and final bouldering round of the 2025/26 competition will take place over three days in the Tyrolean capital.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best women’s climbing shoes: for indoor climbing sessions, valley cragging and all-day mountain adventures

For the first time in rock climbing history, two female climbers have completed the infamous Yosemite Triple Crown.

On June 8, Kate Kelleghan and Laura Pineau made history as the first women to complete the feat, scaling El Capitan, Half Dome and Mount Watkins in 23 hours and 36 minutes. Filmmaker Thibaud Marot says he's been in the California park working on a documentary with the duo.

"Most of the time the girls move so fast, which doesn't allow to have huge images," writes Marot on Instagram.

The achievement comes just two months after the pair broke the women’s speed record on the Naked Edge, a 5.11b in Colorado's Eldorado Canyon, pulling off a time of 37:08, which they tracked using a Coros Vertix 2S.

Boulder native Kelleghan, a speed climbing veteran, and France's Pineau have been in Yosemite for the past month, according to their Instagram accounts.

The Yosemite Triple Crown links the park's three biggest walls for a grand total of 77 pitches, 8,032ft of vert and 11 miles of hiking. To qualify as a Triple Crown, climbers need to complete it in under 24 hours.

In 2001, Dean Potter and Timmy O’Neil pulled off the first ascent of the Yosemite Triple. Alex Honnold (of course) became the first to solo it in 2012, and in October 2024, Tanner Wanish and Michael Vaill set a new record, completing the feat in just 17:55.

• The best women’s climbing shoes: for indoor climbing sessions, valley cragging and all-day mountain adventures
• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

The recent bouldering round of the IFSC climbing World Cup came to an early conclusion over the weekend, after strong winds forced climbers off the wall before the women's final in Prague, Czechia.

France's Oriane Bertone was awarded the gold for a precise and technical climb in the semi-finals, after her compatriot Mejdi Schalck snagged a surprise victory in the men's competition.

Both climbers won their first golds of the 2025/26 bouldering season, which is heating up with each round. Read on for our rundown of all the action from Prague.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Women's competition

Oriane Bertone, 20, put in a strong showing in Prague to claim her first IFSC gold of the season, and the second of her young climbing career.

The French athlete topped the leaderboard with a strong showing in qualification and some precise bouldering in the semis before event organizers cancelled the final round due to dangerous weather conditions.

The IFSC said they took the tricky decision to cancel the event final due to "windy weather conditions and the inability to ensure the safety of the athletes and spectators".

Compatriot Agathe Calliet won her first-ever IFSC medal with a strong silver, and Japan's Sekikawa Melody joined the pair in third.

Despite the absence of a final, Bertone will feel deserving of a medal after a consistent start to the 2025/26 bouldering season.

Last month, she lost out on gold to French teammate Naile Meignan by just 0.1 points. Bertone scored 99.5 points to Meignan's 99.6 in a near-perfect final round in Curitiba, Brazil.

Men's competition

There were plenty of eyes on the men's competition over the weekend, as Japanese prodigy Sorato Anraku attempted to make history and win a record fourth bouldering World Cup event in a row.

The 18-year-old has made a stunning start to the 2025/26 World Cup season with back-to-back-to-back bouldering victories. But he was unable to snag a fourth thanks to a thrilling 'comeback' gold from France's Mejdi Schalck.

Schalck, 20, has been in every bouldering final this season and fell just short of gold last month with a second-placed finish in Curitiba, Brazil.

After a consistent qualifying round, he surged to pole position with an eye-opening score of 99.1 in the final, 15 points more than second-placed Anraku.

Afterwards, an ecstatic Schalck told the IFSC: “It feels a bit like a comeback because last year I had a pretty hard year. I didn’t qualify for the Olympics, so I stayed focused and trained really hard this winter, so it’s a comeback. I’m back, and it feels good to be back.”

Although he failed to win gold, Anraku remains firmly atop the bouldering table and has his sights set on victory at the next round, in Bern, Switzerland.

He told the IFSC: "Two years ago here I was seventh, last year I was fourth, and now second, so next year, first.”

“Honestly, I’m not disappointed with the result. The final had a lot of coordination. I’m not bad at it, but I’m not great either."

Schalck and Anraku were joined on the podium by 17-year-old Samuel Richard, who competed in his first-ever World Cup final.

Earlier this month, the latest speed climbing round of the World Cup was also called to a halt abruptly due to stormy weather.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The world's best boulderers will return to the wall in under a week for the next round of the IFSC World Cup in Bern, Switzerland.

The fifth bouldering round of the 2025/26 competition will take place over three days in the Swiss capital.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best climbing films: 10 great movies about incredible mountain adventures

The third speed climbing World Cup of the season came to an abrupt end over the weekend after strong winds, heavy rain, and lightning forced climbers off the wall in Denver, USA.

Without a finals round, the competition winners were decided by their standings in qualification, and two unexpected winners were crowned. Read on for our round-up of all the action.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Women's competition

Emma Hunt won her second-ever World Cup gold in Denver with a pacy performance in qualification. The 22-year-old clearly didn't feel the pressure of competing on home soil and raced up the outdoor wall in an impressive 6.36 seconds in qualification.

Her time was the fastest of anyone in the women's competition and proved enough to secure the gold.

She was trailed in second and third place by Natalia Kalucka of Poland and China's Lijuan Deng.

Kalucka, 22, is a one-time World Cup winner with several impressive showings under her belt already this season, while Deng leads the competition, thanks to some consistent performances and speedy climbs.

Both notched impressive times in Denver, but weren't able to pip the young Hunt, who described her victory as "good but a little weird".

"It’s weird because I only did three races to get the medal. I would have loved to have done all the races but that’s the weather," she told the IFSC.

“It was super cool to have had the chance to do a few laps in front of a home crowd, and I hope we can come back to Denver.”

Her victory comes as something of a surprise to speed climbing fanatics. Although she's shown promise, Hunt hasn't made a podium since her first World Cup gold over a year ago. The well-deserved gold bumps her to seventh in the 2025/26 rankings.

Men's competition

Like Hunt, Indonesia's Kiromal Katibin won his second-ever World Cup gold over the weekend. The 24-year-old pipped USA's Zach Hammer and Sam Watson with a rapid time of 4.83 seconds, just 0.5 seconds less than Hammer in second.

Third-placed Watson was a heavy favorite coming into the competition. The 19-year-old stormed to victory in last season's World Cup and won the previous round in Bali with a decisive series of climbs.

His defeat to Katibin follows a strong start to the season for the Indonesian, who won bronze in Bali with a quick and aggressive performance.

After the victory, he told the IFSC: "I feel good, this is only my second World Cup gold, so I am happy.

"I am feeling good and I believe in my training, so I want to continue to get strong and stay strong in my racing.”

The silver medal was the first podium finish of 19-year-old Zach Hammer's career. The American youngster made his speed climbing debut in 2022 and has slowly climbed the rankings in the years since.

After claiming the silver, Hammer told the IFSC: "It feels amazing. I wouldn’t say unexpected because I have been working really hard for it, and I was confident I could do it, but to have the medal finally around my neck is an amazing feeling.

"When I walked out onto the stage for finals, I honestly don’t think I have had a larger crowd cheering for me at any competition, so that really lit a fire in me.”

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The next IFSC World Cup event kicks off on June 6 and pits the world's best boulderers against each other in a tough series of boulder problems in Prague, Czechia.

Among the competitors will be 18-year-old prodigy Sorato Anraku, who's aiming to secure his fourth successive bouldering gold medal and fifth win of the season after only two months of competition.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
• The best climbing films: 10 great movies about incredible mountain adventures

With the warmer weather and favorable conditions of summer finally here, climbers from across the nation are preparing to strap on their crampons and head up America's tallest mountain.

Dozens of climbers have already scaled Alaska’s Denali mountain, otherwise known as Mount McKinley, and more than 1,000 have registered to make the ascent in the coming months.

The best time to tackle the 20,310ft (6,190m) mountain is generally considered to be between mid-May and early July, when warmer temperatures and reduced wind provide the best conditions for climbing.

Even in the peak season, climbers face a harrowing journey to the summit and have to overcome steep ice climbing sections and highly crevassed glacier travel. There are also multiple geo-hazardous risks, including the potential for violent landslides, rockfalls, and earthquakes. Avalanches alone have killed more than 40 people on the mountain in the past 50 years.

Among those on Denali so far this season was American skier Anna Demonte, who became the fastest woman to ski the 15,766ft (4,806m) Mont Blanc mountain this time last year.

Demonte was attempting to break the women's fastest known time (FKT) skiing record of 7 hours and 29 minutes, but was forced to abandon her attempt after suffering a knee injury just above base camp. She fell at about 16,404ft (5,000m) and tore her MCL (medial collateral ligament), making it impossible to continue the attempt.

America's tallest mountain was the subject of controversy earlier this year, when newly elected President Trump reversed an order that recognized its indigenous name, Denali, in favor of its previous official moniker, Mount McKinley.

The peak was named in 1896 after then-President-elect William McKinley, who never visited his namesake or even the state of Alaska, nor did he have any cultural connection to the area.

President Barack Obama changed the name from Mount McKinley to Denali in 2015 after more than 40 years of campaigning by Native Alaskans, who say the name Denali has been in use for more than 10,000 years.

Recognizing the previous name was one of President Trump's first actions in office, and spurred widespread criticism from the Alaskan community.

The mountain is now officially known as McKinley in the US, but other countries aren't obliged to recognize the new name.

“I strongly disagree with the President’s decision on Denali,” said Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski at the time in a post on X.

“Our nation’s tallest mountain, which has been called Denali for thousands of years, must continue to be known by the rightful name bestowed by Alaska’s Koyukon Athabascans, who have stewarded the land since time immemorial.”

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It's easy to deduce from the name of the just-released documentary from Red Bull Studios that Emily Harrison is a woman who climbs. More than that though, this talented Colorado native is a lover of big walls and high-altitude expeditions. What the movie title doesn't give away is that she has five US National Champion titles and numerous first female ascents of 5.14 routes under her belt.

She's summited Mount Everest and made a complete ski descent of Cho Oyu – the world’s sixth tallest peak on the China–Nepal border. In 2020 she made history by becoming the first woman to freeclimb the Golden Gate route of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in under 24 hours, making her the fourth woman in history to free climb El Capitan in a day.

It was her fourth attempt, and she did it after a suffering a horrifying fall from El Capitan in 2019, when other climbers, including Alex Honnold, came to her aid.

The Girl Climber film focusses on this incredible career-defining 24-hour ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan, which cemented her legacy in the male-dominated world of elite rock climbing.

In a revealing social media post, above, Harrington describes the documentary as "a more thorough version of my story".

She describes how climbing Golden Gate in a day was a very "precious and personal" goal, which she says was ultimately "taken away" from her by the media.

