UKC

20 year-old French climber Enzo Oddo is known primarily for his hard sport ascents up to 9a+ at a young age, with climbs such as Biographie 8c+, Realization 9a+ (Ceüse), Victimes del Futur 8c+ (Margalef) and Trip Tik to Nik 9a (Gorges du Loup) under his belt.

However, a video has recently been released of Enzo climbing traditional crack lines in Utah, western USA - and he seems to turn his hand(s) to it rather well...

Read more

In reply to UKC News:

Cool vid with nice drone footage though it looks like a teaser for something longer possibly. The slackline one (linked at the end) is also impressive.

As for the climbing, impressive routes and climbing, but then 5.13 is far below 5.15 that he's capable of.

In reply to stp:

I suppose you climb the same French grades on gear as you do on bolts. Daft comment.

Good to see a top young sport climber doing really hard trad.
Inspiring film with excellent non gimmicky use of a drone (for once!).

In reply to stp:

I don't think he climbs even close to 5.15 after his growth spurt. At least it hasn't been reported in the news.

In reply to Robert Durran:

Not that daft! Most years both myself and Pete climb harder on trad than we do on Sport. That's the mark of a proper trad climber

I haven't seen the video yet, but if Enzo hasn't squeezed his way up something at least 14a, then he's just cruising his way up... Unless he's Euro lay backing?!?!

In reply to stp:

Seems like it's the first episode of a series, or part of a longer feature film.

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:


Onsight? Lots of onsight 5.13's in the film.


Or of one not trying hard enough on bolts.......

In reply to Robert Durran:

Ha! Well said

Just watched the film (excellent stuff) and they're all onsight which is a good effort. He'd climb the 5.14's pretty quick too I suspect. Someone send him down to Century Crack - that needs someone's attention.

In reply to UKC News:

Mood that wenrnt it

In reply to Robert Durran:

I agree! Tom's not trying hard enough on bolts :P

But I also think that Enzo is cruising... I reckon he's as capable of climbing 9b now than he was when he was 16 and he is probably just enjoying going and doing lots of cool routes out in the desert on his first "big" trip to the states which is exactly what I would be doing too if I went to Utah

He's a cool kid, met him in Ceuse when he was about 11 with his dad, then again when he was 13 and again when he was 16. He has always been really about the climbing and just that Just loves it! Great to see!

In reply to UKC News:
It's impressive to see crack climbing on film, obvious what the line is maybe that is it, but here is alot of long pan out shots giving somethng even better, the whole mega lines with climber in situ. One thing would improve it still and that is a bit off attention to a route for consecutive moves.

In reply to Robert Durran:


Why not?

In reply to stp:


To state the obvious, because you've got the added effort of placing the gear before even worrying about it holding....... Anyway, as I pointed out, we are comparing trad onsight with sport redpoint; chalk and cheese.

In reply to Robbie_Phillips:


Robbie, if you ever want a belay on cool Indian Creek 5.14's, I'm up for it (as long as you hold my ropes while I flail on a few 10's and 11's too )

In reply to UKC News:

Cruising? Are all the wads these days really onsighting 8b+/8c regularly on trad?
Looks like they are using the +/- notation in the video so the routes he was doing are mostly 8a or 8a+. I thought the hardest trad on-sights yet done by anyone were about 8b.

In reply to UKC News:

Brilliant. Looks like they are having a bloody good time, which after all, is what it's all about!

In reply to UKC News:

I am quite sure Enzo has not done 9a version of Trip Tic Tonic.

In reply to pbla4024:

Presumably when he did it in 2009, it was pre hold-removal and the resulting upgrade. The FA of the 9a version appears to have been in 2010.

http://www.sterlingrope.com/k/enzo-oddo

In reply to Tom Randall - Lattice Training:

Tom,

He looks useful on those wider cracks perhaps an honorary member of Les Garconz Enorme? or Ample??

Cheers,

S