Charles Albert frees Charlatan (9A) at Fontainebleau

French rock climber Charles Albert has made the first ascent of Charlatan, his long-standing project in the forest of Fontainebleau on the outskirts of Paris. Albert - who had spent years living in a cave in the Forêt - was shown the problem eight years ago by Guillaume Tournus. Featuring three extremely powerful moves and a complicated undercling sequence near the top, it quickly became clear why this project had not yet been climbed.

In November 2024, "Barefoot Charles" was close to sending, but suffered a shoulder injury just before the top of the problem. After more than 100 attempts, last Friday the 28-year-old finally sent the line, without climbing shoes as per usual, before suggesting 9A.

9A/V17 is the highest confirmed grade in bouldering to date. Currently there is only one problem graded 9A+, Exodia, put up by Italy's Elias Iagnemma in November 2025; it has not yet been repeated and the grade awaits confirmation.