"Once I was successful the subsequent perfect storm of media and press let it escape into the world and it no longer felt like my story. Those quiet moments of struggle, fear, and self doubt that were overcome through sheer will power and hard work gave way to stories of heroism and sensationalism only the mainstream media could drum up. It wasn’t mine anymore; it was the world’s story to put on a pedestal and elevate or tear down and pick apart," she says.

However, Girl Climber gives her back the opportunity to tell the story from her point of view. "I could not be more excited, grateful, and admittedly terrified to see it on the big stage," she says.

Unveiled at Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, the documentary focusses on the pursuit of personal ambition and the ticking biological clock of life, as well as the greatest challenges that extend beyond the physical.

Also featured is mentor, Hilaree Nelson - the late ski mountaineer, friend Alex Honnold and her husband, high-altitude mountain guide Adrian Ballinger.

You can watch Girl Climber on jolt.film and see some of her achievements in the short film below.

Get to know Emily Harrington

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Mountaineer Kami Rita Sherpa has set an incredible new record with his latest summit of Mount Everest. At 4am local time on Tuesday, May 27, the talented guide, nicknamed Everest Man, reached the 8,849m (29,032ft) summit for the 31st time, smashing his own record for the most climbs up the peak.

Kami Rita, 55, was guiding a group of climbers with Seven Summit Treks. He had attempted to summit a few days earlier but had been forced to turn back due to bad weather.

A Seven Summit Treks Instagram post revealed: "Kami Rita reached the summit of Everest (Sagarmatha) for the 31st time early this morning, at around 4am, under fairly stable weather conditions. Serving as the main guide (Sirdar) for the Army Adventure Wing Everest Expedition [...] Kami Rita Sherpa needs no introduction. He is not just a national climbing hero, but a global symbol of Everest itself."

Kami Rita first summited Everest in 1994 and has done nearly every year since. His father was one of the first sherpa mountain guides.

Elsewhere, Tashi Gyalzen Sherpa received a hero's welcome as he returned to Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, after making four successful ascents of Everest in just 15 days this season.

The 29-year-old climbed the world's highest peak for the first time on May 9 as part of a rope-fixing team; he then summitted on May 14, 19 and 23.

News of the incredible feats comes as the Everest spring season climbing window closes. Icefall doctors (expert climgers) are due to remove ladders from the Khumbu Icefall soon as changing weather makes snow and ice unstable, and the chance of high winds and snowfall increases. This means that unfortunately for some, their summit bids have ended.

US runner Tyler Andrews had been making a late-season attempt to set the fastest time from base camp to the summit with no supplementary oxygen. It was his second bid in two weeks, but had to turn around.

"At 6:24am on May 24 my safety team made the call to turn me around at 8,200m (27,000 ft) on Mt. Everest due to extremely high winds blowing just above me. For the second time in two weeks, I was under world record pace and within just a couple hours of the summit; but Apu Everest did not want to grant us safe passage," he announced in an Instagram post.

"I am absolutely gutted, devasted, as this project has been many years in the making. I am also tremendously grateful for all the support from my team and sponsors, friends and family, and the strangers who have been following from around the world and sent countless really kind messages."

Ecuadorian ultra-runner Karl Egloff was also unsuccessful. The 44-year-old was attempting to set a new Everest speed record as a part of his challenge to become the fastest person to scale the tallest mountains on all seven continents.

Egloff made a speedy start but was forced to turn around just before camp 3.

His wife told ExplorersWeb that conditions on the day were not suitable for climbing without additional oxygen.

"He followed his instinct and experience to go down when necessary," she explained.

Daredevil Brit Tim Howell, who was attempting to break the world record for highest-ever base jump from neighboring peak Lhotse, also had to turn back for the second year running due to bad weather.

"His team fixed lines all the way to the exit point at 8,300m with the promise of bluebird skies in the forecast," a Jottnar Instagram post reported.

However, Howell shared terrifying footage of the team trying to shelter at 8,300m where they waited for three hours:

"The 22nd was supposed to be a blue bird day after 2pm but the window never appeared. The exit is big, overhung and is waiting for my return. We had slept at 7900m for 3 nights prior to this and had been waiting for the window. Unfortunately it never came," he announced.

Advnture senior staff writer Julia Clarke is currently trekking to Everest base camp. You can follow her exploits and all our other Everest coverage here and on our Instagram account.

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A Ukrainian-American mountaineer, who claimed to have made the fastest ascent of Mount Everest from sea level, has been accused of money smuggling.

According to The Himalayan Times, Andrew Ushakov was detained at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu for illegally carrying a large sum of undeclared foreign currency.

He was reportedly stopped at the airport on May 25 while carrying $20,000 cash. He was then arrested by the Department of Revenue Investigation (DRI) for attempting to board a Turkish Airlines flight to the US. The DRI alleges he was trying to smuggle the undeclared foreign currency out of Nepal.

Ushakov, a client of Nims Purja's Elite Exped, claims to have gone from New York to Everest summit in just 3 days, 23 hours and 27 minutes using only supplementary oxygen. He has not posted on his Instagram account since he shared photos of his summit journey (above) on May 23.

According to The Himalayan Times, Ushakov, who works as a structural engineer and was a relatively unknown climber, had hidden the cash in his luggage when it was discovered by police during baggage scanning. They said he claimed he had originally brought the money from the US and intended to take it back after summiting Mount Everest. He has reportedly been issued with a $60,000 fine for violating foreign currency regulations.

On May 26, Ushakov remained in custody, having apparently not paid the fine. Nims Purja and the Elite Exped team are reported to have intervened to try to facilitate his fast release.

Currently the Department of Tourism (DoT), under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, is investigating Ushakov's claims of the record ascent, along with four British climbers who used xenon gas and hypoxic tents to avoid the need for traditional slower acclimatization methods.

Ushakov had attempted to make a fast ascent of Everest in 2024, reaching 8,500m (27,880ft) before developing a vision problem. He failed to complete the climb that time.

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On the lookout for a next level boulder problem to test your climbing skills? You may want to think twice before tackling this new Yosemite climb from Irishman David Fitzgerald.

The 32-year-old made the first ascent of what he calls The Last Line of Defense by making a low start to The Shield, a well-known boulder problem established in California's Yosemite National Park by American Randy Puro in 2006.

The boulder requires climbers to hang on to two tough pinches, release a toe hook, and make a drastic move to the left, all while keeping a right hand on the rock.

Fitzgerald's proposed rating of 8C+ would make The Last Line of Defense one of Yosemite's hardest boulder problems.

Fitzgerald documented the climb in an Instagram post, in which he credited a childhood obsession for his sustained efforts in Yosemite.

"Whilst on a family roadtrip back in 2016, we drove the Valley loop and pit-stopped at ‘Housekeeping’. I remember seeing chalk on the lower holds and assuming it had already been climbed. Gawked at it for a while, but couldn’t make heads or tails of it," reads the post.

"I knew how cryptic and subtle the rock type could be, as I had learned to climb on the same stuff back home, but this thing seemed unfathomable. It wasn’t until I moved here that I learned of its semi-mythical status."

Fitzgerald worked on the route for months over the winter, battling with the narrow "tendonitis-inducing" pinches and challenging toe hook. After countless failed attempts, he made a breakthrough in March, successfully breaking into a standing position before falling just short of completion.

"It then held its ground for another six sessions until I eventually wore it down; the extra fight making it feel all the more memorable," continued Fitzgerald.

"(The problem) feels like the most complex section of rock I’ve ever linked and best thing I’ve ever climbed!"

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Adam Ondra is no stranger to challenges. In an esteemed climbing career, the Czech sensation has become the first to flash and onsight multiple outdoor climbs and won acclaim in the competition climbing world, with more than 20 IFSC World Cup gold medals.

But even he got a little nervous while scaling Lexicon E11 7a, one of the world's hardest trad climbing routes, admitting on Instagram: "I got scared, I tried hard, my heart was beating."

The 32-year-old flashed the daunting route in England's Lake District with the help of its creator, Neil Gresham, who established it in 2021 and acted as "a very responsible belay," as Ondra climbed.

The challenging route has an 8b+ sport-climbing rating and includes plenty of trad climbing features, including a potential 98ft (30m) fall from the crux headwall.

Ondra's successful attempt was just the sixth time anyone has climbed the route, after Steve McClure, Dave McLeod, Matt Wright, and James Pearson repeated Gresham's line.

"It was truly a special day and a moment in the UK," Ondra explained.

“I got scared, I tried hard, my heart was beating, but I made it to the final ledge without testing that massive whipper."

Flash climbing refers to a climber successfully sending a route on their first attempt without falling, usually with knowledge of, but no prior experience of the climb.

Ondra prepared by watching internet videos of previous climbs. On the day, Gresham rappelled down the route and "chalked it up," for Adam's ascent.

"Then, I rappelled down from the top approximately 8 meters (26ft) to the right of Lexicon along the route Atra and watched Neil explain to me how to place the gear in the break and the moves in the upper headwall of Lexicon," he explained.

"Then I climbed back up to the top ledge and warmed up on the finger board. I was lowered down to the crux of Sixpence E6, looking to the right and ignoring the view towards the holds of Lexicon.

“I started just above the break of Lexicon, doing the 3-meter (10ft) crux of Sixpence and stopping just before I could touch or look into the final slot hold of Lexicon.

After a few arm swings to warm up, Ondra speed-rapelled down the route while facing away from it so he couldn't get any views of the holds.

"After a short moment of concentration, I set off," said Ondra, who began climbing once he had reached the bottom.

Climbing can be a little confusing sometimes, with its own language of tricky terms and phrases. Need a little help? Check out our expert guide to climbing jargon.

You can also find our explanation of climbing ratings here.

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Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson’s free climb of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan in 2015 was one of the most seismic achievements in rock climbing history. For 19 days, the pair grappled with this most iconic of big wall climbs, the first of its kind at the 9a (5.14d) grade. The climb and subsequent film captured attention way beyond the climbing world. Then, one year later, a 23-year-old Czech climber repeated the feat, free climbing the Dawn Wall solo in just 8 days. His name? Adam Ondra.

A prodigy widely held to be the finest climber of his generation, Ondra’s list of achievements is staggering. No one in the world has sent as many almost impossibly hard sport climbs, including Silence, the 5.15d (9c) route that may be the world’s most difficult. He’s simply prolific. Yet, Ondra doesn’t just dominate the world of sport climbing, he’s also one of the world’s best boulderers, as one of a handful of people who have climbed at the V17 grade, and one of the most decorated competition climbers too.

Here we delve deeper into his many remarkable achievements, highlighting his pivotal climbs and trying to put his many sends into some form of context. If you don’t know your Yosemite decimal system from your Font grades, check out our guide to climbing rating systems in order to make sense of the astounding difficulty of Ondra’s climbs.

