Watch Seb Bouin on French Chilam Balam
- Friday 7th December 2018
Dec 7th; 2018
Seb Bouin blasted Russan into the news earlier this year with the first ascent of what was dubbed the French Chilam Balam; here’s the video of that ascent.
Seb Bouin did the first ascent of Les yeux plus gros que l'antre (F9a+/9b) at Russan back in April - click here for that report. Russan, a long-established crag a stone’s throws north of Nimes deep in the south of France, has a massive cave in the middle of the crag; Seb’s route takes a 70m line through the cave. The second part of the route had actually been bolted over 20 years previously but Seb added a starter pitch to get to a Flatanger-style ‘change-over’ station. From there the route blasts out via a whole series of boulder problems up steeply overhanging, tufa/blob-encrusted rock.
At the time of his ascent Seb believed that the route was harder than Chilam Balam (which is also given F9a+/b) and the fourth hardest route in France. Since then Seb has also added La cote d’usure (F9a+) in the Verdon Gorge.
Watch the video of Seb’s first ascent below…