The currently best French climber Seb Bouin could once again fulfill a dream and probably his hardest first ascent „La Rage d’Adam“. Seb is not sure in the grading. Since he (how not) much experience in this degree and the route is not his style. A certain Adam O. (The route name is not coincidental) had already tried in the route and could not climb it first. Seb himself tried the route four years ago, shortly after the route had been set up. It for a year he tried more often in the route.

Seb to his ascent: „Wednesday was the day hooo yeah  This route was bolted few years ago. I visited it for the first time 4 years ago. Since that, I was trying it a little bit each year, but not so seriously. This year, it was a big objective to me.  This route is really impressive by the beauty and the purety of the moves. The difficulty is not so long : there is a first short 8c (5.14b) of 6 quickdraws to reach the boulder crux problem. This boulder is HARD. It’s around 10 amazing moves on little pinches and underclinds in a super overhang part. Then you have 25 meters of „easy“ climbing (around 8b). I am quite uncertain about the grade, this route is not so much my style, and I have not so much experience in this grade. It could be hard 9b or 9b/+. I will propose 9b/+, waiting repetitions to confirm or adjust.“ Adam Ondra tried this route few years ago, here few words from him about his feelings: „It was a summer day of 2015, conditions felt quite good though and Seb showed me this project, that he had briefly tried before. He mentioned hard boulder problem and when arrived there, even after 20 minutes I did not really imagine any possible sequence that could make it more climbable. After even minutes hanging in the bolts, I came up with some crazy gaston beta, but I could not do the moves either and dismissed the route as too hard to be climbable in the near future… Well, Seb did not give up, came back, got some better beta, got super strong and finally sent it this year! My guess is that it could be more of 9b/b+, if not even harder, based on my one and only experience of the route – which felt HARD!“

Pic by @juliacassou

https://youtu.be/yITq60BZOz8