Archiv des Autors: ninacap

My body is sore. Everything hurts. I keep repositioning my feet, shoulders, hips and elbows in bed to get comfortable. Images of the last days are turning non-stop in my brain. But I feel excited, and that nourishes those weird sensations coursing through my body. Maybe it’s because I pushed hard over the last few days…

Lynn and I have spent a lot of time over the last 3 weeks in the Valley and on the Nose, working on the route for an eventual free send at the end of our 4-week trip. On October 30, we decided to give it a go.

We woke up at 5am, had a little food and some coffee, and drove silently to the base of El Cap.  We were quiet and focused, in spite of the film crew surrounding us. Bryan Liptzin, who has been following Lynn and I over the last few months to realize a documentary, brought his family as well as professional cameraman, Jon Glassberg, to film our joint ascent.

We started climbing in the dark. I focused on the texture of the rock illuminated by the light of the headlamp. One movement after the next, almost ignoring the 1000m wall looming above us. Climbing big walls has taught me to enjoy each small step towards the top. If your mind and body drift away from the present moment, the enormity of the thing can overwhelm you and lead to failure.

Lynn and I moved fast. The previous week we had a wonderful training run on the lower part of the route up to Camp 4, which is situated 600m above the ground. That mileage was very helpful for this ascent – Climbing 17 pitches in a day made us very fit, and we had become familiar with the granite and sorted out who is going to lead each pitch.

I love leading. I enjoy being on the sharp end, and it was very important to me to lead all of the harder pitches. Lynn, on the other hand, hates falling and don’t need that exciting feeling anymore at the age of 57. Well, as it turned out, Lynn took the biggest whipper of the entire ascent on pitch 4! Her foot slipped on a traverse, and as the pieces were widely spaced, she cartwheeled across the face, ending up with a bloody knee and sprained finger in the process. From that moment on, it was obvious that it would be up to me to take most of the leads on this ascent.

We climbed all day, passing only one party at Sickle Ledge. It was tiring: those wide cracks are physical, and the hauling is very draining. I was happy to send every single pitch, and we arrived at Camp 4 just before dark. We put up the portaledge in a short time, and while cooking dinner on this fantastic perch, became flooded with joy.

Sitting on a portaledge, half way up El Cap under a sky full of stars is by far one of the coolest things in life to me. I feel like a princess in her tower, and I know that this is what I live for.

Lynn felt so grateful that I asked her to climb that route together a couple of month ago. It took a lot for her to leave home and all of her responsibilities, and to throw herself into big wall climbing again. But she surprised herself cutting loose and feeling free, and has lived this adventure fully.

I felt lucky and a little sad at the same time. This was the last night we would spend together, just the two of us. The next day there would be the film crew with us, rapping in from the top, and after the ascent Lynn wold have to go back to her home. It was the last time we spent alone; sharing stories about life, love and dramas. Those stories you tell to your best friend when you’re at an outstanding place and you feel total confidence and togetherness. We drifted off to sleep, secure on our ledge and in our friendship.

The first thing I saw next morning when I opened my eyes was the Great Roof jutting out right above me. Such a gorgeous and difficult line; following a beautiful crack up to this gigantic roof. A week ago, I wasn’t able to send it, but I was close, and I knew that I could do it this time. During this time with Lynn it has been very important to me show my absolute best, and I felt ready to send that iconic pitch.

We moved fast that morning, and an hour later, I was ready to place gear for warming up. Jon filmed from the belay, and compared to the stressful experience I had filming the ascent in Orbayu, I felt very comfortable this time. My boyfriend who is a guide in France, was assisting Jon and was watching nearby. His presence was calming, and I felt our deep connection.

I felt very good that morning climbing, despite the big day we had before. Spurred on by Lynn’s positive vibes, I climbed like an angel up the 30m to the roof, and relaxed a little before attacking the traverse. I climbed really well under the roof, but I made an error by trying to clip my last piece at the end of the roof. I missed the clip twice and that cost me my send.  A big whipper, followed by some French expressions, were the result. The entire meadow heard my screaming, and I think that some people had the impression that someone had just died on the wall.

Back down at the belay, I was totally calm again and Lynn reminded me that she did not clip one single peace during her send. So I decided to do the same, and on my next try I climbed perfectly. When I’m in sending mode, I’m on fire and in my own little bubble. In those moments that’s the thing that counts to me and I’m 200% focused, only positive thoughts in my head.

