Camille Coudert does Deep Fake (8C+)

Camille Coudert has logged 53 boulders 8A and beyond including Deep Fake (8C+) in Brione. ”Personally, it feels lika a hard 8C, but taking into account the opinions of other climbers who have tried the boulder and with the perspective that this problem suits my style very well, I think it’s probably a soft 8C+. However, it’s possible that the boulder is significantly easier for very tall climbers…”

Coudert is 178 cm and he is together with Adam Ondra, the hard core climber adding most personal grades. The 29-year-old, who started climbing at age 18, has logged more than a dozen 8C and beyond including Soudain seul (9A).

Can you tell us more about the ascent and in which time span did you send them all?
All the boulders I climbed were done during three short trips to Brione in between April 1st and May 15th. During that same period, I also climbed in Fontainebleau, where I did Mammunk and Mammunk assis (8C), as well as Partage (sit start), along with some 8A and 8A+ problems.

As for the details of the Brione trips: The first one lasted 7 days and was mainly to discover the area. During the first three days, I climbed some of the sector’s classics. Toward the end of the trip, I tried Deep Fake, and already felt close to sending it after the first session.

I went back for a second trip a few weeks later, just 4 days, focused entirely on Deep Fake. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on my side, and I missed the send during the last session, falling five times on the final 8A section.

Finally, I returned this week for a 5-day trip to finish Deep Fake, which I sent on the first day. I then used the rest of the trip to climb a bunch of other problems and attempted to flash my first 8B.

What is next?
For the summer, it's training, and I'm staying focused on my goal of making the first ascent of Imhotep (sit start).

How many sessions have you put in now?
I think the first year, I went about once a week on average for two and a half months (around 15 sessions). The second year, I must have gone a maximum of 5 times, and this year I went twice a week for about two and a half months on average (I’d say around 30 sessions). And before that, I had done 3 or 4 prep sessions just after doing Soudain seul. So I’d say I must be at over 50 sessions.

The block is extremely traumatic for the elbows, and more than 2 sessions per week is not very productive.

Following up on our last conversation about it. I finally unlocked the move I was missing and put in a lot of attempts on a section estimated at a hard 8C+. I fell on the last move of that section about fifteen times, but I felt I was making progress and getting really close to sending it. Unfortunately, the temperatures rose too quickly, and I had to put it on hold until this winter.

I hope to send that section quickly next winter — and then I’ll need to link in two more moves graded around 8B+, which I finally managed to do! So the real battle for the full send should begin this coming winter.[Coudert has previously said that it might be 9A+.]