Early life

Ondra was born in Brno, the Czech Republic’s second largest city, in 1993. His parents were both keen climbers and he began his acquaintance with the pursuit aged three, becoming enamored with technical sport climbing at a tender age. By eight, he’d onsighted his first 5.12c (7b+), a remarkable achievement. Onsighting is when a climber completes (or sends) a route at the first time of asking and without any prior knowledge.

He emerged as a rock climbing prodigy and by 13 had redpointed his first 5.14d (9a): Martin Krpan in Misja Pec, Slovenia. This grade is a significant milestone for climbers, one that was famously first achieved by the legendary Wolfgang Güllich on Action Directe in Germany’s Frankenjura in 1991. That Ondra was able to climb at this level, at just 13 years old, underlined his immense talent.

A sport climbing sensation

Ondra developed into arguably the greatest sport climber in the world. Since his first at the age of 13, Ondra has climbed more than 200 routes at the 5.14d (9a) grade or higher, more than anyone else in history. His ability to onsight or flash hard climbs is unrivalled, making short work of routes other climbers spend weeks or months on. In terms of grades, he’s broken new ground repeatedly, most notably on three specific occasions.

The first was when he redpointed Change in 2012. This 148ft (45m) overhanging route is found in the spectacular Hanshelleren Cave in Flatanger, Norway. It’s an area that Ondra has made a second home – he’s established several projects and sent a raft of impressive climbs in this magnificent, silent arena. When Ondra sent Change in 2012, it was the world’s first 9b+ (5.15c) and it has only been climbed three times since, by fellow elites Stefano Ghisolfi in 2020, Ondra's oft-climbing partner Seb Bouin in 2022 and Alex Megos in 2024.

The second major breakthrough was in 2013 in Oliana, Spain. La Dura Dura was a project of Californian sport climbing royalty Chris Sharma, a man who’d dominated rock climbing for decades. However, he was close to giving up on the route before a timely collaboration with Ondra. Together, they pieced together the puzzle of the 164ft (50m) limestone cliff and Ondra sent the route on February 7 – a true passing of the torch moment between the 31-year-old legend and the 20-year-old prodigy. It’d be another month and a half before Sharma achieved the climb, on 23 March 2013. The pair agreed on a consensus 5.15c (9b+), making it the hardest climb in the world at the time. It has not been repeated since.

Silence

Perhaps Ondra’s most important climb – arguably the hardest rock climb in the world – was in 2017 with Silence, a 148ft (45m) overhanging route that, like Change, is located in the granite Hanshelleren Cave in Flatanger, Norway.

Silence is a route up an almost impossibly steep section of the cave, with three difficult boulder problems at its crux. The sequence demands extreme precision, upside down climbing and an extreme drop knee to overcome it. To rest before unlocking the rest of the route, Ondra had trained his muscles to allow him to literally bat-hang. In fact, Ondra had parts of the climb replicated in a gym he had built nearby, just to train for the route.

Silence has yet to be repeated, though Italian climber Stefano Ghisolfi has repeated the crux. At the time of Ondra’s climb in 2017, it was the world’s first 5.15d (9c). He named the route Silence for the inner calm he felt while climbing it and for the vivid emotions he felt when he finally sent it.

Competition climbing

Ondra is one of the world’s most decorated competition climbers in terms of World Cup and World Championship wins. Only Austrian contemporary Jakob Schubert boasts more male titles on the competition circuit.

Ondra’s first adult gold came in 2009, when he won the Lead World Cup at the age of just 16. A year later, he became the first person in history to win the World Cup in both the Boulder and Lead disciplines. Through his career to date, he’s won seven World Cup golds and five World Championship golds, the latest coming in 2019 – a mightily impressive haul.

Ondra competed at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, finishing in sixth place both times in the Boulder and Lead Combined events. Changes in competition bouldering since his World Cup victories in 2010 haven’t played to Ondra’s style and it’s thought that athletes who’ve developed alongside the new style are better suited to it.

It’s possible that, had climbing been an Olympic sport at London 2012 and Rio 2016, Ondra would have had a very good chance of winning some gold medals. Indeed, after the 2024 Games, Ondra admitted that he felt ‘bitter’ that his generation weren’t given the chance to compete on the world’s greatest stage back then.

Bouldering exploits

The hardest boulder problems in the world are graded at V17. Less than ten of these masterpieces of climbing have been successfully sent. They’re the preserve of only a handful of elite climbers. Among them, Adam Ondra.

In February 2025, after five days of effort, Ondra sent one of the original V17s, Soudain Seul, in the forest of Fontainebleau, the French region that’s thought of as bouldering's spiritual home. He’s since been back to this hallowed ground, flashing a number of impressive boulders and even attempting what might be the world’s first V18: Imothep Assis. This problem is a longtime project of local Bleausard (Fontainebleau climber) Camille Coudert.

In his Boulder Tour de Fontainebleau film (which you can watch below), Ondra had this to say of Imothep Assis: "I absolutely love it. I think it's the most motivating boulder I've ever seen."

A British mountain guide has broken his own astonishing record for the most Everest climbs by a non-Nepali.

Kenton Cool made his 19th successful ascent of the world's tallest mountain on May 18, more than anyone who's not a Nepali Sherpa. He was joined by multiple Nepali guides and fellow climbers as Everest's climbing season gets going.

Cool, aged 51, began his Everest journey with a maiden ascent in 2004 and has been back every year almost every year since to work as a guide. He's broken his Everest streak just three times in the past two decades, due to the devastating avalanches in 2014 and 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, which forced the cancellation of the climbing season.

You can see him talking about this plans on Instagram below.

The only climbers to scale the mountain more than him are Nepali Sherpas. Record holder Kami Rita has been up the 29,035ft (8,849m) mountain 30 times, and is expected to make his 31st ascent in the coming days.

With spring here, the Everest climbing season is in full swing. Hundreds of climbers and guides head up every April and May, when the harshest weather conditions subside, and the mountain is at its warmest.

Conditions on Everest are still perilous, with temperatures dropping well below freezing, treacherous underfoot terrain, low oxygen levels, avalanches, and plenty of other risks.

Two climbers have already perished this season. Indian Subrata Ghosh and Filipino Philipp Santiago died around the summit late last week.

Out of the 800 or so who attempt to climb Everest each year, roughly five to ten people will lose their lives. Last year, eight people died on the mountain, after a deadly year in 2023, which saw 18 people perish.

Our staff writer and outdoors expert, Julia Clarke is about to trek to Everest Base Camp. Check out how she's prepared here.

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The fourth climbing World Cup competition of the 2025 season concluded over the weekend after two thrilling days of climbing in Curitiba, Brazil. Round four was the second bouldering event of the year.

Not sure how it works? Jump to the bottom of this article for a handy IFSC World Cup explainer.

Women's competition

The women's competition ended with a thrilling finish as France's Naile Meignan beat her compatriot Oriane Bertone by just 0.1 points.

Both were near-flawless throughout the competition, cruising through qualifying and the semi-finals before their tense final encounter in front of 1,200 spectators.

21-year-old Meignan came out on top following two near-perfect performances, in which she notched up 99.6 points and Bertone scored 99.5.

The knife-edge victory represents Meignan's first-ever World Cup gold, while Bertone, who's only 20 herself, earned her tenth podium finish.

"It feels amazing to win in my first competition of the year. I wasn’t expecting to be this good, but for sure it feels great," an ecstatic Meignan told the IFSC after the event.

“I was a bit tense on the first boulder, but then I felt more confident and was able to flash the following three problems."

This year's women's climbing competition looks a little different due to the absence of two of the world's best all-around climbers.

45-time World Cup gold medalist Janja Garnbret will miss most of this season as she takes time to rest, while world champion Natalia Grossman is recovering from long-term knee injuries.

Men's competition

The men's competition ended in a familiar fashion, as Japan's Sorato Anraku won his third gold of the season with a composed and powerful climb in the final.

The 18-year-old dominated the early rounds, leading in qualifying and the semi-finals, before racking up 69.7 points in the final, 10.8 more points than second-placed Mejdi Schalck of France.

Victory in Curitiba puts clear water between Anraku and anyone else in the bouldering competition after another gold in the season opener in Keqiao, China.

The teenage prodigy also tops the lead climbing table and is quickly establishing himself as the world's best multi-discipline male climber.

"I'm very happy for my second World Cup gold in a row," he told the IFSC after the final.

"I'm not thinking about winning the Series, I will focus on one event at a time, so now it's time to focus on Salt Lake City (the next event)."

Anraku burst onto the scene with an unstoppable run in last season's bouldering competition. By the close, he'd amassed a whopping 500 points more than anyone else, to claim his title as the world's best male boulderer.

What is the IFSC World Cup?

The IFSC World Cup is a year-long climbing competition that pits the world's best climbers head-to-head in lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering competitions.

It takes place across 14 different World Cup stages, held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for each discipline. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

What's next?

The world's best boulderers have little time to rest as the next IFSC World Cup is also a bouldering event and takes place from May 23 to 25 in Salt Lake City, USA.

You can also check out the first para-climbing World Cup of the year, which is also in Salt Lake City, on May 21 and 22.

The upcoming event is the first of three para-climbing World Cup competitions this season and pits the world's best climbers living with disabilities against one another over two tense days of competition.

For more on para-climbing, check out our expert guide.

• The best climbing shoes: get a grip both indoors and out
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May 29 1953 is arguably the most important date in mountaineering history. At around 11:30am, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary became the first people to stand on the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Everest.

It’d be 22 years before Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei would become the first woman to stand on the summit, which she achieved on May 16 1975. Three years later, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler became the first people to summit without supplemental oxygen, on May 8 1978. Fast forward to 2019, and it’s thought that a record 358 people reached the summit on a single day alone: May 23.

You don’t need Sherlock Holmes’ knack for deduction to figure out that May is obviously a good month to try your hand at ascending the world’s tallest mountain. In fact, according to the Himalayan Database, around 80% of the approximately 13,000 successful summits has occurred in May.

To get to the bottom of why this is, we asked one of our mountaineering experts to delve a little deeper into why May is such a favorable month to climb Everest and to see if there are any other good times. Naturally, we also couldn’t resist revealing when the worst times to climb Everest are.

When is the best time to climb Everest? And why?

Mid-May is the best time to climb Everest, during the pre-monsoon ‘summit window’. This is thanks to the movements of the jet stream, which drifts north during this time, bringing calmer winds and warmer temperatures to the mountain. This window, which usually lasts between a week and about 10 days, closes with the arrival of the Asian monsoon. If you were to bet on the best day, it’d be May 19, with 13% of all successful summits, more than any other.