A big scream again, but this time at the end of the roof and full of joy! Lynn had some tears in her eyes when I sent. Overall she has been very touched by watching me climbing. Maybe it reminds her of her ascents, or the way she did them.

That moment was by far one of the best to me, and this high I felt was with me for the rest of the ascent. That day we climbed two more pitches to reach Camp 5, which is one of the best spots on El Cap. You can see the entire wall while leaning out of the portagledge, and this evening we had one of the most beautiful sunsets one can imagine.

For breakfast Lynn and I both sent the Glowering spot, a 12d, and an hour later we were at Camp 6 where the Changing Corners starts. I had stopped working on that 14a in our second week because it has simply been to warm this past month, and so my focus has been on the Great Roof. I started to climb without any expectations while the sun started hitting the corners. I stuck the first hard move on the corner easily, and was feeling pretty good. I somehow surprised myself, and it all felt much easier than two weeks ago. I did a quick work on the route to figure out some more links I was missing. I started to feel that with a big portion of magic, I could freeclimb the Nose today. But on my first attempt, the burning sun had heated up the corners, and I felt regret that we had started too late this morning. I failed, tried again, failed and then barely made my way up to the anchor. It was impossible to climb this pitch in the warm sun.

I had a few moments of hesitations: would Lynn agree to spend one or two more days on the wall? Waiting on me for a send? Was I really ready? And would it make sense for me to slow down our celebration of the 25^thanniversary? I put myself in Lynn’s position and I knew that she would be open, cancelling her flight back home and supporting me a few more days.

And then I asked myself if I was ready to deal with that pressure and to deal with this feeling of asking her so much on top of the huge support she has given me over the last month. I closed my eyes and I felt what made sense to me: climbing to the top today and celebrating her and our beautiful ascent on the summit with our friends waiting up there.

By taking that decision and not sending the Changing Corners, I had a real breakdown. The endless power and force I had been full of seemed to slip away. My muscles felt so tired and I had a hard time climbing 5.11.

Lynn at the other hand was blowing it up the higher we got. She felt so comfortable climbing on this route again, her route in some way, and she climbed weightless and totally free. At the belay of the upper headwall pitch, a 12c, I had to force myself to put it all together. Lynn was once more so positive and although I felt beaten, I wanted to give it my all, one last time. Sending that pitch was so hard for me.  But then seeing Lynn climb it in such a fine style made me cry when she reached the belay.

This beautiful emotion overcame me, an emotion that when you see someone simply happy, totally in her element and doing what she loves most in life. Lynn lead the last bit up to the famous tree on the summit and I followed with the bags. The entire crew was there, as the sky turned a million shades of gold, orange and red in the evening light. Lynn took me in her arms and we both cried. Tears full of joy, coming out of our tired bodies.

I can’t remember the last time I cried. But it was stronger than me, this emotion of offering the most beautiful present to my friend Lynn for her 25^thanniversary. This priceless present when you can support someone you love by spending time together on that place, on that wall, on that route.

While writing this story, tears are running down my face, again! Those tears are real, connected to this beautiful human adventure we went through. And no matter how I continue this Nose thing (once my body feels ok again), I already feel like a winner.

At the bottom of my heart I feel honored for the month I spent with Lynn. It has been so incredible, and the climbing was pure fun and enjoyment. I felt great at Lynn’s side – she has this magic that makes her so special. I grew a lot and I think that I gave her a lot as well: my follies, my way of being positive and optimistic, my self irony and my big drive to reach a goal.

Now she has returned to her life, kid and pets in Boulder, and I’m going to do my best to keep up that “Lynn” magic.

“I believe in magic and that I can be magical”, that was Lynn’s answer on our way to Yosemite, when I asked her if she had doubts in our project.

Free climbing the Nose requires even more than that; a huge commitment, core strength, finger power, solid legs, endurance, trad climbing knowledge and then, on top of that, a big dose of magic!

We both started to work on the route almost three weeks ago. In order to make things efficient, we set up a static line that went down to the Changing Corners pitch, and later all the way down to the Great Roof. Those two pitches are by far the key points of the route. Now, the Great Roof seems possible to me, but for Changing Corners I will have to invest much more time. This pitch is one of the most confusing things I’ve ever been on. I somehow figured out all the moves, so I know it’s possible, but that’s it. I can barely link sections and it’s also very condition depending. Patience!

