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- 25
- Oct
- 2011
| Scarpa athlete Monique Forestier writes in to tell us she is on cloud 9 after ascending the route of her dreams - Tom et je Ris (8b+, 32) - in the Verdon Gorge, France - Bonjour! I am here in Verdon Gorge in France to try and climb my long term goal, Tom et je Ris (8b+, 32). I first heard about this route through Toni Lamprecht (from Germany) when we were in Madagascar in 2007. Toni and I were talking about amazing lines around the world and then he mentioned this route. He described Tom et je Ris (aka T&J) as a 60-metre tufa of impeccable quality and beauty, proudly situated looking down into the Verdon Gorge. |
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| With his recommendation in mind I went to check it out for myself.I first visited Verdon in 2009 straight off the back of our Kalymnos trip (with baby Coco only six months old). I was lucky enough to try the route for a day, but unlucky enough to have the heavens open up and we had to leave. So here I am two years later, back to attempt the route of my dreams.The exposure is overwhelming, the first time you lower in to the route is an intimidating experience to say the least, but you do get used to it. |
| As for the route, well, I am in heaven and hell at the same time. It’s for sure the best line that I have ever been lucky enough to try. T&J tackles one main orange tufa for most of the route but actually swaps and changes between three other tufa’s, making for an extraordinary ride. On the flip side you have to contend with a long walk in (1 hour 20mins), super-long scary run-outs, aggressive holds, loss of visuals with your belayer and a limited climbing window (sun at 2pm). But the ride is all worth it. I worked out all of the moves and finally pieced it all together! |
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| It was a fight to the very end. In the high crux I was certain that I was off. I even screamed out, Noooo, as I came up short with my left hand. I dug deep; slammed a right heel against the tufa, managed a quick shake for my left hand only and then I just kept to my sequence and kept going through the motions, screaming with each move. To my amazement I arrived at the last cave and took a very long rest. |
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| So needless to say that I am on cloud nine, I have achieved something that I have been dreaming about for several years now. It almost feels unreal. |
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