At 29,030ft (8,849m) tall, Everest extends beyond the upper troposphere and into the stratosphere, a place where wind speeds in excess of 100 mph are common. It's only when the jet stream shifts that extended periods of relative calm can be expected. May also experiences less rainfall and better visibility than other months. All of this means that climbers have better odds of succeeding during May – it’s as simple as that.

However, it’s likely that critics of the rampant adventure tourism present on Everest today, such as the great Reinhold Messner, would refute the claim that May is the “best” time to climb Everest. One only needs to think of Nims Purja’s viral photo of queuing mountaineers from 2019 to be reminded that climbing Everest during this popular summit window is far from a solitary adventure experience. Plus there’s the fact that slow moving human traffic in the thin air of the death zone could be a cocktail for disaster.

So, are there other good times to climb Everest?

Post-monsoon season

A similar summit window exists in autumn, between the departure of the monsoon and the colder temperatures and stronger winds of winter. During this time, the weather is more stable, the temperatures are moderate and visibility better. This is known as the post-monsoon season.

The first post-monsoon ascent of the mountain was achieved in 1975, when the British Mount Everest Southwest Face expedition, led by the great Chris Bonington, saw Dougal Haston and Doug Scott summit on September 24, and then Peter Boardman and Sirdar Pertemba Sherpa two days later. Most post-monsoon summits thereafter would occur in October, including by the likes of Kurt Diemberger, the only person in history to have recorded first ascents on two 8,000m peaks (Broad Peak and Dhaulagiri), in 1978, and American great George Lowe, along with Dan Reid and Jay Cassell in 1983.

However, successful climbs are still much more of a rarity during this second window. The mountain is much more popular in the pre-monsoon, particularly with guides taking clients to the roof of the world. This is due to the post-monsoon season’s increased snow fall, which creates unstable slopes that are more prone to avalanche. However, these conditions can also attract elite skiers and snowboarders to Everest.

When are the worst times to climb Everest?

The height of summer and the depths of winter are the worst times to tackle an ascent of Everest. Winter may seem like the obvious worst time but the summer monsoon season sees heavy rainfall and high humidity conspire to create the ideal conditions for avalanches, rockfall and landslides. Visibility is also worse during the monsoon, with low cloud being a much more common occurrence. In fact, Himalayan records suggest that there have been more successful summits in winter than in summer.

Of course, winter is also the preserve of only the most ambitious mountaineers. Temperatures plunge to -22°F (-30°C) at base camp and thanks to windchill the summit can feel as low as -112°F (-80°C). The jetstream is also back in action, bringing extremely strong winds and heavy snowfall. In fact, Everest’s summit is the windiest place on Earth and record speeds recorded here in February 2004 were in excess of 175mph.

The first winter ascent occurred on February 17 1980, when Polish alpinists Leszek Cichy and Krzystof Wielicki made to the top. Along with an expedition team of more than 20 climbers, they battled the ferocious elements, having to continuously rebuild even the lower camps, which were regularly getting destroyed by the high winds, with some as high as 125mph. However, the gusts started to subside and, with their permit window about to shut, Wielicki and Cichy hopefully moved up to Camp 4 on February 16. Their summit day was ‘unimaginably cold’ and the pair still had to battle strong winds to make the top. However, they’d proved climbing Everest in winter was possible.

German mountaineer Jost Kobusch is currently training to become the first person to summit Everest solo in winter, without supplemental oxygen. However, new rules requiring all climbers to have at least one Sherpa with them from September this year have thrown the future of his attempt into question.

To this day, only 15 people have made it to the summit during the cold season. It’s thought that around 34 expeditions have tried, with only five succeeding. The extremely challenging mix of ferocious wind and even fiercer cold make Everest in winter an undertaking only for those willing to risk all and suffer very profound discomfort for the glory of the summit.

Karl Egloff's latest challenge is an extreme, globetrotting test of climbing ability. The 44-year-old speed climber has set multiple fastest time records in his career and now has his sights on a fresh challenge: to snag the speed records for the tallest mountains in each of the world's seven continents.

He already holds the records for the fastest ascents of the tallest mountains in Europe, Africa, and North and South America, having scaled Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Denali and Aconcagua in record times.

With just three peaks to go, I caught up with Karl to find out why he's taken on this crazy challenge and what the next few months hold for him.

How Karl started speed climbing

Karl's introduction to speed climbing was certainly unique.

In his early adult life, the Ecuadorian was a mountain guide in his home country, leading tourists and climbers around the high plateaus and rugged landscape of the Andes mountains.

One day in 2012, with no prior speed climbing experience, a fellow guide challenged him to run up Cotopaxi, Ecuador's second-tallest mountain, to see how fast he could do it.

"One day we decided to run up the mountain, and I ran up the mountain for the very first time, and when I came back, I'd broken the world speed record," explains Karl, who sped up and down the 7125ft (2172m) peak in just one hour and 36 minutes.

"This was a huge thing in Ecuador... it's crazy to do the mountain in an one hour 30, when normally people do it in 12 hours.

"It's breaking all traditions, and in the end, I felt so good doing this. With no security, running up the mountain like a bird spreading its wings. I thought, 'Hey, this is a great sport, and I love this sport,'" he continues.

Thirteen years later, Karl is the proud owner of 12 speed climbing world records, including an astonishing record ascent of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, which Karl smashed in just six hours and 42 minutes back in 2014, although he doesn't credit it as his proudest achievement.

"The thing I'm really proud of is being alive," he laughs.

"I'm aware that this sport is risky, especially when you're going down you're risking much. I'm happy that I'm here, we always say in Swiss-German, an old guide is a good guide because he's alive."

The Seven Summits challenge

Karl has three mountains to go to complete his daunting Seven Summits challenge and become the first to hold all seven speed records at once.

To claim his crown, Karl needs to break the speed records for ascending the Vision Massif in Antarctica, Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania, and Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in Asia and, of course, the world. All ascents will be made without oxygen.

Karl will head to Everest first, to attempt his likely hardest climb in ideal early summer conditions. He'll need to beat the current record of 16 hours and 45 minutes, set by Italian mountaineer Hans Kammerlander in 1996.

To make matters more interesting, Karl won't be the only hopeful record-breaker on the mountain this spring, as American athlete Tyler Andrews will also be attempting to break the world speed record.

Should he break the beat Andrews' time and snag the record, Karl will head to Antarctica and Oceania in 2026 to complete his Seven Summits challenge before considering a well-earned retirement from speed climbing.

"I know that I'm already in the last years of my career, and recovery is not so easy anymore," explains Karl.

"I'm enjoying my last dance.

"I absolutely know that there's a time to quit, and this time you should never ignore...It's clear this line is coming, and at one point, I won't risk anymore."

Acclimatization

Alongside a strict regiment of intensive cardio and strength training, Karl is preparing for his trip by acclimatizing in hypoxic tents.

These high-tech tents simulate the low oxygen levels of high-altitude environments by creating a nitrogen-dense environment for you to sleep in.

The air at sea level contains 20.9% inhalable oxygen, a number that drops dramatically the higher you get. At Everest base camp, it's down to 10.4%, and by the summit, the air contains just a third of the inhalable oxygen at regular sea level.

Sleeping at the simulated altitude of a hypoxic tent saturates your blood oxygen levels, forcing your body to release its red blood cells and ready itself for conditions at 20,000ft / 6,096m.

"It's a crazy tool. I'm in the tent and watching a Champions League game at 6,000 meters of altitude, which of course makes it very nice," says Karl.

"I want to train my body to get all the red blood cells, so my body can train tired and also feel like there's a lack of oxygen at home. And I can eat, and I can perform feeling the same as I'm going to be feeling at that altitude."

Footwear

Karl will be making his next ascent in gear from his sponsor, La Sportiva, which boasts a well-rated range of high-quality climbing gear for harsh alpine conditions.

"I have tons of different options, but I'll probably be using the G2 boots for the summit. I don't know how the weather is going to be there, but I did Makalu with the G2, and they were really good," says Karl.

"But of course, you are not starting with the G2 from very early. You are putting them probably in a certain camp and going lighter for the other camps with a G5 or something like that".

La Sportiva's G5 and G2 boots are some of the best in the business for harsh alpine ascents. They feature large stud-like lugs and offer plenty of protection from the elements.

Conditions on Everest are unforgiving all year round. Even in the spring climbing season, temperatures are likely to plummet to depths of -26°C (-15°F) at the summit, so Karl will need all the protection he can get from his climbing gear.

Karl has yet to announce the official date for his upcoming Everest ascent, so stay tuned to Advnture for all the latest updates.

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Fancy an adrenaline rush? Check out Black Diamond's latest climbing film to see Austrian daredevil Babsi Zangerl become the first person to flash climb the monstrous El Capitan mountain in Yosemite National Park.

The historic ascent

Flash climbing refers to a climber successfully sending a route on their first attempt without falling, usually with knowledge of, but no prior experience of the climb.

Despite its fame and multiple previous attempts, the 7,573ft (2,307 m) El Capitan mountain had never been flash climbed until November 2024 when Zangerl made the first successful ascent.

Joined by her longtime partner Jacopo Larcher, Zangerl scaled the daunting Freerider route in just four days. Larcher also completed the climb but was unable to claim a flash after he fell at the Boulder Problem, a section made famous as the most difficult part of Alex Honnold's free solo climb of El Cap.

The achievement cemented Zangerl's place as one of the world's best all-round climbers, having previously made the first free ascents by a woman of multiple routes on El Cap and in the Alps.

Black Diamond Presents: Flashed

The new film, 'Black Diamond Presents: Flashed', takes you behind the scenes of the historic climb, with insightful commentary from Zangerl and Larcher and breath-taking shots of their ascent.

You can watch it for free, right now on YouTube.

"You only have one chance, and that puts a lot of pressure on you, especially on a big wall where you have to climb one thousand meters and there are many chances to fall," Zangerl comments during the film.

"The further I got up there, the more pressure I had. I told myself, the first and biggest goal is to send Freerider, and everything else, I can't really do anything about."

Zangerl's gear

Zangerl and Larcher were kitted out in the latest and greatest Black Diamond gear for the climb, including the sturdy Vapor helmet and dependable Camalot Ultralight camming device.

The pair slept inside a lightweight Perch Double Expedition Fly suspended from the rock wall, along with Black Diamond's Perch Double Portaledge.

The pair's full gear list is available on the Black Diamond website.

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Women's lead competition

The first lead climbing World Cup of 2025 wrapped in astonishing fashion, as two female climbers tied for gold despite multiple tie-breakers.

In the surprising result on Sunday, South Korea's Chaehyun Seo and Erin McNeice of Great Britain recorded the same scores in the final, semi-final, and qualification rounds in Wujiang, China.

In this extremely rare event, the winner is decided by time spent on the wall in the final round. Both Seo and McNeice recorded the same time of 1 minute and 26 seconds. Without any other means of breaking the tie, both were awarded gold medals - the first time that there have ever been two winners since the IFSC instituted tie-breaking rules.

