Last weekend (16th June) hundreds of people gathered in Thaurac, Southern France to participate in the third and perhaps last Scalatabel. Scalatabel is a climbing festival where amateurs and pros can have a go at the designated routes and keep a score card for an informal competition. There was live music creating a real party atmosphere as the climbing went on well past midnight on the floodlit cliffs. Petzl sponsored the event and invited their A-listers including Lynn Hill, Dave Graham and Chris Sharma to have a bash at some of the unclimbed projects.

Access is not usually allowed on the cliff as it is so close to the entrance of a popular tourist cave. It's rumoured that this is the last time climbing will be allowed and now all 480 hangers must be removed from the bolts.

Cheered on by the French and international crowd Steve McClure outshone his fellow celebrities by making the first ascent of an 8c route on his 3rd attempt and then blew everybody away by flashing an 8b. The route climbed a tufa and had spat off all other attempts including Chris Sharma....

Full report at: www.posingproductions.com