TRIBE

A Second Ascent of The World’s Hardest Trad Line

 

6 minute read

 

 

Wild Country

With these routes and now more hard sport climbs on your list of accomplishments, has Tribe always been something you wanted to try?

 

James

Tribe is a route I've known about for years, even before Jacopo started to try it. It was always the big one you saw on the walk up to the main cliff at Cadarese. And despite it only taking about two minutes to set up a top rope, I never actually took the time and energy to abseil and check the holds. I guess I thought despite it looking amazing, it just looked a bit too impossible. 

 

Wild Country

What changed then to convince you to invest time and energy to try?

 

James 

Since Jacopo climbed the route, it's definitely been on my list of things to try, but since becoming a father, I found it pretty hard at first to find the time and form for a project like this. However, this year, things have really fallen back into place, and I am not far from being in my best shape ever. Caroline and I decided to head to Italy in October to check out the moves on the route, in the hope of being able to do them all. I thought I would return at some point, probably several points, to seriously try the route over the next few years.

 

Wild Country

Did you have a training plan in place for the route beforehand to help you specifically be ready for the first visit?

 

James

I trained a little in our home gym, and we've been climbing a lot this summer in the mountains close to Briancon, where I climbed my second 9a, and so I felt in pretty good shape. It's hard to train specifically for a project when you don't truly know what's involved, so I just tried to make sure I had a strong general fitness level. I'm quite lucky that I have naturally good finger strength, and so I didn't do any specific finger boarding for the route.

 

  

Wild Country

Can you walk us through your process once you arrived and how you made such quick progress?

 

James

My first job was to try to scrub off some of the moss that had grown on top of the route since Jacopo finished trying it. When I arrived at the crag, the route was super wet, like a waterfall, so it took time to clean the ledges above the route and try to get the line in as good a condition as possible. Once the route dried out, I fixed a static rope, checked out the gear, and started to work on the moves.

  

Wild Country

So you spent a lot of days working on each specific move on a static?

 

James

I spent about four days working on the route on a static, but when I say days, it was more like hours, as the route was seeping pretty badly, and it would only dry in the late afternoon and started to get wet again in the evening.

 

Wild Country 

How did you decide in this whole process to start making lead attempts?

 

James

I like to get on the lead as soon as possible. Even if it's only just climbing between pieces of gear. This gives me a much better idea of what lead attempts might feel like and helps reduce any psychological pressure of the falls later on. On Tribe, I was spurred on by Jernej Kruder, who luckily for me, showed up and asked if he could join me. It really helped to have another strong climber to share methods and psyche with. Having him help belay was great too, as the area was too steep for Caroline and me to work the route with our son how we usually do.

 

Wild Country

Once you were on lead, were there any breakthrough moments where you thought you might complete it?

 

James

The first time I made it through the first pinch move in the upper boulder and fell on the 2nd to the last move made me believe I could do the route. Two days later, when I passed that move and fell on the last move, I realized it was just a matter of time. I never thought I would actually send it on this trip though!

 

Wild Country

How many lead attempts did it take overall then, and what was it like that day?

 

James

I climbed the route on my seventh lead try. This was over probably four days of lead attempts. That day it was actually supposed to be raining, and we only walked up to the crag to take down the static ropes and gear. 

 

Wild Country

The weather in Cadarese in notoriously rainy, and the route seeps a lot, did this play into the day you sent it free? I set off on my attempt thinking it would just be a good training try, but that there was no way I would get to the top. Funny how things work out!

 

James

I climbed the route on my seventh lead try, and actually, I set off on my attempt thinking it would just be a good training try, but that there was no way I would get to the top. Funny how things work out!

 

 

Wild Country

It must have been a good night to celebrate then, hopefully somewhere out of the rain!

 

James

It was, but the feeling still hasn't fully set in. Caroline and I had sushi and a bottle of champagne in the van, of course. We tried to put Arthur to bed beforehand, but he really wanted to eat some sushi too! We managed to keep the champagne all for ourselves.

 

Wild Country

We can't wait any longer. The question everyone wants to know - What is the grade? Does this stand as the hardest trad route?

 

James

I'm sure many people out there hope that I'm going to put a fixed grade on Tribe and perhaps answer once and for all the question of "is this actually the world's hardest Trad route?" It might be disappointing to hear that I'm not going to do that, partly because I'm not really sure of exactly how hard the route might be, but mainly because I totally respect the reasons of Jacopo not to grade the route in the first place. Like many people, I assumed that Jacopo chose not to grade Tribe because he also found it difficult to put a single number on a route that has so many complexities. The nature of the boulder problems and ever changing conditions of Cadarese mean that the moves can go from feeling easy to impossible from one day to the next, so the subject of an overall grade is rather ambiguous. However, the real reason is that Jacopo didn't want his experience on the route, the excitement, the simplicity, the curiosity, the frustration, the joy, to be summarized by a single number. By leaving Tribe ungraded, he asked people to look deeper, to take their time, maybe even question what it is that we really "need to know" about our climbs and why we do them in the first place. Do we actually need to know a grade when all this number is intended for is a guideline to help choose the right route? Can we not simply say "wow, what a line," and marvel at how, from time to time, Mother Nature can give us something really special! It's a position that I completely respect and agree with, and hope that perhaps even on a tiny scale, by leaving the grade out of the discussion, we might be able to re-focus on what is truly important.

