Thibault Lair sends his first 9a+, Papichulo

Lair Thibault, who previously has made five 9a's, out of which four FAs, has done Papichulo (9a+) in Oliana. Two days earlier he did the FA of Fake news (8c+) in Suberpène, which was his sixth 8c+ FA, only during the last 18 months. (c) William Barcelo


Can you tell us more about doing your first 9a+?
It's been four years since I started working the route without being very regular. This year I needed 3 times 3 days to do the route. A big goal was achieved with the ascent of this mythical and mentally super hard route. I felt in good shape at the end of last year and I decided to give myself the means to progress even more by asking Patxi Usubiaga to train me. After 3 months of intensive training with Patxi, I really gained strength, which is my weak point.

How come there is a three-year gap since you did your last 9a?
Indeed, it's been 3 years since I did a 9a but it's not because I was less strong. For 3 years I have done a lot of 8c+ FAs that I worked alone. I equipped and tried harder routes than 9a, I think, which I haven't realized yet. All that combined with my work as a carpenter.

What is the status of Papichulo and Oliana after the fire?
Regarding the fire in Oliana, a huge cleaning and repair work was done by a group of people. I thank them once again for this work. There are still a few lanes that have not yet been cleaned.