UKC

Did I imagine there was a news item doing the rounds the other week about an age 50+ French woman ticking a 9a sport route in the south of France? Anyone got a link to the story?

No, but I’d like her phone number

I must have dreamt it.  

It isn't Seb Bouin's mother, by any chance? She's a similar age and knocking on the upper 8's.

Looks like a 9a climber...

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcfr-XEnaDn/?tagged=matahi

What’s her name?

Mrs Bouin?

Crickey, I was sure I'd at least get Mme rather than Mrs...

Yes, I wasn't thinking, it was a bit early.

Ma Bouin, she knew how to climb?

This comes as no surprise to me.  I climbed my hardest routes in my mid 50's.  I'm 70 but I have a female friend, who is a few years older, who regularly on sight's in the 7's and makes it look easy. Myself and several friends of the same age can on sight 7a on a good day and climb 6c/6c+ regularly.

Good stuff.

To be honest I think I may have conflated three stories into one... Laura Rogora's recent 9a, a recent Seb Bouin 9a report and Seb Bouin's mother's very long list of >8a ticks which may or may not have been mentioned in passing in connection to the Seb Bouin story.  I think it may all have been mentioned in an EpicTV Climbing Daily report that I was only half watching...

Conflating two - ok

But conflating three - impressive

Maybe I was only one third watching rather than half watching...

Mystery solved. Not a 9a  but only an 8b by Cathy Wagner. Still impressive as 1 of 705 routes of 8a to 8b routes routes she’s ticked. Now age 53.

Laura Rogora's 9a in the same report hence my confusion...

And what about Mme Bouin...? What’s she ever done on limestone?

Still haven’t worked out her name...

No first name and who is to say she ever married M. Bouin???