Andrea Zanone does Conde de choc (9a)

Andrea Zanone has completed Condé de choc (9a) in Entraygues. The very steep gneiss route, located at 1600m altitude, was put up by Tony Lamiche in 2006. It has later become one of the more popular 9a’s in the world and has 17 logged ascents in the database.

Can you tell us more about the ascent?
I went to Entraygues for the first time many years a go. I was young and inexperienced as a climber maybe I was approaching my first 7a's but anyway I've got good memories from those days. I sporadically came back for few years always during the deep summer. In 2020 I was in good shape in summer and I achieved the goals to reapeat a few lines like Deltaplane man direct (8c+) and Onde de choc (8b+) with a style that suits me really well.

Last year in May I injured the index finger of my right hand and I had to wait until August to try something at my limit again. I came back again to Entraygues to check the intro boulder problem of the 9a. It took me 3 days to climb the first part. I knew I was ready for the main project.

I came back at the end of September to try to complete the full linefor a full month and I got extremely close to send it. I was climbing the first boulder problem every tries but my power endurance was not enough to reach the chain. I felt more than two tries per day at the last 3/4 moves of the route, day after day and I was feeling the pressure. My body and my mind started to feel the fatigued of the days spend at the crag so my dream disappeared in the cold winter of the French Alps.

This line was stuck in my head for all the winter and the desire to climb on it again was huge. I waited until May 2024 to come back and on my first day of attempts I did this great powerful test piece. For me this route represent a new beginning of who I am at the moment. I worked really hard in the past years especially on the mental aspect, to be a better person and a better climber everyday. Grades are important for the motivation, but I think that living the passion to learn new ways, to express ourselves, is way more important. For sure I will fight again to live amazing emotions like this one in the future.