McNeice and Seo both performed exceptionally well over a tough lead climbing route in Wujiang. This was McNeice's first lead medal, after finishing with bronze in last week's opening Boulder competition.

Despite a steady showing over the past few years, it was Seo's first IFSC gold since her debut season in 2019.

In a joint interview with the IFSC, Seo said: “It’s my first win in four years, and I can’t believe I won with Erin. It’s the first time to win together with someone else on time as well.”

McNeice added: “I purposely tried to climb it quickly, but obviously not quick enough. It was a lot of fun though, and I really enjoyed the fight.”

Due to the unusual result, no silver medal was awarded and the pair was joined on the podium by American favorite Annie Sanders, who climbed consistently throughout to claim bronze.

Men's lead competition

After a tense women's competition, supporters in Wujiang weren't surprised to see the winner of the men's competition, as Japan's Sorato Anraku triumphed yet again to win his second World Cup gold in under a week.

Anraku won gold in the opening IFSC World Cup bouldering event on April 20 and climbed brilliantly to claim another victory in Wujiang.

The 18-year-old won the Lead and the Boulder Series titles in his debut season last year and looks odds-on to repeat the feat in this year's competition, although he's keen to play down expectations early on.

"I’m not aiming for the overall World Cup Series, but I’m aiming to win every event." he told the IFSC.

"Then I guess the overall will take care of itself. But I go one event at a time.”

Also on the podium by his countryman Suzuki Neo, and bronze medalist Alberto Ginés López of Spain, who fell just short of second.

Men's speed competition

The speed competition treated the crowd in Wujiang to two home-grown winners as China's Long Jianguo and Zhang Shaoqin snagged gold in the men's and women's events

After a close-run semi-final match-up with Indonesia's Kiromal round, Long won gold when his opponent in the final, Ukraine's Hryhorii Ilchyshyn, was penalised for a false start.

Katibin won bronze in a tight third-place playoff with reigning World Champion Samuel Watson. The pair were separated by just 0.39 seconds.

Women's speed competition

The women's speed finals were a super-close event, with the winner decided by just 0.5 seconds. Following a tense semi-final run, Zhang Shaoqin won gold in a nail-biting final against South Korea’s Jeong Jimin. Zhang recorded a time of 6.32 seconds to beat Jeong’s 6.37 seconds.

In front of a jubilant home crowd, Zhang told the IFSC: “I didn’t think about anything else other than my own climbing. I wanted to enjoy my competition and enjoy the climbing."

Fellow Chinese climber Lijuan Deng also made the podium after a solid showing against America's Emma Hunt.

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Two teenage boulderers took center stage in Shaoxing, China, for the first IFSC Climbing World Cup round of 2025.

17-year-old American Annie Sanders continued her impressive form from last season's competition, with a dominant display to claim gold in women's bouldering before Japan's Sorato Anraku secured victory in the men's competition.

Texas native Sanders breezed through the qualification and semi-final rounds before building an insurmountable 9.8-point margin in the final.

Following her victory, Sanders told UK Climbing: "I'm pretty excited, honestly.

"I definitely wasn't expecting it, especially after the first boulder, where I was frustrated and pretty much not getting anywhere on the second boulder."

She was joined on the podium by France's Oriane Bertone and Erin McNeice of Great Britain.

Bertone enjoyed a consistent competition and led throughout the qualification and semi-final stages, while 21-year-old McNeice matched her previous World Cup bouldering position in third.

Japanese climbers dominated the men's competition, with first, third, and fourth place finishers.

As viewers have come to expect, teenage sensation Sorato Anraku once again topped the podium with a near-perfect score of 99.7. Anraku breezed last year's bouldering competition, combining power and precision to score over 500 more points than the second-placed finisher.

It wasn't quite as easy for the 18-year-old in Shaoxing, as South Korea's Dohyun Lee nearly pipped him with an exquisite score of 99.3. Japan's Meichi Narasaki rounded off the leaderboard with a consistent performance throughout.

"I had a good time at this comp," Anraku told UK Climbing.

"I really enjoyed the problems."

The weekend's competition was the first of 14 different World Cup stages that will be held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for bouldering, speed climbing, and lead climbing. These rankings decide the eventual world champions for each discipline.

The next World Cup round will be held in just a matter of days in Wujain, China. From April 25 to 27, the world's best speed and lead climbers will have the chance to claim their first medals of the season.

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

We'll be keeping a close eye on the competition here at Advnture, so make sure to check back for reaction after every round.

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After a lengthy six-month absence, the world's premier climbing competition is back.

The IFSC Climbing World Cup returns tomorrow in Shaoxing, China, for the first leg of a year-long competition to crown the world's best climbers.

But what exactly is a Climbing World Cup, and how does it work? Read on for everything you need to know about the highly anticipated 2025/26 competition.

How does the IFSC World Cup work?

The IFSC World Cup is the biggest competition in sport climbing.

It pits the world's best boulderers, speed climbers, and lead climbers against each other over 14 competitions held across the globe and throughout the year.

Points from each competition are then tallied up, and climbers are ranked on separate leaderboards for bouldering, speed climbing, and lead climbing. These rankings decide the eventual world champions.

This season's competition begins on April 18 in Shaoxing, China, and concludes next year on September 5 in the Slovenian city of Koper. Before then, the world's best climbers will go head to head in multiple countries and continents.

Most stages don't feature all three disciplines and will usually just have one or two. The upcoming Shaoxing World Cup leg is a solely bouldering competition, so won't have any lead or speed climbing.

The IFSC World Cup schedule

Here are the dates for every World Cup competition in the 2025/26 season:

• April 18 – 20 - Boulder World Cup in Shaoxing, China
• April 25 – 27 Lead and Speed World Cup in Wuijang, China
• May 2 - 4 Lead and Speed World Cup in Bali, Indonesia
• May 16 - 18 Boulder World Cup in Curitiba, Brazil
• May 23 - 25 Boulder World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA
• May 31 - June 2 Speed World Cup in Denver, USA
• June 6 - 8 Boulder World Cup in Prague, Czechia
• June 13 - 15 Boulder World Cup in Bern, Switzerland
• June 25 - 29 Boulder and Lead World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria
• July 5 - 6 Speed World Cup in Krakow, Poland
• July 11 - 13 Lead and Speed World Cup in Chamonix, France
• July 18 - 19Lead World Cup in Madrid, Spain
• July 26 - 27 Speed (S) World Cup, TBD
• September 5 - 6 Lead World Cup in Koper, Slovenia

Climbers to watch

Climbing fanatics can expect big things from this year's competition, with a fresh set of young and hungry climbers ready to take their opportunity at the highest level.

Japanese prodigy Sorato Anraku will be eager to defend his men's bouldering crown and challenge British Olympic champion Toby Roberts in men's lead climbing – an event Roberts ran away with last year.

18-year-old Anraku has enjoyed a rapid rise to stardom in his short career. He bulldozed last year's bouldering competition and will be a heavy favorite in Shaoxing.

Reigning champion Natalia Grossman will be defending her crown in the women's bouldering competition. She took home the gold following impressive first-place finishes in the Salt Lake City and Prague legs of last year's competition.

Later in the season, Slovenian titan Janja Garnbret will be keen to regain her place atop the women's lead climbing podium, after Austrian Jessica Pilz snatched a narrow victory in the final event of last year's World Cup.

At just 26, Garnbret is already a legend of IFSC climbing, with a breath-taking 32 World Cup golds to her name.

More information

Eager to catch the action? Check out our guide to how to watch the IFSC Climbing World Cup on TV or stream it online.

We'll be keeping a close eye on the competition here at Advnture, so make sure to check back for reaction after every round.

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Spectators who managed to bag tickets for the 2028 Olympic climbing competitions will be heading to the beach.

Climbers will take to the wall in the Long Beach area, within view of the dazzling Pacific Ocean. The International Olympic Committee confirmed the venue in a statement.

It says the area offers: "stunning views, framing the temporary climbing wall with the nearby Pacific Ocean as an iconic backdrop".

LA 2028 CEO Reynold Hoover added: “We’ve promised the world an incredible Olympic Games, and today we’re proud to share the plan that will make it happen.

"Los Angeles is the epicenter of sports, culture and entertainment, and every venue selected for the 2028 Games will provide athletes and fans the best possible experience."

The 2028 games will be the first to feature three separate climbing disciplines. Athletes will compete in speed climbing, lead climbing, and bouldering competitions for the chance to win three medals rather than the one on offer at the previous Paris Olympics.

Among them will be reigning men's champion, Britain's Toby Roberts, who's enjoyed a fruitful year after shocking the world with gold in Paris.

Japanese prodigy Sorato Anraku will fancy his chances in the bouldering competition. The 18-year-old has dominated IFSC bouldering competitions over the past year and ran away with the 2024 World Cup.

Slovenian titan Janja Garnbret will be eager for another medal the women's competitions after she also won gold in Paris. Garnbret has an astonishing 32 IFSC World Cup golds to her name, with more than half coming in lead climbing.

Can't get enough competitive climbing? The highly anticipated IFSC Climbing World Cup kicks off soon. Look here for our guide on how and where to watch it.

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Alpinists in Switzerland have smashed a daunting speed climbing challenge in the Alps by over 10 hours.

Swiss / Austrian climbing duo Nicolas Hojac and Philipp Brugger ascended the treacherous north faces of three formidable mountains in record time. The pair faced ice walls, sheer drops, and hazardous underfoot conditions to summit the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains in 15 hours and 30 minutes.

The previous record of 25 hours was set by legendary alpine climbers Ueli Steck and Stephan Siegrist in 2004. It stood for more than two decades before Hojac and Brugger's successful attempt.

They pair had attempted the challenge multiple times before, but repeatedly found themselves the victims of harsh weather conditions and illness.

After finally completing a successful ascent, Brugger told Red Bull: “It was a really emotional moment for me.

“We’ve been wanting to take on this project together for a year now, but then I experienced a perforated bowel. I never would have thought that I would be standing on the Jungfrau with Nico one year later.”

The friends began their ascent at night, equipped with head lamps, ice axes, crampons, and plenty of safety gear. They put all the advances of modern mountaineering equipment to good use with sturdy mountain boots, helmets, and Gore-Tex clothes.

Making a steady start, they summited the 13,015ft (3,967m) Eiger mountain in 5 hours and 53 minutes before speeding down to take on Mönch and Jungfrau.

Friends and fellow climbers supported them with food and water along the route. Before their final ascent, Hojac and Brugger were brought French fries by facilities maintenance workers at Jungfrau’s High Altitude Research Center. They set off on their final ascent soon after and completed the three-peaks challenge in record time.

The formidable north faces of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau are considered to be three of the most challenging climbs in the Alps.