Lynn somehow wanted to free climb the route again (at the age of 57!!!). Over the last 25 years, she had the impression that route only required a good technique, and the smaller you are, the better, especially for Changing Corners. Over the past three weeks, seeing me work on it and trying to climb the route herself, she finally realized how big her performance was 25 years ago. She did not climb that thing because she was small or because of her small fingers. She was simply very, very strong, in every aspect…way ahead of her time.

She realized this several days ago, while we were sitting below the Great Roof in our portaledge on Camp 4. We had pulled up the static lines and made a training session by free climbing from the ground up to Camp 4, which is 600m above the ground. I wanted to free climb the Great Roof next day. I knew that I still needed to work on Changing Corners for an eventual send, but I decided to approach the route in sections.

We talked about how it felt to be up there again, as the warming rays of the sun gave way to the quiet light of the full moon illuminating the wall and the valley below. She was deeply touched and I saw a teardrop running down her face. The next day, she became even more supportive and psyched for me freeing the entire route one day. Lynn told me that she got so much support when she had been working on the route, and that now she wanted to give me the same.

That’s why, in my eyes, she is still to this day, the most respected climber in the world, and she owns it.

I have to say that overall I couldn’t have imagined a better partner for the Nose than her. Lynn is always positive, always laughing and having fun, and there has been no single moment of drama or panic. I do have to say that I feel responsible for logistics and safety on the wall and since she hasn’t been on a big wall in 20 years, oh dear! sometimes I need some patience. At the same time, I feel very honored and respected. She put her life in my hands without doubts, was willing to learn some new big wall techniques, and encouraged me all the time to work hard, although the conditions haven’t been “chocolat”.

To be honest, I never imagined to be able to free that route in the one-month period I have with Lynn, but it’s important to me to try my very best and to free climb as much as possible. That’s what I owe her and it’s not only about me on this project at all; it’s a celebration of Lynn’s incredible first free ascent 25 years ago.

In a few day’s we’re gonna climb the entire route from the ground up, freeing as much as we can. It will be a beautiful way of celebrating: her anniversary with this route, the friendship we have created over the last month and everything life has taught us since.

And after that it’s up to me to continue the work and to take everything she has passed on to me. I’m not going to be Lynn, but she’s the most inspiring person I have climbed with. I felt this magic while being with her on the wall, and after strength, power and lots of practice, that’s definitely the key to success!

Photos: Jan Novak

Je me suis toujours dit que dans ma vie de grimpeuse, j’aimerais bien mettre les doigts dans « Tough Enough » à Madagascar. Ce genre de voies dures me fait rêver mais elles me mettent mal à l’aise aussi car j’ai peur de l’échec. Je n’ai jamais eu le courage d’y aller, mais comme la vie est bien faite, ce printemps l’occasion s’est présentée. J’ai eu l’honneur d’accompagner mon amie Mélissa Le Nevé qui, de son coté, a déjà passé 5 semaines dans la voie l’été dernier.
Avec Mélissa on a une belle et longue amitié, presque comme une histoire d’amour. C’est elle qui m’a assurée et soutenue dans ma première grande voie dans le Verdon « Ultime démence ». C’est elle qui m’a appris une bonne partie du savoir vivre et de la folie française. C’est aussi avec elle que je me fritte le plus souvent car on a toutes les deux des caractères très forts, un élément incontournable pour une voie comme « Tough Enough ».

A notre arrivée bien retardée à Antananarivo (on a mis 28 heures pour décoller avec Air Madagascar alias « Air Peut-Etre » de Paris), je me retrouvais confrontée à une sensation nouvelle. Pour la première fois, je visitais un pays d’Afrique, et de ce fait, me sentais malgré moi étrangère par la seule différence de couleur de peau. Cette nuance marquant inconsciemment une distance entre les locaux et nous m’a tellement fracassée, que j’ai craqué après 10 jours sur place dans la vallée du Tsaranoro.

C’était un après-midi bien chaud à 400m du sol, en plein de milieu de la longueur 9 en 8b+ avec le joli nom Gecko. Les jours précédents j’avais brassé comme une folle et une fatigue profonde s’était installée. Grimper dans une des grandes voies les plus dures au monde fatigue, certes, mais il y a aussi toutes les impressions nouvelles qui semé un grand bordel au fond de moi. Mél, assise au relais sur une sellette en bois, m’avait moulinée depuis le haut pour que je puisse mieux caler cette voie de 50m.

Après notre arrivée à Antananarivo, la capitale, on avait mis une journée de bus pour arriver sur place, accompagnées par Jan Novak qui a vécu deux ans à Madagascar.

