Andreas Bindhammer did the second ascent of
Alex Chabot's Abyss, 9a, at Deverse, Gorges du Loup (France).
Abyss was bolted in 2005 by Alexander (aka Alex) Chabot, and
freed always by Alex on the 28th of July 2006.
The route is 20m long and is characterised by a "pure" and continuous tufa along a 45° to 70° roof!
The route is 100% natural, and Alex suggested a grade of 9a after his first ascent.
Andreas Bindhammer on Abyss, 9a / ph:
Nice-climb.comAndreas needed 16 days of trays, spread over 6 weeks, for a total of about 50 trays in order to send this route.
Andreas Bindhammer on Abyss, 9a / ph:
Nice-climb.comAndreas commented his Abyss adventure as follow on Nice-climb.com:
"I never climbed such a stamina route!
There are no good rests on more than forty hard movements and considering that during my trays 2 footholds have broken... I think that it can be 9a/9a+.
Nevertheless it is difficult for me to suggest such a quotation because I never climbed routes of such difficulty in this endurance style. Both 9a that I climbed before had rests in the middle...
I also have to add that I am rather strong on pinches and those of Abysse, that has a lot of them, seemed to me very hard!
We will see well what the next repeatitors will say but for me this is the hardest route that I climbed so far!!"
Andreas Bindhammer's website:
Andreas-Bindhammer.de Source:
Nice-climb.com and
Kairn.com
