Yannick Flohé makes first repeat of Ratstaman Vibrations at Céüse

After investing about 30 days of effort spread out over 5 trips and 2 seasons, Yannick Flohé has finally sent Ratstaman Vibrations at Céüse in France. Located at the crag’s Face de Rat sector, the stunning route was bolted ground-up by Chris Sharma about 15 years ago following an "amazing path of pockets". It lay dormant for almost a decade and was freed in August 2022 by Alexander Megos who put forward the 9b grade suggestion. Flohé commented that his fellow countryman sometimes "isn’t aware of his own strength so I decided that a little slash upgrade seems fair." Hence the 9b/+ upgrade after sending it first go on Tuesday afternoon.

Ratstaman Vibrations is famous for it spectacular crossover move right at the start, graded about 8B+ boulder in its own right, but Flohé found that the redpoint difficulties were significantly higher up. Writing to planemountain about this 30-move power endurance testpiece, he stated "you're still fresh on the crossover dyno so although it's 8B+, it's not as hard as the crux higher up, at around moves 26 and 27. Alex had described the route as being an 8B+ boulder followed by an 8c+ route, I'd turn it around and say a 9a route that leads to an 8A boulder. The move up there is hard, you need to be fresh when you get to it."

Ratstaman Vibrations is Flohé's hardest climb to date and a "mega line that I hope other climbers will repeat in the future". In the past he has redpointed up to 9a+ and bouldered up to 8C+. In July this year he became the first person in the world to flash 8C boulder, with his first-go ascent of Foundations Edge at Fionnay.