Surexcitées et les avec crocs pour grimper, Mél m’a fait découvrir les premiers jours la voie par le bas. J’ai pu aller en tête dans les 6 premières longueurs et j’ai kiffé la sensation de grimper dans une voie avec zéro traces de magnésie et très peu parcourue. Je les ai trouvées très difficiles, mais avec l’habitude de prendre ces petites prises, souvent avec le pouce, et avec une assurance dans la pose des pieds, j’étais assez confiante et pensais qu’elles allaient vite tomber.

Pour pouvoir travailler les 4 dernières, qui sont toutes dans le 8b+, on a fait le tour pour monter au sommet du Karamboni, d’ou on peut descendre tranquillement sur des cordes statiques.
Ces 4 longueurs sont simplement ouf… La première fois quand tu descends dedans, c’est un mur lisse, lisse, lisse… tu te demandes où sont les prises. Heureusement, Mél se rappelait encore bien où  les trouver. Equipées toutes les deux d’une brosse métallique, les sacs à pof remplis de magnésie et plusieurs brosses Faza, on préparait la voie pour qu’elle soit grimpable.

Le style est… atypique et un peu particulier… le bassin collé contre la paroi pour essayer de rester sur ces prises inexistantes, tout en finesse, en équilibre et des chaussons affutés.

Normalement je me débrouille pas mal dans ce genre de voies, mais j’ai rencontré des réelles difficultés et tombais partout. Je me suis tout de suite rendue compte que c’était trop gros et trop dur pour pouvoir faire quoi que ce soit en trois semaines. Je commençai donc à être tendue et je me posais pas mal de questions sur le but du séjour. La frustration qui se déclenche quand on n’arrive pas trop à bouger dans une voie, s’installait de plus en plus.

Et nous voilà à ce fameux pétage de plombs par Nina « Caprice ». Je balançais toutes mes frustrations sur Mélissa, la pauvre. Le fait que je n’arrivais pas à m’exprimer dans la voie comme je l’avais imaginé au début ont provoqué des sentiments étranges, mélangés à la colère que je pouvais ressentir face au comportement de certains touristes occidentaux vis à vis des Malgaches.Des siècles d’esclavage et de racisme ont laissé une marque profonde dans les relations entre les locaux et les visiteurs blancs qui peinent à surmonter leurs préjudices et trouver une attitude juste et d’égal à égal.

Faut dire que l’escalade est quand-même un sport qui nous montre l’image claire de qui l’on est et de ce qui nous travaille au fond de nous. Grimper est comme regarder son ego en face et, oui, parfois ça fait mal. Je me suis rendue compte que toute ma vie j’ai évité d’affronter des voies que je n’étais pas sûre d’enchaîner et que je recherchais la facilité. Je ne sais pas ce que cela veut dire de se lancer dans quelque chose qui ne mènera peut être pas à la croix et j’ai jamais appris à gérer ça. Toutes mes performances ont relativement été acquises et personnellement j’éprouve une grande satisfaction à à aboutir et à clipper des relais.

Mélissa a su vraiment bien réagir. A la place de me rentrer dedans, elle m’a juste laissée faire, vider mon sac et elle m’a regardée avec beaucoup de douceur, contente que je lâche enfin prise.

Quand j’y repense, l’image me fait bien rire : « Mélissa l’Enervée » et « Nina Caprice » perdues au fin fond de Madagascar en train de faire une scène sur une des plus belles parois du monde, à faire fuir les caméléons et lémuriens.

Après ça, on a pu pleinement savourer le reste du séjour. L’escalade je ne la voyais plus du tout comme un échec, bien au contraire ; chaque mètre grimpé, c’était ça de gagner. Petit à petit on a réussi à déchiffrer des longueurs, toujours avec ce beau sens du partage et excitées de faire face à la difficulté. On a réussi à en enchainer quelques-unes, dans d’autres on a été proche et dans certaines on est toujours très loin !

