Clement Lechaptois FA's Permanent Midnight Low (8C+)

Clément Lechaptois did the FA of Permanent midnight low (8C+) in May but he waited for the pics before logging his second 8C+. ”Incredible process with this one ! I enjoyed every session solving the sequences & learning the subtleties to climb this thing.” (c) Matteo Challe


Can you tell us more about the process behind the FA?
Permanent Midnight (8A+) is a classic boulder from Fionnay, Switzerland ; opened by Dave Graham in 2006. During my first visit to the area in 2017, this is the first boulder I got to climb on. In 2021 I opened a boulder that shares the same start as PM stand, that I named 'Solitary Daze', and proposed 8C/V15. I also cleaned a boulder to the left of it, and it became 'Big Nose' (proposed 8C/V15 as well) when the young local Dylan Chuat climbed it in 2024. In the meantime I looked at the low start holds of Permanent Midnight every time I got to spend some time under the boulder but I always felt too hard.

In 2022 I shared a good session with Daniel Woods and Giuliano Cameroni, and we found a sequence that seemed working. I came back soon after and managed all the individual moves in a couple of sessions. I got hooked. Super stoked and I started to give some bottom tries. I thought I was close, but when I look back now, I realize I was missing some details making the boulder problem really possible for me.

This spring I came back from the US feeling really in shape. It was early in the season, and I went to the boulder as soon as the road opened. I cleaned the snow on top the boulder to make it dry and started the process again.

My body adapted more & more and the moves that felt so hard before became to feel natural. I started to feel confident that I could have a good window to send the boulder this season. On May 14th I came back to the boulder not even sure if it would be dry because it rained the day before. I think it was my chance because the temperatures had dropped a bit and the friction actually felt pretty good! I quickly warmed up and climbed the boulder first try of the day, giving it my all. Everything went pretty smooth but I still had to fight pretty hard during the climbing.