Seb Bouin makes first repeat of Adam Ondra’s Iron Curtain at Flatanger

In 2019 Sébastien Bouin made the first repeat of Move, the 9b/+ put up by Adam Ondra in 2013 in the huge Hanshelleren cave at Flatanger in Norway. The 29-year-old Frenchman has now made the first repeat of another testpiece Ondra established a few days earlier, Iron Curtain. At the time the Czech climber established the route without kneepads and suggested could check in at 9b while Bouin, who repeated the line with kneepads, feels it could warrant half a grade less.

Bouin, who at the end of April made the first ascent of the 9c DNA in the Verdon Gorge, explains "Back in 2013, I sent an email to Adam asking him if he would go to Flatanger during that summer. I was searching for a partner to climb with. I wasn't expecting any answer, we didn't know each other yet. The following day, I had an answer, proposing a date to pick me up from the airport of Trondheim. I booked my tickets, and joined him and Erick Grandelius for a whole month in this beautiful area. It was so exciting, a new beautiful place, a new crag, and the strongest climber of the world showing you the gems in the cave.

We just arrived there, and Adam was already jumping onto a project called Iron Curtain. The line looked so hard and beautiful. It was the first route he crushed during this trip. I had the chance to belay him during the FA, and it was impressive.

He was doing a crazy gaston move for the crux. This was savage. Making this trip with these guys was so inspiring. It was a turning point in my climbing life. They opened my eyes regarding high level climbing. I learned so much seeing them moving on the rock. It was different. I was too slow, not enough focus. Thank you guys for these memories.

This year, I decided to return to Flatanger, without and real fixed objectives. I’m leaving myself open, and I will try what inspires me. So I started with Iron Curtain. The rock is so perfect, and the line is so cool. It took me 14 tries to do it, and 5 climbing days. I used kneepads to send it. I think the line is easier with kneepads. You can do the crux a bit differently. It's still quite hard, but less demanding on the shoulders, and more of a conventional boulder problem.

Adam proposed a 9b grade without kneepad. And I am quite sure of this grade if you are not using kneepads. Regarding the time and investment it took me, it could be more 9a+ using kneepads."