Jungfrau is the tallest of the three, standing at 13,642ft (4,158m). It’s well known for its towering presence over the Bernese Alps.

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Adam Ondra has been attempting a boulder problem that, if climbed, could be the world's first V18. The project, named Imothep Assis, is located in France's forest of Fontainebleau, one of the bouldering world's most historic regions.

This problem has been a longtime project of Camille Coudert, French boulderer and local Bleausard (a climbing term for a Fontainebleau climber). One of the elites, he repeated Fontainebleau's V17 Soudain Seul in 2022, first climbed by Simon Lorenzi in 2021 and one of the hardest boulder problems in the world.

Coudert has been projecting the boulder for several years – see below for his successful send of Imothep du Sol. Having grappled with the Imothep Assis variant, Ondra reckons it is "possibly a 9A+ (V18) from the sit start". No one has ever climbed a consensus V18 boulder problem, so if Imothep Assis was to be conquered, and the grade agreed upon, it would be a seismic moment in bouldering history.

Ondra, one of the world's greatest climbers, had previously claimed the fourth ascent of Soudain Seul in February 2025. His more recent Fontainebleau exploits saw him flash other highly technical problems, including Imothep du Sol (V13/14), Ubik Assis (V13) and Ligne de bête (V14).

To 'flash' a climb is to send it on the first attempt using prior knowledge, either gleaned from watching others on the route or reading up on it. This is as opposed to an 'onsight' whereby the climber sends the route first time with no prior knowledge.

In his Boulder Tour de Fontainebleau film (which you can watch below), Ondra had this to say of Imothep Assis: "I absolutely love it. I think it's the most motivating boulder I've ever seen."

Austrian climber Barbara "Babsi" Zengeri made history this weekend as the first person ever to flash climb a route on El Capitan.

According to an Instagram post from Black Diamond, which you can view below, Zengeri flashed Freerider 5.13a, the Yosemite route made famous by Alex Honnold's 2017 free solo climb. Flashing a climbing route means that Zengeri climbed the 32-pitch, 3,300ft face on her first attempt, without falling once.

"Babsi’s unprecedented, no-falls ascent of the 3,300-foot route on her first try ushers in a new level to her already stacked ticklist of El Cap free routes," writes BD in the post.

The climb took Zengeri and her partner Jacopo Larcher of Italy three days to complete. Larcher was leading during the Boulder Problem, characterized by tiny crimp holds which Honnold famously established as the most difficult move of the route, but he missed the undercling hold and fell. Informed by his experience, Zengeri was able to stick the move and get the flash.

German brothers Alexander and Thomas Huber established the Freerider route in 1998. The route follows crack systems up the southwest face of El Cap and has numerous cruxes. In 2012, British climber Leo Houlding nearly flashed Freerider but for a single fall, while Pete Whittaker's 2014 attempt isn't considered a true flash because he took a detour

Flashing it further cements Zengeri's place as one of the best all-round female climbers in the world. Named National Geographic's Adventurer of the Year in 2019, she made the first female free ascent of the Alpine Trilogy in 2013, three routes on El Cap between 2015 and 2016, the Eiger's hardest route in 2018 and Eternal Flame on the Nameless Tower in Pakistan in 2022.

As always, lots is going on in Yosemite's climbing scene right now. Just last week, we reported that Alex Honnold is there projecting The Nose, while at the end of October, two relatively unknown climbers set a new record for the Yosemite Triple Crown.

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Over the weekend, two Utah climbers claim to have set a new speed record for the Yosemite Triple Crown, besting the previous record for one of the world's most technical trifectas by 35 minutes.

On Monday, Maxim Ropes announced that their athlete Tanner Wanish had smashed the record along with partner Michael Vaill in just 17:55. Details were sparse, but the following day, Wanish confirmed the feat on Instagram, writing:

"A perfect day in the park. Will share some fun details and stories later, for now we’ll smile and sleep."

The Yosemite Triple Crown links the park's three biggest walls – El Capitan's The Nose, the Northwest Face of Half Dome and the South Face of Mount Watkins. That's 77 pitches, 8,032-feet of vert and 11 miles of hiking. Just to add insult to injury, climbers need to complete it in under 24 hours.

Photographer Evan Carpenter captured a breathtaking timelapse video of the climbers' 5:25 ascent of El Cap through the night, which you can watch below, and writes that this was the second leg of their adventure.

Maxim Ropes describes Wanish, 32, as a "relatively new" climber who loves ridge traverses and single-day linkups of big walls.

"While he's already logged some seriously impressive days in the mountains, the fact that he's only a bit over 4 years into his climbing journey suggests even bigger days ahead."

Even less is known about Vaill, but on his Instagram page he reports that the pair decided to "go for it" even though each has barely completed a 5.12 before this. Though these climbers aren't exactly marquee names, it seems likely we'll be hearing more about them in the future based on this performance.

Sports Illustrated reports that the previous record of 18:20 was set by Brad Gobright and Jim Reynolds in 2017. Other notable priors include, naturally, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell, who did the first free ascent of the Triple Crown in 2012 in 21:15. Honnold also soloed the route in 18:50 later that same year.

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Twenty-three-year-old Adriana Brownlee has became the youngest woman to summit all 14 of the world’s tallest mountains.

The Brit reached the summit of Shishapangma (8,027m) on October 9 at 08:01 to claim the title of summitting all 14 8,000m mountains. The epic challenge had taken her just three years and five months. 

The final push was emotional. Adriana said: “I started to cry. I hadn’t reached the summit yet, I couldn’t even see it, but I knew it was going to happen.

“It took another hour before we reached the incredible summit. By this time it was just sunrise and we had a beautiful clear sky.

“It was the most incredible moment. I cried again remembering that I had just summited all 14 8,000m peaks and made history.”

The summit also makes Adriana the second official British climber to summit all 14 peaks. She added: “British explorers have always been breaking boundaries. I’m proud to set another world first and keep that tradition alive.’’

She joins an elite list of just 64 people worldwide who can claim the same achievement. Earlier this month, we also reported news of the first US woman to climb all of the world's tallest mountains.

The list, in height order, is: Everest (recently adjusted to be 8,849m tall), K2 (8,611m), Kanchenjunga (8,586m), Lhotse (8,516m), Makalu (8,463m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), Dhaulagiri (8,167m), Manaslu (8,163m), Nanga Parbat (8,125m), Annapurna I (8,091m), Gasherbrum I (8,068m), Broad Peak (8,047m), Gasherbrum II (8,035m) and Shishapangma (8,012m). 

Adriana, from London, said: “I have always had a love and fascination with mountains for as long as I can remember.”

She first showed her ambitions when she wrote in a piece of primary school homework that her dream was, “to be famous for climbing the highest mountain in the world”. 

Her passion for the outdoors was further fuelled when she completed the three tallest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland – Scafell Pike, Snowden and Ben Nevis, respectively – in just 22 hours at the age of eight with her father Tony.

Twelve years later in May 2021, at the age of 20, Adriana reached the summit of Everest. Over the following three years, she continued to set world firsts as she summited peak after peak. She broke two further records, including the world's youngest woman to summit K2 and the youngest person to summit Gasherbrum I without supplementary oxygen.

For her final climb, Adriana wanted to summit without the use of oxygen – making it an even tougher challenge.

She said: “It’s all about intrinsic motivation for me and wanting to push my body and achieve my personal goals. Mountaineering is my escape in life, it makes me feel free and truly connected with myself so it becomes an obsession to go back.’

“I quit university and my degree to pursue a career in mountaineering and sacrificed friendships, regular teenage life and more, but it was all worth it.

“I hope to inspire youngsters all over the world that there is no set path in life. You can create your own destiny and journey which can be totally unique to you if that’s what makes you happy.“

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After becoming the youngest person to summit the world’s 14 tallest mountains, Nepalese teenager Nima Rinji Sherpa has returned home to a hero’s welcome.

Across two years, the now 18-year-old climbed each of Earth’s ‘eight thousanders’ - peaks above 8,000 meters / 26,242ft, before concluding his journey on China’s Mount Shishapangma on October 9.

Beating the previous record by a whopping 12 years, Nima also set record times for summiting the monstrous Everest and Lhotse mountains in under 10 hours.

He returned home to well-deserved fanfare at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, where he was greeted by hundreds of supporters, family and fellow Nepalese Sherpas.

“I am very happy and I want to say thank you very much,” the overjoyed teen said on his return.

Crowds also gathered to greet Dawa Yangzum Sherpa, the first Nepalese woman to scale the 14 peaks, who returned alongside Nima. A trail-blazer in her own right, 34-year-old Dawa was also the first Nepalese woman to be certified by the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associates.

Taking to Instagram, Nima dedicated his success to his #SherpaPower campaign, which aims to redefine the global perception of Nepalese sherpas and what they’re capable of.

“I want to show the younger generation of sherpas that they can rise above the stereotype of being only support climbers and embrace their potential as top-tier athletes, adventurers, and creators,” he explained. “We aren’t just guides, we are trailblazers. Let this be a call to every sherpa to see the dignity in our work, the power in our heritage, and the limitless possibilities in our future.”

Nepalese sherpas are an invaluable part of any climb in the Himalayas. Operating in temperatures as cold as -58°F / -50°C, they handle heavy equipment, maintain climbing routes and navigate on behalf of climbing groups.

“Mountaineering is more than labor; it is a testament to our strength, resilience, and passion,” Nima concluded.

The 14 peaks challenge is thought to be the toughest test in climbing, pushing participants to their mental and physical limits in bone chilling temperatures and punishing terrain. On average, six climbers die each year on Mount Everest alone, while more than 20% of those attempting the K2 mountain don't make it down alive.

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A Nepalese teenager has become the youngest person to summit the world’s 14 tallest mountains. At just 18, Nima Rinji Sherpa climbed each of Earth’s ‘eight thousanders’, peaks above 8,000 meters / 26,242ft in under two years. In that time, he set records for summiting the monstrous Everest and Lhotse mountains in just 10 hours.

Completing his challenge atop Tibet’s Mount Shishapangma on October 9, Nima dedicated the achievement to his #SherpaPower campaign, which aims to redefine the global perception of Nepalese sherpas and what they’re capable of.

“This summit is not just the culmination of my personal journey, but a tribute to every Sherpa who has ever dared to dream beyond the traditional boundaries set for us,” Nima explained on Instagram. “Mountaineering is more than labor; it is a testament to our strength, resilience, and passion."

Native to the Himalayan region, Nepalese Sherpas are a fixture of the surrounding mountains, handling equipment, maintaining routes and supporting climbing expeditions. More than just the muscle, Sherpas are expert navigators, guiding groups in temperatures down to -58°F / -50°C while carrying oxygen tanks, food and other supplies.

Despite their indispensable work in the Himalayas, the achievements of Nepalese sherpas have often been overlooked.

