Sébastien_Bouin
Sébastien Bouin
French rock climber
Sébastien Bouin, nicknamed Seb Bouin, (born 7 April 1993) is a French rock climber born in Draguignan. By 2022, Bouin is regarded as one of the strongest sport climbers in the world, being only the second-ever climber to establish a route graded 9c (5.15d), with DNA [de] in 2022, and one of only a handful of climbers to create a new route at the grade of 9b+ (5.15c). Bouin is also regarded for his documentary series on the history of extreme sport climbing in France.
Personal information | |
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Nickname | Seb |
Born | (1993-04-07) 7 April 1993 (age 31) Draguignan, France |
Occupations |
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Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) |
Weight | 69 kg (152 lb) |
Website | Seb Bouin |
Climbing career | |
Type of climber | |
Highest grade |
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Known for | The Vintage Rock Tour historical series |
First ascents |
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Updated on 19 November 2022 |
Sport climbing
Seb Bouin started sport climbing at 11 with his mother Claire.[2] He did his first 8a at 13, first 8b at 14, first 8c at 15, and his first 9a (5.14d) at 17.[3] Unlike other leading climbers, Bouin avoided the indoor climbing competition circuit, focusing solely on finding "mega lines" on outdoor crags, which he described as his sole motivation.[2] By 2012–13, at age 20, Bouin was starting to climb routes at 5.15 (9a/9a+) (e.g. Tierra Negra 9a/9a+, La Modone 9a+),[1] and over the next few years would repeat the major 9a+ (5.15a) test pieces, including: La Rambla (2017), Papichulo (2019), and Realization/Biographie (2020).[1] During this period, Bouin came to international prominence with the third ascent of the controversial route Chilam Balam [fr] (2015), considered 9b (5.15b) at the time, but which Bouin downgraded.[4]
Bouin climbed his first confirmed 9b (5.15b) in 2019 with the first repeat of Adam Ondra's Mamichula, and in that same year climbed his first 9b/9b+ with the first repeat of Ondra's Move (which Bouin felt was 9b+); Ondra called Bouin "one of my favorite climbing partners".[2] Bouin would continue in 2019 to – as UK Climbing noted – "tick more 9th Dimension climbs than any other climber on earth",[2] including the first ascent of Albania's hardest sport climb, The Dream (9b), and the first ascent of France's hardest sport climb, La Rage d'Adam (9b/9b+) at La Ramirole cave in the Verdon Gorge.[2][1][5]
2022 would be another strong year for Bouin putting up three major new routes, starting off with DNA [de] in the Verdon Gorge (France), which Bouin proposed at 9c (5.15d), only the world's second-ever route at that grade after Ondra's Silence.[1] Bouin followed with two other first ascents, the enormous 430-foot (130 m) single-pitch Nordic Marathon 9b/9b+ in Flatanger (Climbing called it "the biggest single pitch of hard climbing ever done"),[6] and the first 9b+ (5.15c) in North America,[7] Suprême Jumbo Love (a direct start to Chris Sharma's historic 9b route).[7][8] Bouin also repeated some of the world's other hardest climbs including Change [fr] (9b+ in Norway, third ascent),[9] and Jumbo Love (9b in the USA, fourth ascent).[10]
Documentary series
Bouin is also regarded for his love of French extreme sport climbing history, and his The Vintage Rock Tour documentary series revisits some of the most important – and controversial – moments in French extreme sport climbing.[2] French 1980s climbing legend Antoine Le Menestrel [fr] features in the series, and said of Bouin: "Seb doesn't consume climbing, he is a part of its evolution. He respects history and is adding his signature as a climber.[2] The series came to international prominence in episode 4, when Bouin repeated Fred Rouhling's controversial 1990s routes of Hugh, Akira [fr] and L'autre côté du Ciel.[11][12][13] In a follow-up series, Hidden Gems, Bouin travels to smaller French crags to meet with local climbers and put up new test-pieces.[14][15]
Bouin climbs regularly with his mother Claire Cerisier (who in 2019 was climbing at 8b),[16] including going on sponsored expeditions to Turkey,[17] and belaying him during his development of DNA.[1][18] In a 2020 interview with UK Climbing, Bouin said that his mother was a major influence on his climbing development and his overall approach to life and facing adversity and challenge.[2][3][19]
