Moretti and Chappe tick The Big Island (8C)

Lilian Moretti and Mathis Chappe have completed The Big Island (8C) in Fontainebleau.

Moretti: I tried The Big Island for the first time in December 2024 (for 2 hours), and I haven’t been back since. On this trip, it took me three sessions to complete it.

Chappe (pictured): So my first session was in December 2024 but it was short because it was at the end of trip. Then I went back with my dad in February 2025 but the friction were really bad for sending. So we went back with Lilian last week to send the Boulder. It took me 7 sessions for the send.

What is your climbing background?
Moretti: My parents have never climbed in their lives. I started climbing when I was 8 years old at a local club. Until I was 16, I almost exclusively did lead climbing. In December 2024, I went to Ticino for the first time, and since then I’ve fallen in love with outdoor bouldering.

Last summer I had loads of projects in mind, but I was injured for six months, so climbing was impossible. I did a lot of hangboard training and weightlifting. It was really tough mentally, but I’m happy to see that it’s all behind me now and that I’ve never been stronger.

Chappe: I am from Marseille, I started climbing at 11yo and i started doing comp 3 years later. In highschool i went in Briançon because there was a student-athlete class and this is here that i discovered my passion for outdoor climbing. I won multiple French cup and this season i am selected on the U21 French team. Now i am living in Grenoble because it’s one of the best cities in France for climbing and training.