Hugo Parmentier does two 9a’s

Hugo Parmentier, currently ten months in a full year roadtrip with his girlfriend, has done Stratagème power (9a) and Trois pattes dans la chouffe (9a) in Gorges du Tarn. The latter he logged as an 8c+ as he sent it on his third go and comments, ”I have sent easier 9a’s and harder 8c’s.”

Can you tell us more about Stratagème power and how your road trip is going?
I’m on a 10-day trip in Gorges du Tarn. It feels surreal to be here, as this is the place where I truly discovered rock climbing many years ago. Ben Bouissou, my all-time coach and mentor, used to organize end-of-year climbing camps here with my club. This is where I climbed my first 7a, 7a+, and 7b. I feel really good here, nostalgic, but in a very positive and pleasant way. I even got to try routes that were still projects back then!
 Like Dessèchement Planétaire, Dieu Merci, Mehw Power, etc.

I climbed Mehw power (8c+) and the variation on the right that Seb Bouin freed last year.
They’re absolute king lines on what I think is the most beautiful wall in the Gorges. It’s exactly my style, short resistance climbs on pockets and small crimps. As for the grades, I’m pretty sure neither of them are extreme. But honestly, I just don’t understand grading anymore. My personal impressions rarely match the established consensus. Depending on the benchmark route I choose to calibrate the difficulty, the grades of the routes I try vary wildly. And if I also take into account my fluctuating shape and preferred styles, it makes even less sense. So basically I’m super psyched to try these routes and I hope to have a chance in the other ones.

Where are you going next?
I’m trying few other routes around this difficulty in the Gorges. But we only have a few days left ! I’m also preparing for a bike, sailing and bolting/climbing adventure end of this month also together with Symon Welfringer and Arthur Delicque! Biking 300 km to the sea, sailing to Corsica, biking again to Bavella climb/bolt and then all the way back in the same way.