Chaehyun Seo Climbs Her Second 5.15a with Papichulo
Chaehyun Seo has had a stront start to her trip to Oliana with some big sends
Chaehyun Seo has climbed her second 5.15a with Papichulo in Oliana, Spain. Her first 5.15a was the famous La Rambla back in 2022 after only five days and seven tries. Earlier in her visit to Oliana, Seo flashed El Gran Blau 5.14a/b, of which she said, “First climbing day, also my b-day, and I flashed El Gran Blau.” About Papichulo, she said, “Two days of rain made rocks are still a bit wet, but somehow managed to send it.”
In November of 2022, Seo onsighted L’Antagonista 5.14b, her first onsight of the grade. Her ascent of L’Antagonista made her the second woman in history to onsight 5.14b, the first was Janja Garnbret. In late 2024, she clipped the chains on Open Your Mind Direct L1 5.14d and on her last day, onsighted the ultra-popular Fish Eye 5.14b.
Seo is one of the most formidable climbers on the World Cup circuit, often making finals and even besting Olympic gold medalist Janja Garnbret. This year, Seo placed second overall in the Lead World Cup season. It was her second silver for the overall Lead season, her first being in 2022, and in 2019, she won gold. She placed third this at year’s Lead World Championships, third at the 2023 Championships in Bern, and first in 2021 in Moscow.
Papichulo, first climbed by Chris Sharma, is a 45-metre endurance masterpiece that has lured the world’s best for over 15 years, demanding precision and power. A pure resistance route with few rests, it marked another high point in Sharma’s growing list of hard first ascents. It’s since seen around two dozen redpoints.
