Cédric Lachat repeats 85-metre endurance hammer chilam palam (9a+/b)

Cédric Lachat scores the endurance test piece Chilam Balam (9A+/B) at Villanueva del Rosario. For the professional Swiss climber, it is the 50th route at the ninth level of difficulty.

Cédric Lachat had a very successful year: in March he made the first ascent of At Home Cornus (9a+) and shortly afterwards he made his first grade 9b with Fantasia. Lachat culminates his season with another difficult climb: the Andalusian endurance test Chilam Balam (9a+/b).

Chellam palam: a stepwise approach

Cédric Lachat says his speleology and canyoning work has taken up a lot of time this year, and his fitness has not been at its best. That’s why he started handling the massive 85-metre-high, 218-train Chillam Palam line in a staggered manner.

The first 8c+ length alone took three days. Then take off on the 9a Chilam Salsera, which shares the first pitch with Chilam Balam and pulls up at the start of the route. And when he managed to climb Maldita Envidia, the second 9a on the huge top, Cédric Lachat devoted his full attention to Chilam Balam.

The biggest challenge for him was controlling the last rock on small ledges before the switch after 80 meters of uphill climbing. After 3 attempts in which water fell in the aforementioned place, everything fell into place.

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