“I want to show the younger generation of Sherpas that they can rise above the stereotype of being only support climbers and embrace their potential as top-tier athletes, adventurers, and creators,” Nima continued. “We aren’t just guides, we are trailblazers. Let this be a call to every Sherpa to see the dignity in our work, the power in our heritage, and the limitless possibilities in our future.”

Nima’s 14 peak challenge is considered to be the toughest task in climbing, testing the physical and mental prowess of the world’s very best and most experienced climbers. An average of 6.2 climbers die each year on Mount Everest alone, while more than 20% of those climbing the K2 mountain don't make it down.

Prior to Nima, the previous youngest person to summit all 14 was Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, who was 30 on completion.

“This is a proud moment for our country,” Nima Nuru Sherpa, Nepal Mountaineering Association President, said to the Independent.

“Nima broke all the stereotypes and his success has given a message that nothing is impossible if you have strong determination.”

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A woman has become the first from America to reach the summit of all 14 of the world’s tallest mountains. Tracee Metcalfe, 50, from Vail, Colorado, completed the feat on Friday by climbing 26,335ft / 8,027m-tall Shisha Pangma in Tibet. 

The 14 highest peaks in the world all tower over 8,000m (26,246ft). Also known as the "eight-thousanders", the mountains are located in the Himalayan and Karakoram  ranges and spread across the regions of Nepal, Tibet (China) and Pakistan.

The list, in height order, is: Everest (recently adjusted to be 8,849m tall), K2 (8,611m), Kanchenjunga (8,586m), Lhotse (8,516m), Makalu (8,463m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), Dhaulagiri (8,167m), Manaslu (8,163m), Nanga Parbat (8,125m), Annapurna I (8,091m), Gasherbrum I (8,068m), Broad Peak (8,047m), Gasherbrum II (8,035m) and Shishapangma (8,012m). 

Climbing to the summit of all 14 eight-thousanders is regarded as a huge mountaineering challenge and as of last year fewer than 50 people had done so.

In May 2016, Tracy reached the top of the world on Everest and earlier this year, she revealed on her website, that she had just five more 8,000m mountains to summit.

Tracee’s achievement is  bittersweet, however, after a double tragedy in 2023 when two other US women lost their lives in separate avalanches as they bid to become the first to complete the list of 8,000m mountains. Gina Rzucidlo and Anna Gutu died on the same day on Shisha Pangma.

At the time of the deaths, Tracee, a doctor who grew up in southern California, had also been planning to ascend the same mountain but decided not to. She was reported as saying: “I climb for the joy of climbing and have never been interested in records.”

Her second attempt on Shisha Pangma this month proved successful and placed her in the US record books.

Her Instagram page perhaps sums up her achievement, saying: “Mostly I fly under the radar, but once in a while, I get to soar.” 

History made on world's tallest peaks

Tracee’s expedition last week also saw Mingma G make history as the first Nepalese mountaineer to conquer all 14 of the 8,000m peaks without supplemental oxygen, while Naoki Ishikawa became the first from Japan and Sirbaz Khan the first from Pakistan to tick off all of the world's tallest peaks. Dawa Gyalje Sherpa also fulfilled his dream to reach all 14 mountain summits.

It is more than 14 years since the first woman completed all 14 eight-thousanders . On May 17, 2010, Spanish climber Edurne Pasaban achieved the feat. Some 24 years earlier, on October 16, 1986, Reinhold Messner, from Italy, became the first person to climb all of the eight-thousanders.

A British man has smashed the record for the fastest time to scale the nation's 30 tallest peaks. 

James Norbury completed the challenge in two days, 22 hours and 49 minutes between September 16 and September 18, ascending more than 39,300ft / 12,000m of elevation and trekking some 93 miles / 150km.  

Norbury’s ultra-endurance challenge was a twist on the traditional ‘three peaks challenge’, in which hikers attempt to summit Britain’s three tallest mountains; Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Yr Wyddfa (formerly Snowdon) in less than 24 hours. 

"I was actually originally planning a three peaks challenge of sorts, but then I started thinking it was such a shame to go all the way to Scotland, the Lake District, and Snowdonia and just do one mountain,” the 33-year-old told ITV West Country. 

Designing the ultra-endurance challenge, the Gloucestershire native expanded it to 30 peaks in a bid to widen people’s horizons past the big three, which he found to be busy and overcrowded. 

“On top of Scafell Pike and Snowdon in particular, there were so many people,” he continued. “But I don’t think I saw a single person on any of the other mountains. It just feels like such a shame because these areas are so incredible and beautiful.”

A number of British mountains are indeed experiencing a tourism boom, as more and more locals choose to holiday in the UK. Around 150,000 people climb Ben Nevis each year, with similar numbers summiting Scafell Pike and Yr Wyddfa. This popularity boom comes with its pitfalls, as inexperienced trekkers occasionally leave trash and damage the natural surroundings. 

Training for the challenge, Norbury spent the two months prior scrambling up and down mountains, fine tuning his physical and mental endurance. 

Alongside encouraging awareness for Britain’s best peaks, Norbury raised almost $2,000 (US) / £1,500 (UK) for Mountain Rescue teams, who dedicate their time to keeping climbers and hikers safe.

During the challenge, James wore the Men's Montrail Trinity AG 2 trail running shoes from Columbia. Breathable and sturdy, the Trinity AG2's feature 0.16in / 4mm lugs to provide enhanced grip and traction, suitable for rough mountain terrain.

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While the French are enjoying gold-winning success as the hosts of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, another of their countrymen has performed a record-breaking superhuman feat half way across the world.

French climber Benjamin Vedrines has climbed K2, the world’s second-highest mountain on the Chinese / Pakistan border, without the help of oxygen in just under 11 hours. 

That more than halves the previous record of 23 hours, set by fellow Frenchman Benoît Chamoux on July 7, 1986. 

Vedrines, 32 – who is well-known for his high-speed ascents unaided by oxygen – left the K2 base camp shortly after midnight on Saturday July 27, and reached the summit 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds later, his team told to AFP on Monday.

Vedrines attempted to break the record on a previous occasion in 2022, but had to give up when he fell victim to hypoxia, a condition caused by insufficient oxygen levels at high altitudes.

“From 8,000m, I slowed down because I was very worried about reliving the same situation as two years ago,” Vedrines admitted in an Instagram post . “It was a very symbolic climb for me, and I reviewed with complete lucidity the sections that sometimes appear in my flashbacks: I was able to observe and understand better. When I reached the summit, I have rarely felt emotions invade me like that on a mountain.”

The post also reveals, “There was the euphoria of setting off on the expedition, there was the wait at base camp, there were doubts with terrible weather conditions, there were last-minute imponderables, and then there was the summit of K2.”

Standing at 8,611m (28,251ft), K2 is 238m shorter than Everest but is considered technically more challenging, earning it the nickname “Savage Mountain”.

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A Swiss climber and mountain guide has smashed the record for the legendary Alpine 18-peak Haute Route of Monte Rosa, aka the Spaghetti Tour, by more than an hour and a half.

Andy Steindl, 35, completed the feat in a staggering 7 hours, 45 minutes and 44 seconds, crushing the previous record of 9 hours and 18 minutes set by French mountaineer Benjamin Védrines in 2021.

Just to put his achievement into perspective, most experienced climbers take between three and fives days to complete the Spaghetti Tour, which incorporates 18 4,000m-plus peaks over a 30km route in the Swiss and Italian Alps.

Steindl, set off in ideal conditions at 2:45am on July 19 from the Monte Rosa Hut and reached the final destination, the Klein Matterhorn (3,817 m) above Zermatt, at 10:31am.

Following the epic climb, Steindl said, “Today everything just went perfectly. I was in great shape and the conditions were perfect. My head was completely focused, the tactics were right and I was really in the flow for the first few hours. When I looked at the clock, I could hardly believe that I had really been that fast. 

"Towards the end I had to really fight and persevere. The tour demanded everything from me physically and mentally. I am exhausted, but overjoyed. Simply an indescribable day for me.”

Steindl first summited the Matterhorn at the age of 14 and had since become addicted to breaking mountain climbing speed records. He set the speed record on Mont Blanc in 2019 with Italian François Cazzanelli, heading up via the Peutérey Integral ridge and returning in just under 16 hours. Steindl also set a record on the Matterhorn in 2018, climbing the  mountain then coming back down in 3 hours and 59 minutes.

Here are the 4,000m+ peaks he climbed in his latest record-breaking achievement:

• Nordend (4,608m)
• Dufourspitze (4,634m)
• Zumsteinspitze (4,563m)
• Signalkuppe (4,554m)
• Parrotspitze (4,432m)
• Ludwigshöhe (4,341m)
• Corno Nero (4,322m)
• Vincentpyramide (4,215m)
• Punta Giordani (4,046m)
• Liskamm East Summit (4,527m)
• Liskamm West Summit (4,479m)
• Castor (4,228m)
• Pollux (4,092m)
• Roccia Nera (4,073m)
• Breithorn Zwilling Ost (4,139m)
• Breithorn Zwilling West (4,160m)
• Breithorn Mittelgipfel (4,159m)
• Breithorn Hauptgipfel (4,164m)

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Back in 2010, before he gave up on protective climbing equipment like ropes, Alex Honnold climbed The Nose on El Capitan in 5 hours and 50 minutes. He sliced the previous best time nearly in half, and that record has stuck for 13 years  – until last week.

On Monday October 10, Yosemite climber Nick Ehman rocked up to the base of El Cap and started climbing around 8 a.m. The 28-year-old climber is a member of Yosemite National Park’s search and rescue team and has climbed the route dozens of times, but this day felt different.

“I felt very comfortable in that no-fall headspace, and felt like I had to go for it," he tells the San Francisco Chronicle.

Once thought to be unclimbable, The Nose has become the gold standard for big wall climbing. Lynn Hill was the first to climb it in under 24 hours in 1994, then Tommy Caldwell broke the 12 hour record in 2005. Caldwell and Honnold have speed-climbed the route as a duo in under two hours, but climbing it solo in under five hours has been thus far unheard of.

Tom Evans of El Cap Reports wrote that day that he was not forewarned that Ehman was going to make a run at the record, but has heard that he has done the route some 15 times this season, which should have been a clue.

"His exceptional diet of meat, salt, and water seems to have given him unusual strength and endurance and he took no water or food on this run up the route. Our local vegetarians were dumbfounded!" writes Evans.

Using ropes and cams but with no food or water, Ehman clambered over the lip of El Cap at 12:41 p.m., 4 hours and 39 minutes after starting, to the cheers of his audience down in El Cap meadows below. And so begins a new standard for The Nose.

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An eight-year-old boy has become the youngest to summit El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. However, despite widespread media coverage celebrating the feat, some climbers say that the technique used by Sam Baker and his father isn't climbing, as there's very little interaction with the rock face.