Mettre ses doigts dans cette voie, c’est une rencontre avec soi, sa partenaire de grimpe, mais aussi avec un lieu inconnu : c’est la première fois que je grimpais en Afrique et cette expérience fut loin d’être anodine…

Appréhender cette voie aux 10 longueurs aussi différentes les unes que les autres, c’est un peu comme apprivoiser les rapports humains : c’est un jeu d’équilibre qui s’apprend pas à pas. C’est en fin de compte l’ouverture d’esprit et l’abaissement des barrières mentales qui fait que l’on commence à se sentir bien dans sa peau. C’est accueillir avec humilité et simplicité de nouvelles cultures, de nouvelles histoires humaines. Comme avec la voie dont j’ai appris après un certain temps à accueillir la difficulté, la taille et la complexité, passer du temps là-bas m’a apporté une grande richesse et petit à petit j’ai commencé à trouver ma place.

Après avoir passé trois semaines au camp catta, les Malgaches qui y ont travaillés étaient devenus nos amis. Lors de notre départ ils nous ont dit qu’on les avait touchés par notre attitude et la volonté de partager et de comprendre leur vie, ce que ne font pas forcément les touristes qui souvent ne font que passer et observer à distance.

Aller sur la terre rouge et affronter une des voies la plus dures au monde est un peu comme une belle histoire d’amitié ; cela ne m’étonne pas d’ailleurs de la vivre avec Mél.  Cette histoire est réelle et parfois douloureuse mais elle est si belle aussi ; avec un peu de recul on voit sa richesse et la façon dont elle nous fait vibrer.

En tout cas une chose est sûre et certaine : l’an prochain on retourne approfondir cette amitié avec Tough Enough … 😉

J’aimerais dire merci du fond du cœur à Melissa pour tout ce qu’elle m’apprend dans la vie et ces moments de partage intenses.
Merci Jan d’avoir apporté ta légèreté et grande qualité de vivre le moment présent pleinement et tranquillement.

Merci MSR pour votre super matos et en particulier pour le filtre d’eau qui est vital quand on veut vivre un peu à la brousse.
Merci Petzl et Arcteryx de nous avoir fait confiance sur ce projet et de nous avoir soutenues financièrement. On remet ça l’an prochain !

Merci Hard Bar et Lyofood de nous avoir données de la bonne énergie sur la paroi et au camp avancé au sommet. On s’est régalée avec vos barres, repas et petit déjeuners et ça nous a changé du riz blanc.

Merci Faza Brushes de faire les brosses qui résistent à ce granit super abrasif qui bouffe normalement les brosses en peu de temps (on a utilisé que deux sur dix pendant tout le séjour !)

Tout simplement un grand Merci Madacascar !  On se retrouve l’été prochain !

I’m standing in the sun, surrounded by well-dressed people. It’s my childhood friend’s marriage, in Switzerland. I’m watching people laugh; sip on a glass of tasty wine; kids are playing around. They are running on the green grass, climbing up trees and some are playing in the dirt. I close my eyes and images go through my mind from the place I was only a couple of hours ago.
My mind is switching back and forth between here and Lebanon. I can also see kids playing around there. Their attitude is the same and I realize how true those little human beings are.

As an adult, my last mission in the Middle East has been tough but very enriching. While bringing climbing to Syrian refugees and Lebanese youth affected by the war, together with the non-profit organisation ClimbAID, I realized once more the meaning of freedom and liberty.

I went to Lebanon for the second time as a volunteer to help ClimbAID. A year ago, Beat Baggenstos, the founder of the organisation, had the idea of building a mobile boulder to bring climbing to Syrian refugees and Lebaneseyouth.
Climbing is a powerful activity with plenty of facets. It shapes the values we share and defend: the sense of sharing, trying your best, dealing with fear and the overwhelming feeling of freedom while living fully the present moment.

When I arrived, we had to deal with a broken axle on the Rolling Rock and, resolving a problem in the Middle East is very different than in Switzerland. So the project was somehow hanging in the void and I was getting jittery. Just before I left, I was in great climbing shape from spending many month’s outdoors rock climbing. I think when I’m in that mode, my mind is not very open to seeing what’s going on in the real world. Spending time on rocks, focused on trying one’s hardest is not very relevant and it doesn’t resolve any problem on this planet.

Once the truck fixed and on the road again, we moved towards different refugee camps in the Beqaa valley. The beautiful feeling of bringing my own experiences from rock climbing here took over me.

I like to think that my climbing values are adaptable anywhere on this planet. I supported the team in teaching youth to climb harder, to climb together and to help each other. We encouraged Muslim girls to climb and to move (more or less) freely, to laugh, to cry, to show their vulnerabilities and to overcome them in a beautiful way. Climbing is simply great and I feel very fortunate to have the freedom to go out and share this activity all over the globe.