In the same interview, Bouin said he completed his studies and become a fully qualified French state physical education teacher to have a fall-back saying: "There is less pressure knowing I have a career to fall back on in time which means I can enjoy my climbing 100%".[2][3]
Redpointed routes
9c (5.15d):
- DNA [de] – La Ramirole, Verdon Gorge (FRA) – 29 April 2022. First Ascent. Second 9c in history (after Silence). Bouin worked the 50-metre (160 ft) route for 150 days.[1][20][21]
9b+ (5.15c):
- Bibliographie – Céüse (FRA) – 6 June 2023. Fourth ascent of the fifth-ever climb in history (once considered a potential first 9c) to be graded at 9b+ (5.15c).[21][22]
- Suprême Jumbo Love – Clark Mountain (US) – 1 November 2022. First Ascent and direct start to Jumbo Love; first-ever 5.15c (9b+) route in North America,[8][7] and the 6th 9b+ in history.[23][21]
- Change [fr] – Flatanger (NOR) – 5 August 2022. Third ascent of the world's first-ever 9b+ route that was first climbed by Adam Ondra in 2012; Bouin felt a kneebar enabled by the use of a knee pad made it 9b/9b+ (5.15b/c).[9][21]
9b/9b+ (5.15b/c):
- Nordic Marathon – Flatanger (NOR) – 21 July 2022. First Ascent of a very long 430-foot (130 m) single-pitch route; Climbing called it "the biggest single pitch of hard climbing ever done".[6][21]
- Beyond Integral – North Face, Pic Saint-Loup (FRA) – 22 October 2020. First Ascent. The 50-metre (160 ft) route was bolted by Fedric Ferraro.[19]
- La Rage d'Adam – La Ramirole, Verdon Gorge (FRA) – 4 September 2019. First Ascent; hardest sport climb in France that was previously tried by Adam Ondra who felt the grade could be 9b+.[1][5][24][21]
- Move – Flatanger (NOR) – 6 June 2019. First repeat of Adam Ondra's 2013 route (Bouin belayed Ondra); Bouin felt Move was harder than Change and should be 9b+ (5.15c).[9][6][25]
9b (5.15b):
- Jumbo Love – Clark Mountain (USA) – 19 October 2022. 4th ascent of the world's first-ever confirmed 9b route. First ascent was by Chris Sharma in 2008.[10][26]
- Iron Curtain – Flatanger (NOR) – 11 July 2022. First repeat of Adam Ondra's 2013 route (belayed by Bouin).[6]
- The Dream – Brar crag, Tirana (Albania) – 12 December 2019. First Ascent. Hardest climb in Albania in the crag that was described by Adam Ondra as "the best Tufa climbing I have ever seen".[1][24]
- Mamichula – Oliana (ESP) – 31 July 2019. First repeat of Adam Ondra's 2017 route.[1][27]
9a+/9b (5.15a/b):
- Les yeux plus gros que l'antre (translation: Eyes bigger than the cave) – Russan crag, Pont St Nicholas-Seynes (FRA) – 11 May 2018. First ascent. The 70-metre (230 ft) route was bolted over 20 years previously but had defeated all prior attempts and became an "open project"; Bouin called it the "French Chilam Balam".[28]
- Chilam Balam [fr] – Villanueva del Rosario (ESP) – May 2015. Third ascent. A controversial route that in 2003 was proposed as the world's first-ever 9b+ (5.15c) by Bernabé Fernández after his first ascent, only to be downgraded in 2011 by Adam Ondra to 9b (5.15b) on the first repeat, and further downgraded by subsequent repeats.[4][29]
Selected 9a+ (5.15a):
- Realization/Biographie – Céüse (FRA) – 13 June 2020. Bouin completed the 19th ascent of the famous 9a+ (5.15a) test piece.[1][30]
- Papichulo – Oliana (ESP) – April 2019. Repeat ascent of Chris Sharma's 2008 test piece.[2]
- Pachamama – Oliana (ESP) – March 2019. 8th ascent of Chris Sharma's 2009 test piece.[2]
- La Côte d’Usure – La Ramirole, Verdon Gorge (FRA) – 1 October 2018. First Ascent. Bolted by Bouin when he was 16 years old, he regards it as one of his "Mega Lines".[31]
- La Rambla – Siurana (ESP) – 6 December 2017. Bouin completed the 20th ascent of the famous 9a+ (5.15a) test piece.[1][32]
- La Modone – Luberon (FRA) – May 2012. First repeat of Gérôme Pouvreau's 2011 route; Bouin's first-ever 9a+ (5.15a) route.[33][34]
