Watch Dherbilly’s Second Ascent of Salamandre 5.15

Baptiste Dherbilly made the second ascent of Fred Rouhling’s 2007 route called Salamandre at Double Cache crag in France.

Rouhling made the first ascent in 2007 and established a number of other never-repeated climbs. Watch his ascent below.

In 1995, Rouhling established Akira and claimed it to be 5.15b. It was six years before Chris Sharma made the first ascent of Realization/Biographie, which the climbing world celebrated as the first-ever 5.15.

But Rouhling’s ascent of Akira and his other unrepeated routes (Empreintes 5.15a, Mandallaz Drive 5.14d and De l’autre côté du ciel 5.14d) are still seen as important and legendary climbs.

Salamandre is a 5.13b with a V12 crux followed by an 5.13+ section. The hardest single move is a dyno from a mono to a two-finger gaston.

After his 2017 second ascent, Dherbilly said here: “I have been there 17 times in the last two months which represents around 50 tries.

“For the grade I don’t want to talk about it because I haven’t the experience to give my opinion on it. Fred had announced 9a/b (5.15a/b), and after talking with him he thought 9a+ (5.15a).”

Dherbilly had only climbed Ordalie and Fred as his hardest sends at 5.14c. He said he can’t comment on the grade of Salamandre, but that it’s the hardest climb he’s completed.

He also said the climb, which was bolted by François Ducastel, is completely natural.