During one of the climbing sessions on the Rolling Rock, we asked a kid what it meant for him to climb on this colourful truck. He told us that before the war he had been used to climb in the mountains, but now there is no access anymore because of mine fields. And now he’s very happy to be able to climb a bit, even if it’s not in the mountains, because he really loves it.

That’s just one of the many stories that touched me. In those situations, (not far from the minefields) I see myself like in a movie but then I realize that it’s reality and “chicken skin” overcomes me. Honestly, when I’m living those moments, I can’t really explain what’s going on in my heart and head. I simply live them. Later comes the time needed to reflect and analyse.

Maybe these moments at the edge are making me who I am. I’m not reaching out to them, they just happen. I can’t control circumstances, but I can sign this contract with myself to be ready when things take a sharp turn. That’s the same in climbing and maybe that’s why I never panic or lose my mind.

Aside from our sessions on the Rolling Rock, I took time to explore the country and to go climbing in Tannourine, one of Lebanon’s best spot. It always takes time to switch from the Muslim rules (especially concerning clothing) into a Christian place like in Tannourine where you can climb in shorts and tank top. It had been very warm, 26 degrees in the shade, but I climbed pretty well, since it had also been very dry. It was very cool to redpoint Tannourine’s first 8b and to climb some other 8a’s. Lebanon’s climbing community takes the weekend and sometimes some days off during the week to go there. It’s always very enriching to talk with my friends, especially about the refugee situation.

If you think, Lebanon is only a 1/4 as big as Switzerland and has 6 mio people living there. 1/3 of them are refugees, which makes it the country with the highest concentration of refugees in the world.

Looking at those numbers does change the perspective from what the word “tolerance” might mean to us in Europe …. Despite being having so little space to share among so many, people somehow manage to live and work together in Lebanon. This year, ClimbAID’s base was a house in the middle of the Beqaa valley. Somewhere in Chtoura, surrounded by typical concrete buildings, colourful agriculture fields and by many refugee camps. Refugees live in sorts of huts, made of wood and tarp. Some seems quite sturdy, others much less so. Syrians are often employed by the local landowners. They work all day in the fields. But life somehow brings everyone together. As foreigner, you would not be able to tell apart who is who among the kids. They all love climbing, failing, getting better, and topping out. In the end, we’re all the same.

I am very thankful to Beat from ClimbAID who pushed me out of my comfort zone from time to time. To all the volunteers as well, who believe in the project and throw themselves in, heart and soul. I feel grateful to get to meet so many people who are willing to share their own experience of climbing with others. I also want to thank my partners and sponsors who support me on projects like Climb AID and give me the opportunity of becoming a better person.

Thank’s Budget rent a car for offering a nice car to the team for that years trip!

Here is a link with a 15% discount for your next car rental by entering that promo code: L820200

I am back from five weeks in Leonidio. A rich and enlightening stay! The climbing itself is quite a treat for any style and grade level. But with sea all around, the landscapes alone are worth the trip.

I went all out in these majestic cliffs. During the winter I had felt that 2018 would be a year for climbing for me. Just climbing. So I put the cold months to good use and headed into the season in good shape. The investment is paying off. It was a real pleasure to hit the cliffs and feel the good climbing sensations coming back. Leonidio does have a lot of routes that suit my style but there is nothing quite like feeling strong and balanced. My spirit is free, my health impeccable, and my motivation for sending hard routes at its peak.

I don’t think I have ever on-sighted as many routes in the 8s in so little time before. And my legs are surely paying the price in bruises and scabs!!

I was based in Leonidio but moved quite a bit around. I went to a mythical marble cliff near Athens (both figuratively and literally…there is a temple there!). I also went down to Kyparissi a few times to check out this chill out little Ceuze.

Some partying and lending a hand to help build a new climbing shop made for quite a complete life. Everyday, the same ritual: oranges, lemons, and pomelos freshly harvested, and a bath in the cool turquoise waters. A pure life in a pristine place.

But beyond climbing, I would also like to share something that often struck me during my stay. In today’s world, it feels that we are told so often how to measure out success in life. One should have goals, study, get a job, make a good living to support a family and set a safer future. One should consume all sorts of things to take good care of oneself and the look of others.

I have always felt that I could not fit there and that my life could not fit in any of that. I never really think too hard where I would end or if my life would be called successful. Climbing led the way, from my first motion until today. I just know that I am healthy, passionate, and these are the two most precious things life gave me.

