Clément Lechaptois ouvre Malédiction assis 8C – Clément Lechaptois opens Malédiction assis, 8C

Après son court séjour bellifontain bien prolifique et une finale aux championnats de France de bloc à Massy, le grenoblois Clément Lechaptois a réussi vendredi à boucler un vieux projet qu’il avait à Riouperoux, avec “Malédiction assis”, proposant 8C pour ce dernier. Le départ debout, “Malédiction” (8B) ouvert par Julien Nadiras, propose 5 mouvements bien puissants à épaules et à gainages. Clément l’avait répété en mars 2016, avant de se mettre en chantier le assis.

” Vu l’investissement que j’y ai mis, je pense que c’est un cran plus dur que tout ce que j’ai fait jusqu’à présent. Une quinzaine de séances en tout, pour un processus débuté en 2015 sur ce bloc. Je propose donc 8C, à voir si des futurs répétiteurs le confirment!  Par rapport au départ debout, cela ne rajoute que 4 mouvements de mains pas ultimes en soit mais qui rendent la mise en place du début hyper difficile. En gros si tu ne la fais pas parfaitement tu n’as aucune chance d’engager le gros mouvement d’épaule du début du debout. Le bloc entier fait 9-10 mouvements durs en gros, avant une belle fin engagée en 7A/7A+ sur de belles prises plates. Cela sort à 6 mètres ! J’ai pouiffé à la sortie, j’étais assez mal dans l’enchaînement là-haut!”

After a short trip to Font and a solid 5th place in the French bouldering nationals recently, Clément Lechaptois is back home and last friday, he finally sent his long term project, the sit start to “Malédiction” 8C in Riouperoux, France. The stand, with a powerful gaston move (video below), was opened by Juien Nadiras, and climbed by Clément in March 2016.

“The first time I’ve been to this boulder was in February 2015, but I did not have time to really try it back then. Thefollowing season it took me 3 days to do the stand start, which is a ~5-move 8B. I was happy but I kept in mind that a more logical sit-start seemed possible. Last year I really started trying the sit-start. I quickly did all the moves, but it was insanely hard to properly connect from the bottom part into the first move of the stand. In fact that move requires both a lot of power and precision. If I don’t do it perfectly I’m off, without even a chance of fighting for the rest.
Session after session I tried to improve my beta. At the end of the 2017 season, even if I was able to do the crux section of the stand and all the moves several times in a session, I still felt far from sending.
This year I started trying the problem early on, and after a couple of days I found a new sequence for the bottom that allowed me to reach the stand start much more easily than before. From that moment I knew I would have a chance to climb it. But it took me 6 more sessions to eventually hold that gaston from the sit start and top out! I even managed to fall once after the crux move, by stupidly slipping off a foot-hold (haha). What a saga it’s been! It took me a total of about 15 sessions ; it’s the hardest problem I’ve ever climbed so far. The sitstart adds 4 moves which make for a hard beginning to link into the stand and this gaston move. The whole problem is about 9-10 moves long. The finish is a nice and easier 7A/A+ on slopers but at that point you are about 6 meters above the ground! I was sweating at the top during the send, and actually came close to falling!”

Photo : Damien Largeron

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgOpgPCgFVG/?hl=fr&taken-by=clem_lechap