Seb Bouin Climbs 5.15a on His “Rest Day”
He worked the Dylan Chuat line in Switzerland in between training sessions
Seb Bouin recently redpointed X Integral 5.15a (9a+) at the Gottreux sector in Ravoire in Switzerland. Opened by Dylan Chuat last summer, the line has already seen a few repeats, including from Gabri Moroni. The route is a link-up of two of Chuat’s other lines, Satire 5.14c and The Shoker 5.14c, with a good rest separating the two halves. Most have called the line 5.15a, although Moroni gave it a grade assessment of 5.14d.
“The route is quite complex to climb,” said Bouin about X Integral. “The rock is gneiss, which can be sticky with wind but gets really greasy when it’s humid. The route is divided into two parts: the first part is an [5.14c] with super crimps and a small dyno, followed by a hard compression section. I felt much more comfortable on the second part. The overall line is really cool and doesn’t allow for any mistakes. I almost sent the line on my fourth day, but I slipped from a kneebar in the second part. I finally sent it on day five.
“These times were a bit tricky to organize because I wanted to train for a hard project. So basically, climbing days at the crag were my rest days, and I was training hard on the other days. Somehow, since the route isn’t too steep, it worked out.”
Bouin adds Integral X to his long list of 5.15 repeats and first ascents. His highlights include DNA 5.15d, Supreme Jumbo Love 5.15c, Bibliographie 5.15c, Change 5.15c, Move 5.15b/c, Beyond Integral 5.15b/c, and La Rage d’Adam 5.15b/c. He currently has a few mega-projects in the works, including Move Integral in Flatanger, Norway and Wolf Kingdom in Pic Saint-Loup, France – both potential future 5.15d routes.
Dylan Chuat’s FA of X Integral 5.15a
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