The music plays softly, punctuated by the occasional whimper of a dog at the base of the cliff, while Connor Herson calmly learns the moves on the Bon Voyage route in Annot, France, rated 9a (E12) and first free-climbed by James Pearson in 2023.
Herson is known for his trad and big-wall climbs in North America. He was also the youngest climber to free climb The Nose. He was 15 years old…
But accompanied by Jacopo Larcher, he finds himself in the Mecca of French trad climbing, on the magnificent and delicate sandstone of the South.
With his extremely difficult bouldering-style moves above widely spaced nuts, not to mention that hanging pig in the middle of the route, it’s hard to tell if Herson is pushing himself or just having fun (almost) effortlessly.
©Connor Herson / Black Diamond
Check the video here or the following link