 

Wild Country

That is a powerful Pure Climbing statement! What is up next for you then?

 

James

I would love to say I had another project lined up or some futuristic trad line to go and attempt, but the truth is there is just not much superhard trad climbing out there at the moment.

 

I guess I'll continue my search for some cool new lines, and along the way, climb plenty of other really fun pitches. I can't really ask for much more than that.

 

Stage 3- Mont Gaussier

Steep, short, chipped again, but great routes! Being a parent and a climber usually means that you will be happy no matter what you climb on, as getting to put our hands on the rock is already a treat!

 

Here we chose a secret spot next to the lake. Although not on the topo, it was really convenient with the baby. Going local definitely has its advantages as we knew most of the secret spots, or can ask and figure out what would be ok for a one-year-old!

 

Stage 4-  Orgon

We drove along the Alpilles, and even if my love remains with climbing, I can see how biking is also an incredible way to be out! The Alpilles that we always overlooked from a car are a beautiful chain of little mountains!

 

Orgon is such a big crag that it has a full topo for itself. We could have stayed there for two months before knowing it all. We settled for the little spot of "la Bergerie" which we didn't yet know. Chipped routes, as always in Orgon, but interesting in the 8th grade! James did an 8c+, and I an 8b. La Bergerie is a perfect place for a baby as he could play all day at the foot of the crag. 

 

Stage 5- Fetid Beach

Fetid beach is an unknown spot, even from the locals. Even on the Grimper online, there is only a location, but the grades are often marked on the route names.  The place is incredibly beautiful, but the routes are in a very demanding style with mono and two-finger pockets. Maybe the Frankenjura isn't that different, but we found it really painful.

 

 

* Please note all of the images came from a very early working session on Tribe as James worked the moves and cleaned the route.

 

 

Interview by Tristan Hobson

Photo by Tristan Hobson

 

 

 

Stage 6- Buoux

We stayed four days at the "Auberge des Seguins," which is a perfect location to go to the crags on foot. They even let us take our dinners outside by the bedroom while the baby was already in Bed. Buoux doesn't need any publicity. It is a unique, incredible crag, and there is a reason for its Fame. Buoux is a Must visit". No matter what your level is, you will find a gem to climb!

 

Stage 7- Mouries

Mouries is a long way from Buoux, and we had initially planned some extra stops. But the heatwave had begun, and the other planned spots were not as exciting. So, instead of climbing stops, we biked for two days, visited an abandoned troglodyte village (les grottes de cales), and loved it!

 

Mouries again is an old lady, and if you can get away from requiring extremely tough grades and enjoy the technical climbing, you will love it. Mouries is a climbing lesson in itself.

 

 

Stage 8- Fontvieille secret crag

I can't tell you the secret crags, as they are secret because they aren't technically allowed. To find them you have to ask as you meet climbers on your previous days and if you are lucky they may tell you the secrets! France is full of them, and sometimes these are the best crags!

 

We arrived back home after 25 days of traveling and climbing. It wasn't always restful, but then living with a baby is never restful! Every day brought us load of discoveries, from a wild tortoise to incredible pains au chocolates, to meeting an old friend. Baby Arthur loved it. The minute we stepped back in the house, he was pointing again at the window, asking, "where next?" For James and me, we finish this adventure delighted to have realized that we still have so much left to explore, and it is all less than 100km from our home. This bike and climb trip is only the first!

 

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about James Pearson

 

James Pearson

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about James Pearson 

James Pearson

 

Wild Country

What does the project involve? Can you break down the route for us?

 

James

The first 10-meters of the route are pretty straightforward, it's a nice warmup and you end up on a big ledge where you can even sit down. Effectively, the route starts from here, but you have to do the lower section each time, which involves a little runout climbing. Just before the hard climbing starts, though, you can first place a couple of really good Friends with long slings in the break at the back of the roof. The first crux section starts with a physical boulder problem that takes you up to a horizontal break full of slopers and a couple of good Friend placements. You then make a pumpy traverse to the right to get into the rest before the second boulder. The second boulder is very different from the first. I think it's technically harder, but it's a lot more about balance and technical moves instead of power. After this boulder, you have an okay hold where you can recover a little bit. Then there is a tricky final section, where you could but really shouldn't fall to get to the big ledge. You can sit down again on the ledge and recover fully before the final tricky 7B-ish finger crack to the top.

 

Wild Country

In the first rest, are you able to recover so you can move into the other crux sections with full power?

 

James

The rest is pretty good, but you're hanging on your arms. You can recover quite well, but you never get 100% fresh, at least I didn't.

 

Wild Country

You mention a runout section at the start. Are you ever having to worry about hitting the ground or big falls that make it mentally harder?

 

James

The falls are generally fine, and even though there is a small chance you might get a rope wrapped around your leg and get flipped upside down, as long as your belayer gives you a nice dynamic belay; you'd be unlucky to hurt yourself. The most painful fall I had on the route involved bashing my big toe, but you can do much worse sport climbing to be honest. Don't get me wrong, there are some dangerous sections on the route where you could hit the ground if you fell, but the climbing is so much easier in these sections that you should really have no concerns about falling off there.

