Erwan Legrand makes promising links on Bombé Bleu project at Buoux

As we've written before, there are few sport climbing projects as old, magical, and mystical as Bombé Bleu in Buoux, France. Bolted by the child prodigy Marc Le Menestrel in 1991 and nicknamed Chantier, this extraordinary line of pockets cuts powerfully across the massive bulge above the La Plage sector and, for well over three decades, has remained an unrealised dream, despite attempts by many of the world's best climbers: Ben Moon, Stefan Glowacz, Chris Sharma, Fred Rouhling, Iker Pou, Nicolas Januel, Loïc Zehani, Charles Albert, Nicolas Pelorson & Lucien Martinez... The list is as long as the 16-move crux sequence is intense.

The latest to tackle this legendary sequence of monos and two-finger pockets is Erwan Legrand, the 17-year-old son of super-champion François Legrand, who evidently has climbing in his DNA. The other day, Legrand junior published a video of his stunning attempt from last Sunday that has left everyone speechless: for the total mastery of the extremely difficult opening dyno (which is the route's crux move), for the apparent ease with which he executes all the other sequences, for his flow and absolute perfection on that piece of such unforgiving limestone. And also for the fact that he's doing it all without climbing shoes, barefoot, in order to feel the footholds better.

The only catch? Not thinking he was so close to sending the route, Erwan didn't start from the beginning of the climb, but from the ledge where one can take a full rest before starting up the real difficulties. Below, there are about 10 meters of significantly easier climbing, around 7a/b... absolutely trivial compared to the overhang above.

Erwan subsequently made a second attempt, but this time he fell just 4 meters from the top. For now, then, sport climbing's "Holy Grail" remains elusive, but who knows for how much longer. Bonne chance, Erwan!

 

 

 

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