Nach der erst vierten Begehung von „Jumbo Love“ und der separaten Begehung des Direkteinstieges (immerhin schon eine 9a-Route) konnte Seb Bouin nun beide Teil zusammenfügen und klettern. Heraus kam „Suprême Jumbo Love“ für welche Sebastien, in Abstimmung mit dem Erstbegeher von „Jumbo Love“ Chris Sharma, welcher die Route schon 2010 probierte, den Grad 9b+ vorschlägt. Es wäre die erste Route in diesem Grad in den USA und in ganz Amerika.

„Some special moments upthere, in the cold and the wind.
There was whole lotta love for climbing, the place, the people around, and this desert.

Finishing this trip by sending the direct start couldn’t be more perfect. The effort is really long, adding 20 meters of hard climbing before the crux of Jumbo Love. Followed by the second part of Jumbo Love which is really physical and pumpy. The icing on the cake is the last slab of 20m. A tricky slab where you have to know what you do.I almost fell on the slab…

The route is around 70m and the hardest part of this route is to combine everything. The first 9a is quite tricky, and it’s easy to fall, even if you have the power. Then you have this Jumbo Love crux, where it’s definitely possible to fall even if you have the power (missing the one finger pocket).Then you need this fresh energy to link all the pumpy part to reach the lip of the overhang. The last slab is not that hard, but if you are done, and you don’t know it quite well… you can easily fall there too.

The first time I made it through the direct start, it was my third try of the day. I was definitely too spent to have any chance on the main Jumbo Love section. I knew I had to do the direct and the Jumbo Love crux on the first try if I wanted to have a chance on the pumpy Jumbo Love section.

Sometime everything just comes together, shape, conditions, vibes, friends, cameraman, luck,..I know it doesn’t happen that often, and I am very grateful to live such big moments.

@chris_sharma tried Suprême first, around 2010.
After discussing my feeling about the grade with him, the 9b+/5.15c feels appropriate for this one.
I believe it’s now the first one in the Americas!

I am happy to play a part in this story with such great history and with love at the centre of it all!

More to come about the history of this route, reflections on the grade, and our adventures here.
But at the moment, let’s enjoy the Suprême love.

Special mention to @randyleavitt for the Jumbo vision and for the belays
@jorge.visser for bolting the direct
@chris_sharma for adding the missing bolts
And @clarisse.bompard on the camera and the sending catch

Foto: (c) Clarisse Bompard