Climbing
Hot Flashes News
Chabot (sort of) flashes 5.14b
By Dougald MacDonald

French superstar Alexandre Chabot, the reigning World Cup sport climbing champion, has managed what could be called an "amnesia onsight" of a 5.14b (8c). Chabot did the climb Cadre at Ceüse, France, a route considered solid for the grade, four years after dogging up the climb once, when he had never climbed a route harder than 5.13c. Given how little he learned from the 1999 ascent, Chabot considers his recent ascent a flash. Even if it's not a true flash, this may be the speediest ascent of a confirmed 5.14b. (Yuji Hirayama onsighted Mortal Kombat a French climb originally graded 5.14b, but this climb was subsequently downgraded and has seen a second onsight.) Chabot, who has long focused on indoor competition climbing, also climbed his first 5.14c (8c+), a link-up called Ultimate Sacrifice at Gorges du Loup, France. Details at www.escalade-alsace.com (in French).


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