Baker, his father Joe, and two guides made the ascent together using a technique called jumaring or jugging. Rather than climbing the wall using naturally occurring hand and footholds, a person ascends a  fixed rope positioned by a leader using mechanical devices called jumars.

The team began their ascent on October 25, and reached the summit on October 29. "We made it! And then had a little party with our disco ball," Joe Baker wrote in a Facebook post.

Other climbers have questioned the motives for the attempt, suggesting it was an attempt to gain fame rather than a serious sporting endeavor.

"This is a publicity hoax,” Tom Evans of ElCap Reports told the San Francisco Chronicle. During peak climbing season, Evans stands with his binoculars and monitors climbers on El Capitan, documenting their efforts. "The guides do everything that I’ve seen,” Evans said. “That’s why this is not a climb.”

"This is clearly a vicarious undertaking and for what gain. Anyone who thinks this is OK clearly doesn’t understand climbing ethics, wrote one poster on the UK Climbing forum.

However, some climbers took a more positive view, saying that as long as the youngster enjoyed himself spending quality time with his father, it was harmless and  even commendable.

"I think this is perfectly OK. In fact I think it’s great," wrote another poster, "And as for for what gain?  For the gaining of a really special, and bonding experience that father and son will treasure for the rest of their lives." 

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A Colorado man has set a new record for pushing a peanut up one of the state's 14ers (mountains over 14,000ft high) using his nose. The bizarre challenge is a 94-year-old tradition, and involves getting down on the ground and shoving the legume up Pikes Peak using your face.

As Outside Online reports, Bob Salem managed to push a peanut 13 miles up the Barr Trail using an interesting contraption constructed from a plastic spoon and a mask from a ventilation system.

With this device firmly in place, Salem completed the course in seven days – a full day faster than the previous record, and two days after than his goal. Pikes Peak, also known as America's Mountain, is known for its spectacular scenery, but that's something Salem was unable to appreciate on his week-long mission.

Pretty weird

"It’s a pretty weird tradition, so it feels pretty good," he said. "Feels pretty weird, too. But, you know, Manitou Springs keeping it weird. I love collecting history of the local area and stuff like that, so getting to be a part of it and actually being out there is pretty cool."

The first peanut-pusher, Bill Williams, was the first to achieve the feat in 1929, completing the task in order to win a $50 bet (about $856 today). Salem had no such motivation, doing the peanut push purely for the kudos. "I actually volunteered for this," he told Fox 21 News Colorado.

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Three Ukrainian climbers have made history in the Himalayas as the first to successfully summit Annapurna III via the notoriously treacherous southeast ridge route.

Nikita Balabanov, Mikhail Fomin, and Viacheslav Polezhaiko were successful on November 6 as they reached the 24,786ft summit in the Annapurna range in Nepal, besting the previous record attempt which was set forty years ago. The feat involved technical trad climbing on vertical rock, ice and snow with no fixed lines or pre-established camps.

“We climbed in a single push, with no fixed lines or pre-established camps. And for such a big route, for us, it was a real challenge full of entropy and the unknown. We haven’t written this anywhere yet, but we thought of naming the route Patience, of course you understand why,” says Balabanov of the accomplishment in an interview with Climbing. 

The southeast route gains almost 10,000ft in elevation and climbers are faced with overcoming seracs (ridges of ice on the surface of a glacier) and loose, crumbly rock. Consequently, the route has repelled all previous attempts by climbers. The first attempt was made in 1981 by three British climbers – Steve Bell, Nick Colton, and Tim Leach – and their record of 21,325ft had not been broken until now. In 2016, the late Austrian climber David Lama led a failed expedition that reached roughly the same point which he documented in the award winning 12-minute film ‘Annapurna III - Unclimbed’.

The Ukrainian trio chose a different route from Lama and his team, one which they’d attempted previously, in 2019, which they say was technically more difficult than other routes but also safer. They climbed with just one tent, three skinny ropes, 10 cams, seven ice screws and one set of nuts (see our guide to rock climbing terms and gear).

“The psychological aspect was really intensive, as every day we faced some new obstacles and didn’t understand until the end if we would be able to climb it or not. The higher you climb every day, the more difficult it is to get down in case of an accident, and we understood this. But all in all we manage to overcome everything together,” says Balabanov.

One major obstacle they were forced to overcome was running out of food. They had brought enough food and fuel for 12 days, however, the climb would take them 18 days to complete and even with rationing, they ran out of food on day 17 and reportedly have lost a combined total of about 60lbs between them. Another challenge was the descent. Famously, the mountain is so difficult to descend that it’s easier to just keep going up.

“At first we planned to go down by way of ascent. But we realized it would be too dangerous and complicated and decided to go down the Manang side, by way of the first ascensionists. But to get to these gentle snow slopes you must traverse three-and-a-half kilometers of ridge at 7,300 meters, which was impossible under 100-kilometer winds, so we started our descent on the west side, which we hadn’t planned before. We rappelled and downclimbed for two days without any topos or even photos of this side of Annapurna,,” recalls Balabanov.

The trio was then airlifted off the mountain from an altitude of 16,400ft and have returned home to Ukraine.

The mother of Alex Honnold, the record-breaking  ‘Free Solo’ free climber, has made history for the second time as the oldest woman to climb El Capitan.

Dierdre Wolownick previously set this record in 2017 at the age of 66, which she wrote about in her book The Sharp End of Life: A Mother’s Story, and last month broke her own record aged 70. 

Wolownick took up climbing 10 years ago to strengthen her relationship with her son, who in 2017 became the first to climb El Capitan, 3,000ft granite cliff face in Yosemite National Park, without ropes or protective gear. That same year, he took her up El Cap for the first time via the Lurking Fear route. Though known as the easiest route on the rock, the class 5.13 route involves 19 pitches and typically takes four days to complete. Wolownick, however, managed it in well under a day.

“Alex didn’t think I could do it… But that night, at 2am, after 13 hours up and 6 down, I became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan,” she recalled on am.

The two are frequently seen climbing and hiking around Yosemite.

In October 2021, Wolownick, decided to tackle the mammoth slab again, this time with ten friends for her 70th birthday. The group ascended via the East Ledges Descent Route, the typical descent route for climbers who hike down the steep face until they can continue no further on foot, then rappel down. In reverse, the Descent Route makes for a gruelling climb according to Wolonick. 

“The granite slabs that lead you up that last third stretch for what seems like miles. Impossible to protect with rope or any other way. Just walk steeply uphill, endlessly, grabbing whatever tiny edges you can find,” she wrote, explaining that while a foot injury made the climb even more treacherous, it was psychological factors that posed the biggest obstacle.

“My writer’s imagination could see exactly what would happen if I stumbled… I’d roll down slab after slab, breaking parts of me at every bump of rock, until I reached the edge. Then I’d sail out over the Valley to plummet down 3,200 feet to the Valley floor.”

But all ended well, and according to the LA Times, the group reached the summit in time for sunset where they enjoyed cupcakes and wine in celebration. Wolownick says she’s still recovering from the feat.

“Climbing El Cap at 70 takes its toll, physically, mentally, emotionally. I’m not ‘down’ yet. Not sure I ever will be, completely.”  

A runner ascended more than the height of Everest to set an inspiring new record on the UK’s tallest mountain.

Paweł Cymbalista ran up and down 1345m tall Ben Nevis seven times within 24 hours to break a record set 15 years before.

Even more impressively, just eight years ago, Pawel, 33, weighed 16 stones and was a heavy smoker. 

On Sunday, the dad-of-two completed his Ben Nevis challenge having climbed a total of 9450m, which is 600m more than the height of Mt Everest, and covered a distance of 108km. It took him 22 hours and 43 minutes.

Pawel, from Mallaig, Lochaber, said: “My legs hate me at the moment but it feels very good to have set a new Ben Nevis record.”

Fund-raising goal was runner's motivator 

The runner with Lochaber Athletic Club was also raising funds for a friend. The challenge has so far collected more than £4000 to support Davy Duncan, from Fort William who is recovering from Covid.

Pawel said: “Davy got Covid while working offshore. To save his life, he was put into a coma and looked after in the hospital in Mexico. After many weeks and complications, Davy was taken out of the coma to start his journey back to good health. He is now in hospital in Inverness rehabilitating.”

Paweł added: “Thinking about Davy motivated me when the challenge got tough. I kept thinking about what Davy had gone through and what he still faces to fully recover.

“I wanted to do something to help him and running is what I do so the Ben Nevis 24 hour challenge has been my way of helping him.

“When things got hard with the Ben, I thought that if Davy can keep going, then so can I.”

Tough times on record-breaking run

Pawel, who  is originally from Poland, had hoped to complete eight ascents and descents but the weather reduced his initial ambitions.

He started at 11am on October 9. He said: “It was wet and windy for the first morning. Then it calmed down but it was very foggy above 900m.

“Visibility made it much harder and I was slower to each summit.

“After four summits I thought I was okay and I would make the eight but the low visibility made it a lot harder to achieve.

“I am very happy with the seven in total.”

Ben Nevis is renowned for unpredictable weather. The summit is often shrouded in cloud.

Pawel, who has two daughters, fuelled on a mix of sweet and savoury foods but lists baby food as one of his best choices. He said: “Baby food has a good balance of nutrition and it’s easy to eat when you don’t want to eat much. It is kind on the stomach, too.

“I also ate pot noodles, pasta and pork pies.”

He believes he could not have completed the record without friends and family. He said: “It was a team event and I am very grateful for all the support. My wife was amazing and many friends and work colleagues came to help. 

“They did ascents with me, gave me for and coffee and also cheered me on.”

In particular, he is grateful to the previous record holder Charlie Anderson. 

Charlie, of Fort William, held the Ben Nevis 24-hour record for 15 years. Then aged 34, Charlie ascended and descended the Ben six times.

Pawel said: “I contacted Charlie when I decided I wanted to go for the record. He gave me lots of advice and tips.

“He was also there while I ddi the record. He wanted to keep me safe and he wanted me to be successful. He has been very generous with his time and support.”

From overweight to record runner

Pawel enjoys setting himself running goals. He said: “In 2013, I was overweight, smoked heavily and drank too much. I decided I needed to become healthier. 

"I started running and I gave up smoking. I joined Lochaber running club. We run on the slopes of Ben Nevis quite a lot.

“I have also done the Ben Nevis Race five times.

“Then I started thinking about how many times I could run up and down in 24 hours. I discovered the record was six times.

“Now I weigh around 10st and I have completed other 24 hour rounds, such as the Ramsay Round, Paddy Buckley Round and Bob Graham Round. I did those under 24 hours and as training for the Ben Nevis challenge.”

See the GoFundMe page to support Pawel's fund-raising goal.