 

 

On October, 21st 2020 James Pearson became the second person to climb Tribe, in Cadarese, Italy. Although Tribe has stood without a grade since its first ascent, the 30-meter trad line is considered one of, if not the, hardest trad routes in the world. It took its first ascensionist, Jacopo Larcher, six-years and countless attempts to complete. 

 

Pearson, who has had an impressive year of climbing, including two 9a redpoints, and backed by a mastery of two decades of hard trad climbs, managed to free Tribe on only his 7th lead attempt.

We sat down with James Pearson to talk about the experience.

 

Wild Country

Congratulations, James, what a fantastic feat. How are you feeling after having completed Tribe?

 

James

Thanks a lot. I'm feeling pretty good, pretty relaxed and relieved, and generally quite surprised. Honestly, I didn't plan on climbing the route on this trip. I only came to Italy to check out the moves and see if it was possible as a long-term project. It was a huge surprise to climb the route, and I still don't quite believe it!

 

Wild Country

Before we get into specific details about your surprise, can you explain what makes hard trad climbs different from hard sport routes or boulder problems? 

 

James

Many things can make a trad route complicated to climb, but I'd say the main element would be the psychological difficulty of climbing the route. You're often putting yourself in danger, even if it's only for a small section of the route, which makes the whole thing just a little bit harder to manage.

 

Wild Country

You've done many hard trad lines before, though. Did these or any specific ones help prepare you for Tribe?

 

James

The list is pretty long, but in the last couple of years, I would say the most important ones were Le Voyage (E 10, 7a) in Annot, France, and Power Ranger (5.14R) in Chattanooga, USA.

 

 

On October, 21st James Pearson became the second person to climb Tribe, in Cadarese, Italy. Although Tribe has stood without a grade since its first ascent in 2019, the 30-meter trad line is known as one of, if not the, hardest trad lines in the world, taking its first ascensionist Jacopo Larcher six-years to complete. 

Building on his impressive year's climbing success, including two 9a redpoints, amidst being a dedicated parent, and backed by a mastery of hard trad climbs, Pearson managed to free Tribe on only his 7th lead attempt.

We sat down with James Pearson to talk about the experience.

 

Wild Country

Congratulations, James, what a fantastic feat. How are you feeling after having completed Tribe?

 

James

Thanks a lot. I'm feeling pretty good, pretty relaxed and relieved, and generally quite surprised. Honestly, I didn't plan on climbing the route on this trip. I only came to Italy to check out the moves and see if it was possible as a long-term project. It was a huge surprise to climb the route, and I still don't quite believe it!

 

Wild Country

Before we get into specific details about your surprise, can you explain what makes hard trad climbs different from hard sport routes or boulder problems? 

 

James

Many things can make a trad route complicated to climb, but I'd say the main element would be the psychological difficulty of climbing the route. You're often putting yourself in danger, even if it's only for a small section of the route, which makes the whole thing just a little bit harder to manage.

 

Wild Country

You've done many hard trad lines before, though. Did these or any specific ones help prepare you for Tribe?

 

James

The list is pretty long, but in the last couple of years, I would say the most important ones were Le Voyage (E 10, 7a) in Annot, France, and Power Ranger (5.14R) in Chattanooga, USA.

 

 

Wild Country

What does the project involve? Can you break down the route for us?

 

James

The first 10-meters of the route are pretty straightforward, it's a nice warmup and you end up on a big ledge where you can even sit down. Effectively, the route starts from here, but you have to do the lower section each time, which involves a little runout climbing. Just before the hard climbing starts, though, you can first place a couple of really good Friends with long slings in the break at the back of the roof. The first crux section starts with a physical boulder problem that takes you up to a horizontal break full of slopers and a couple of good Friend placements. You then make a pumpy traverse to the right to get into the rest before the second boulder. The second boulder is very different from the first. I think it's technically harder, but it's a lot more about balance and technical moves instead of power. After this boulder, you have an okay hold where you can recover a little bit. Then there is a tricky final section, where you could but really shouldn't fall to get to the big ledge. You can sit down again on the ledge and recover fully before the final tricky 7B-ish finger crack to the top.

 

Wild Country

In the first rest, are you able to recover so you can move into the other crux sections with full power?

 

James

The rest is pretty good, but you're hanging on your arms. You can recover quite well, but you never get 100% fresh, at least I didn't.

 

Wild Country

You mention a runout section at the start. Are you ever having to worry about hitting the ground or big falls that make it mentally harder?

 

James

The falls are generally fine, and even though there is a small chance you might get a rope wrapped around your leg and get flipped upside down, as long as your belayer gives you a nice dynamic belay; you'd be unlucky to hurt yourself. The most painful fall I had on the route involved bashing my big toe, but you can do much worse sport climbing to be honest. Don't get me wrong, there are some dangerous sections on the route where you could hit the ground if you fell, but the climbing is so much easier in these sections that you should really have no concerns about falling off there.