- Potter, Steven (11 May 2022). "Interview: How Seb Bouin Sent the World's Hardest Grade". Climbing. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- Barns, Dave (29 January 2020). "Nobody's Wing Man: Seb Bouin – The Story so Far Feature". UK Climbing. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- "Seb Bouin: his secret? "From a young age, I was used to shit!"". Outside. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- "Sébastian Bouin Claims Third Ascent of Chilam Balam (5.15b), Spain". Rock & Ice. May 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- Potter, Stephen (5 February 2020). "Watch Seb Bouin Make the First Ascent of La Rage d'Adam (5.15b/c)". Climging. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- Potter, Stephen (27 July 2022). "Interview: Seb Bouin on His 430-foot Cave Route and the Future of Endurance Climbing". Climging. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- "Seb Bouin makes first ascent of Suprême Jumbo Love 9b+/38". New Zealand Alpine Club. 1 November 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- Walsh, Anthony (3 November 2022). "Séb Bouin Just Established the Hardest Route in America (5.15c)". Climbing. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- Potter, Stephen (8 August 2022). "Seb Bouin Gets Third Ascent of the World's First 5.15c". Climbing. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- Potter, Stephen (25 October 2022). "Seb Bouin Claims 4th Ascent of Jumbo Love (5.15b)". Climbing. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- Levy, Michael (24 November 2020). "Fred Rouhling's "Akira," World's First Proposed 5.15b in 1995, Finally Repeated; Downgraded to 5.14d". Rock & Ice. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- "Fred Rouhling's Akira finally repeated after 25 years by Sébastien Bouin, Lucien Martinez". PlanetMountain. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
- "Akira video: Seb Bouin repeating Fred Rouhling's testpiece". Climber. 10 February 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
- "Watch Seb Bouin Do Hard First Ascents at a Lesser-Known French Crag". Climbing. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- Poter, Stephen (2 September 2022). "Watch Seb Bouin Climb Rarely Repeated 5.14d". Climbing. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- Martinez, Lucien (3 September 2019). "Video: Helped by his mother, Seb Bouin equips an 8c+ of 80m in Turkey". Grimper. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- "Watch Seb Bouin and His Mom Bolt a Route in Turkey". Gripped. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- Larson, Jens (19 May 2022). "Seb Bouin and his (9c) grading". LACrux. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- Slavsky, Bennett (9 November 2020). "Seb Bouin Completes the First Ascent Beyond Integral (5.15b/c)". Climbing. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- Walsh, Anthony (5 May 2022). "Seb Bouin Does Potential 5.15d FA, World's Second of the Grade". Climbing. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- Potter, Stephen (7 June 2023). "Seb Bouin Gets His Crimp On and Sends Bibliographie (5.15c)". Climbing. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- "Seb Bouin Climbs Bibliographie 5.15c". Gripped. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- "These are the most difficult climbing routes in the world". LACrux. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- "Sébastien Bouin delights in The Dream 9b, the most difficult sports climb in Albania". PlanetMountain. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- "Watch Seb Bouin on World's Sixth Hardest Route". Gripped. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- "Seb Bouin repeats Jumbo Love, Chris Sharma's 9b at Clark Mountain". PlanetMountain.com. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- "Sébastien Bouin makes first repeat of Mamichula, Adam Ondra's 9b at Oliana". PlanetMountain. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- "Sébastien Bouin adds one of France's hardest sport climbs to Russan". PlanetMountain. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- "Sébastien Bouin climbs Chilam Balam 9b at Villanueva del Rosario". PlanetMountain. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
- "Sébastien Bouin blasts up Biographie at Céüse". Planetmountain.com. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
- Pohl, Bjorn (1 October 2018). "La cote d'usure, 9a+ FA by Seb Bouin in the Gorges du Verdon". UKClimbing. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- "Seb Bouin Sends and Joins La Rambla List". Gripped.com. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
- Pohl, Bjorn (21 May 2012). "La Madone, 9a+ by Sébastien Bouin". UKClimbing. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- "Sébastien Bouin repeats 'La madone' 9a+ in the Lubéron". Desnivel. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- Seb Bouin at 8a.nu
- Seb Bouin at thecrag
- Seb Bouin at Instagram
- Interview: Seb Bouin, his secret?, Outside (March 2022)
- VIDEO: Séb Bouin – First ascent of "La Côte d’Usure" (9a+/5.15a), Rock & Ice (1 October 2018)