Seb Bouin has made the first ascent of Croatia's hardest route, Vidra la Vida, 9b/+.

The route, which consists of two pitches, is located on the island of Hvar. Bouin made the first ascent of the first pitch, Vidra, 9a - bolted by Klemen Bećan - in early May, and began working the extension immediately after.

The crux of the route comes shortly after the 9a "approach", and revolves around a 360° spin, which Bouin estimates to be 8A/V11 in isolation.

Speaking of the 9a first pitch, Bouin said: 

'The route starts with a great 25m 8c+, followed by a juggy rest, and then a sick boulder problem on full-span tufa moves — that's what bumps it up to 9a. When I first bolted the line, it was hard to believe that this sequence could even go. The holds are so far apart that I didn't think it would be possible that way'.

As for the full line, Bouin described the route as follows:

'When difficulty meets beauty. I am so happy to bring this dream line to life'.

'I started the trip with no expectations—no idea what I'd find. Step by step, I uncovered a stunning, inspiring line. It ended up demanding more from me than I first thought. But what an amazing time, surrounded by the incredible vibe of the island'.

'This is one of my proudest additions—without a doubt, in my personal top 5 9b/5.15b routes worldwide. The first section climbs around 8c+, leading into a crux that bumps it to 9a. Then comes a wild 360 crux, roughly 8A/V11 boulder. And to top it all off, there's a final 8b+/c section—I even fell there during a send attempt'.

'Mentally, it got tough. The heat was brutal at times, and I started to feel drained. I even thought about giving up after falling on the final jug. But then a cool north wind rolled in and gave me just enough fire to push through and finish the job. I would like to thank everyone who made it possible, from the local climbers and community, to the friends who shared the days'.