Exceptional climber Sébastien Bouin has made the first ascent of a new 9b route, "Le Chant des Muses," on the Romeyer Wall in the Drôme region. A new endurance challenge for the French climbing scene.
A project perfectly suited for Bouin
Quentin Chastaigner, an active local route setter, drew Bouin's attention to the unclimbed pillar. Chastaigner showed Bouin the physically demanding, endurance-intensive project, which no one had climbed before. After seeing the line for the first time, it was clear to Bouin: the route perfectly suited his strengths and could become a mega-route.
Bouin attempted the route several times before leaving for his trip to China. However, he repeatedly failed at the final crux. Upon his return, the project immediately resurfaced. After further attempts – including a fall on the very last move – a strong north wind picked up, finally allowing him to clip the anchor despite his growing exhaustion.
More like 9b than a tough 9a+
Bouin is reserved when it comes to the difficulty rating: the route could be a hard 9a+ or a soft 9b. However, since the style suits him so perfectly, he leans towards the higher grade and assigns it 9b. After the ascent, Bouin also commented: “Really happy to finish such a beautiful project. At the same time, a bit sad to lose that excuse to come back to this little paradise. I tried the route several times, and every moment spent there was amazing. The vibe of the village, the setting, the people, and of course the climbing — it was always a pleasure to come back again and again.”
Bouin's extraordinary first ascents
"Le Chant des Muses" joins the Frenchman's remarkable series of first ascents: Bouin recently climbed "El Gran Cabrón" (9b) in China, "Vidra La Vida" (9b/+) in Croatia, and "Wolf Kingdom" (9b+) in France. His proposed route for "DNA" in the Verdon Gorge (9c) is considered the absolute benchmark.
You might be interested in:
- Seb Bouin opens Croatia's hardest climbing route – Vidra La Vida 9b/+
- "The true kingline in Pic Saint-Loup" | Seb Bouin's Wolf Kingdom (9b+)
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Credits: Cover photo:
Jose Parada Ortega / Edit Thibaut Marot