In the climbing community, I am used to hang out with people who often share some of my perspective. We have found happiness in a few simple things, like pushing our physical and mental limits. Buying a new car never quite makes the picture.

In Leonidio, I was fortunate to meet people from all walks of life who are there because they don’t fit. Or because the measures of success on the continent don’t suit them. I met people who had chosen to live in caves, to leave everything and come back to something of a natural state. Many had left overwhelmed by the pressure from their bosses, parents of peers.

Greece is often known for its somewhat chaotic organization, and of course as a European country in deep economic crisis. But it seems to me that the Greeks are not less happy in fact. Maybe because they heart is full of kindness and sharing part of common sense. I was very touched by the community of Leonidio.

Climbers or locals, everyone had a very open mind, without much of a judgment for one another. It felt like everyone had room to breath and be himself.

I spent quite some time hanging out with Germans from Berlin and my Austrian friend Bernd Schlögl. We explored the area, opened and cleaned new routes together and pushed each other in our projects. That collective energy is a real boost!

There are 4 ascents I’m proud of:

THE ultimate “Megakante” I climbed on my second go. An 8b line among the finest, above the village of Leonido.

In the Hada sector, I made the first ascent of “The Swarm”. A long and steep new 8b from Bernd, which I helped cleaning and figuring out betas.

Two lines in Elona: “Goliath” the 60m long king line of the sector. I tried that one on-sight and fell only one meter from the chain. I red-pointed that one a couple of days later. And my first 8c in 3 years called “Hanuman”. Such an excellent fight and I have to say that I missed that feeling of overcoming so much!

All in all, I’m very happy about my performances and the way I approached them.
The climbing game is so simple and I am so thankful I can find such happiness in it….;-)

One again, I’ve been travelling for 5 weeks with a rental car from Budget.
Here is a link where you cant get a 15% off by entering this promo code: L820200

Yosemite

Top of El Cap with an incredible view on Half Dome Pic: Benoit Merlin

The vibes in the valley… although the high traffic, climbers or non, it’s worth to be there at least once in his life. But attention: take it in the right dosage!;-)

Highlight to me has been the life on the wall, by far. I climbed two times El Cap, once per “Nose” and the second time by freeclimbing “El Nino”. It’s somehow hard work, but sleeping on a portaledge, calculating water and food and entering in a symbiose with your partner, transforms the hard hauling etc into a pleasure. Here are some pics form the Nose (it’s a busy route, but you can’t miss that if you’re a climber) and El Nino, a 13.c route with more crimps then cracks. But no traffic and people on that one:

El Cap and the Nose, Pic: Francois Lebeau

The nose and it’s beautiful cracks. pic took from the meadows by Tom Evans

Same route, same spot! Pic: Benoit Merlin

The simple life on a portaledge in the early morning

The hauling, a real pain in the ass!!!
pic: Tom Evans

Spending multiple night on that big peace of rock is unique!
pic.: Francois Lebeau

The Rostrum

A must! I’ve rarely climbed a multipitch with such a big variation: Offwight, chimneys, fingercracks, an overhanging roof, technical climbing on crimps. Simply WAOH! It’s also a very famous route, so the best is to go late, around noon, so you can fully enjoy the climbing way behind all the people left at the parking at 6am. The vibes up there are magical!

Morning vibes with friend Ryan Kelly
Pic.: Francois Lebeau

At the end of the offwight
Pic.: Francois Lebeau

Waiting on the belay station
Pic.: Francois Lebeau

Pic.: Francois Lebeau

Separate Reality and Power of Tales

You all probably know the famous roof of Separate Reality, another must and so cool to climb! I went foot first in the crux on the lip. Just one pitch below, there is another (very hard) crack to try: Power of Tales. I tried that together with Barbara Zangerl, but we both failed. Reason to try it again during my next trip!

Tales of Power
Pic.: Francois Lebeau

The “nice” finish of Tales of Power!:-)
Pic.: Francois Lebeau

Other things To Do in the valley:

Jumping nacked in the river after a warm climbing day. Drinking a fresh beer in the Meadows. Filling up your water tank at fern springs.

…. cracks everywhere!;-)
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

Red Rocks

I’ve only climbed 3 days in red Rocks and one route I would absolutely recommend: The Original route at Rainbow walls. A 5 Star route, a little remote with an outstanding view on Las Vegas

Rainbow wall
pic.: Benoit Merlin

The original route goes all the way that logical crack dihedral. Grades are sustaining and hard…

The climbing is excellent! Very easy to protect and some bolts. Highly recommended!

