L'Enfumette 8c+ by Victor Baudrand (18)

Victor Baudrand, from Salt Lake City, has done L'Enfumette 8c+ in St Legér. "Feels good to get back to rope climbing. Hadn’t sport climbed in 6 months. Happy to get this thing done in 8 tries! A confidence boost for me!"

So how come you are in France?
I turned 18 in January and my mother helped me move to France by myself to climb because I finished high school early. My parents love rock climbing and are very supportive of my goals. The initial plan of the France trip was to visit the country, train and compete in local France competitions. However, soon after I arrived in France in early January, competitions began to get pushed back to later dates or cancelled. I took this opportunity to simply continue my bouldering training so I could stay strong for Fontainbleau. With rain and bad conditions, I only had a few days in Fontainbleau but it was amazing.

What is your next plan?
My plan is to move to Voiron so I can continue to train with the French team and so that I am close to climbing areas like Ceuse. I would like to test myself on a 9a. Later this summer I also have planned to compete on the IFSC Lead World Cup circuit.

What about the coming new lockdown?
I am able to continue my life in France even with the new Lockdown and COVID restrictions because I have a “high level athlete” pass that allows me to continue to train and travel around France.