Alex Puccio has made the second female ascent, after Dorothea Karalus, of Fred Nicole's I Portici (Fred's favourite Pizza place), Font 8A+, at Osogna, Switzerland. She has also managed her first flash of an 8A, with Pamplemousse at Brione.

So far, she has done two 8A+'s and three 8A's since she arrived in Ticino two weeks ago. It took a while for her to get used to climbing on rock again after half a year on plastic, but now it seems she is doing ok.

Next week she will take on a strong field in the Tierra Boulder Battle in Stockholm. If she wants to keep her title she'd better not forgotten how to climb on plastic...