Wide open desert feeling, a 20min drive from Las Vegas, crazy…
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

A short additional #advertisement for my sponsor Budget rent a car:

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Towers around Moab

We climbed 4 towers in total while being in Moab. The experience has been unique on all of them, even if the climbing was just ok on some. But one route has had all! 5 star climbing on a totally rad tower in the middle of nowhere: Moses Tower and the route “Primerose Dihedrals” and just nearby, the tower “Zeus”.

Short approach to Moses and Zeus
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

Climbing Moses with view in Zeus
Pic.: Nina Caprez

Just WOW! Phenomenal climbing on top rock
Pic.: Nina Caprez

Sunrise on the top of Zeus with view on Moses.
Pic.: Nina Caprez

2 hours off road driving from Moab to settle down totally alone, a 30 min walk from the towers. RAD!!!
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

Indian Creek

Well, what to say about that place….one of my favorite places on earth!

Simply breathtaking and the feeling of freedom is omnipresent… Pic.: Benoit Merlin

Camping on the spot “Superbowl” with my US friends, surrounded by orange walls
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

The daily campfire
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

It has been my second time in the creek and it was so cool to see my personal improvement since spring! It felt very natural to me to place gear and also I did way better with my jamming, in all different types of cracks. I climbed a lot onsight and flash, always by giving all I had! One route I tried this spring, called “Death of a cowboy”, a 13-, I was able to tick after two more days of investment. Very proud about that!

A pure flash ascent of “Rubens Café”, 12+
Pic.: Michael Pang

“Death of a Cowboy”
DONE!:-)
Pic.: Michael Pang

Big lesson how climbing large cracks by Sam. I got my ass kicked on that route called “Big Baby”.
An 11….
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

Jumping around in “Attitude 0”. No send, but high on my ticklist!
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

We also spent lots of time watching paintings and visiting ruins of the Anasazis. There are so many in the Creek! Pic.: Nina Caprez

The light is simply magic and unique in the creek.
Pic.: Benoit Merlin

You certainly heard about Trumps plan to drastically reduce the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase  Escalate National Monuments. There are different options for donating money to help the cause. Here are two different links:

Hayden Found and Accessfund

Thank’s and hopefully we can all continue to keep rocking there!

A simple climbing video.

Sharing an outstanding adventure is somehow easy. You take a picture from a big wall, from an icy mountain, or from a simple outdoor shot while bivvying.

Everyone can relate to that, our eyes and brain can make the connection between the picture we see and to the emotion it brings up: adventure, rad !!!

But how can we communicate about a more personal emotion on a more run-of-the-mill climbing experience? That’s the challenge I wanted to tackle by filming my way on the historical route “To Bolt or not To Be”, American’s first 14.a, located in Smith Rocks.

So when I first touched the holds of the route, it moved something inside of me. That was in October 2016. Earlier that year, I had had to deal with a crazy infection, which almost killed me. For a while I was far away from what I normally do, climbing hard and pushing my limits. Instead, I was struggling with simple things like walking up stairs and that was very hard for my psyche.

But I wanted to get back to my old self again and so I put a lot of energy in recovering. I came back, step by step.

And six months after my illness I was standing on the bottom of this route, intimidated.

I gathered all my courage and at first barely made my way to the top of this 40m route. It looked like I had no chance, but once back in France I knew that I wanted to climb that route and I managed to focus my mind and heart on that climb over the next few months.

In April? 2017, I returned to Oregon and I felt ready. It gave me a big satisfaction to see that my work had paid off. I was in my little bubble, determinated but joyful at the same time.

Climbing a 14.a on small crimps is not a big adventure, certainly not by today’s standards. That’s obvious. But to me it meant a lot. With that climb and the preparation I had to but in before I was able to close a “not so fun” chapter in my live. The chapter of a weak and unhealthy body, struggling and questioning myself a lot.

With that film, I just want to share that experience. My intention was not to make a huge story out of it, but simply to show a healthy and happy climber on some small crimps.

A big thank’s to Ian Yurdin for the long catches and the good time at the cliff.

To Sean Heaverstock for the support and motivation.
To Mikey Schaefer for the warm housing and the rad photographs.
To Julien Nadiras for his excellent work on field and creative eye.
To Arcteryx for making that film happens.
And last but not least, Mathieu Rivoire form Illustruscope for his excellent work by editing that hard peace.