Did This 18-Year-Old Just Become the Youngest to Climb V17?

Less than two months after celebrating his 18th birthday, French climber Samuel Richard finally linked the moves on Soudain Seul, a sandstone boulder in Fontainebleau, France, presumed to be V17/9A.

Richard, who says he “basically started climbing from birth,” has been mostly known as a competition climber. Growing up with a climbing instructor father, he began competing in the Boulder discipline across Europe in 2022 at the age of 14. Since 2024, he has competed in four IFSC World Cups. Most recently, he won bronze in Boulder in Prague, followed by ranking 15th at his first World Championship in Seoul.

Then he set his sights upon Soudain Seul, the hardest problem in the bouldering mecca of Fontainebleau. Also sometimes referred to as The Big Island Sit, the problem was established by the Belgian Simon Lorenzi. Prior to Richard, four climbers have sent the boulder, including, most recently, Czech legend Adam Ondra.

Soudain Seul: A whiplash-inducing record  

Originally, in 2021, Lorenzi proposed V17 for Soudain Seul. But just over a month later, second ascensionist Nico Pelorson downgraded it to V16.

Four years ago, Pelorson told Climbing that Soudain Seul should be V16 because it is essentially a V12 boulder into a V14/15 boulder. At the time, he was concerned that confirming the “ultimate grade” for the Font boulder would lead to the undue proliferation of V17 boulders. “In my mind, V17 needs to be an ultimate grade that only three or four climbers in the world would be able to climb after a big investment,” Pelorson said.

Of course, a lot has changed since 2021. Well over a dozen people have bouldered V17, leading some to speculate about when the first V18 will go down. In May, V17 climber Will Bosi told Climbing, “V18 will happen for sure.” Just weeks before that, Hamish McArthur took down V17 boulder No One Mourns the Wicked in a single three-hour session.

A year after Pelorson’s proposed downgrade, another French climber, Camille Coudert tackled Soudain Seul and suggested the original grade of V17 ought to be reinstated. While he admitted the problem likely sat “at the border” of V16 and V17, he said that compared to the other V16s he’d climbed, it was definitively harder.

After declaring that he “absolutely loved the line” upon climbing Soudain Seul last February, Adam Ondra reflected that the problem felt “harder than my 8C+ [V16] first ascents.” In the title of his send report and on Instagram, Ondra added the grade 9A, but with a question mark. Ultimately, he said “if it is 8C+/9A or soft 9A, I really don’t know.” (We should add that this is the second week in a row that Ondra has found himself enmeshed in a debate over historic records contingent upon the confirmation of a grade, one of the squirreliest of climbing subjects.)

So is it or isn’t it V17?

Climbing reached out to all four previous ascensionists for comment, and have yet to receive a response. Given that three out of the four climbers dubbed it V17, one could rule in favor of the majority and agree that the problem is V17. On the other hand, given that Coudert admitted that Soudain Seul straddles 8C+ and 9A, and that Ondra offered a non-confidence-inspiring “9A(?)” grade, we could say that the boulder remains unconfirmed. Or, more favorably to Richard’s possible historic record, we might call it a soft V17.

Questions in grading methodology routinely haunt climbers—and Climbing writers. As Ondra noted in his Soudain Seul reflection, the grade often seems to depend on climber size or required skillset. It might be impacted by whether or not you used kneepads, not to mention whether you put a book under your kneepad for some extra volume—something both Lorenzi and Richard did on Soudain Seul, but Ondra, with height in his favor, did not.

So how many people does it take to officially confirm a boulder before it joins the V17 club? Or is it about unanimity versus uncertainty?

As for Richard, the fifth ascensionist, he agrees with the V17 grade. After 27 days spent working the route, he finally sent it on October 30. On 20 of those sessions, he worked the sit start. He spent seven sessions dialing the upper moves.

This wasn’t the first feather in Richard’s outdoor cap either—just a few weeks earlier, he sent Chris Sharma’s fabled deep water solo Es Pontás (5.15a/9a+) in Mallorca, Spain. He unlocked the moves after two years and a dozen “intense” sessions on the route. Needless to say, the kid’s had a great fall.

We caught up with Richard to find out how it feels to be the youngest to send V17 (assuming the grade holds). The young French climber had just had some wisdom teeth removed, so he was kind enough to pen answers to our questions in his second language. He shared how he Frankensteined a climbing shoe to set himself up for success, what he’s focused on next, and why he thinks Soudain Seul is V17.

An interview with Samuel Richard

This interview has been edited lightly for clarity and concision.

Climbing: When did you first decide you wanted to try this problem?

Samuel Richard: The first time I went to this boulder was in April 2023, and it was actually to try its higher version, The Big Island (8C). I don’t climb in Fontainebleau very often, in fact, this is pretty much the only boulder I’ve really tried there.

Climbing: What was the crux of the boulder for you? And what did you love about the movement?

Richard: The hardest move for me was sticking the second kneebar, and reaching for the crimp at the start of The Big Island with my right hand. It’s a really long move, and as I’m not very tall, it was quite tough. At first, I could only do it once out of 10 tries. But eventually I became consistent and stopped falling there. It was amazing to see that progression.

Climbing: What were the temps and conditions like on your send go?

Richard: It was a bit too warm, around 16 to 17°C (61 to 63°F). I was lucky that a cloud passed right during my send attempt, which let me see my feet clearly since the sun was directly backlighting them.

Climbing: Who was there spotting and supporting you on Soudain Seul?

Richard: I spent the whole day alone, but for my final go, my coach Nico Januel came to film and support me. During my 27 sessions, I shared sessions at the boulder with many other climbers. It was really enjoyable—it’s always better to climb with others.

Climbing: There has been some debate over whether Soudain Seul is V16 or V17. Do you feel confident that it is V17?

Richard: If I compare Soudain Seul to the two V15 boulders I’ve done, the level is completely different. It’s actually my first boulder harder than a V15 grade, so I don’t have enough experience to make a solid judgment. But for me, grades are so subjective, they always depend on your style and body type. I see grades more as a way to situate how hard it can be, more than as a universal truth on the difficulty of a boulder for all climbers.

Climbing: What does the name of the boulder mean to you, if anything?

Richard: The name comes from the book Simon Lorenzi placed under his kneepad during the first ascent. I think it’s very fitting, because I truly felt “suddenly alone” [the English translation of “soudain seul”] when I topped out. When you come from the ground, you don’t see the top because it’s crazy overhanging. I felt like I had gone above the sky, with no one around me, even if Nico was there.

Climbing: How did you celebrate after succeeding?

Richard: It took me a while to realize it. I stayed silent for about five or six seconds, which felt like 10 minutes. Then that silence turned into a shout of joy. I was just so happy.

Climbing: Tell us about any gear you used to solve this problem. What shoes were you wearing and how did they help you send?

Richard: I used a pretty special setup. I customized my Scarpa Instinct VSR shoes by adding the toe patch and heel from the Scarpa Drago—an idea from Simon, and it works really well. You need a stiff shoe for the lower part, but the flexibility of the Drago for the top. I also used a kneepad reinforced with a book (since I’m not tall enough for the lower kneebar), and I stuck them together with adhesive spray.

Climbing: You are the youngest person to climb V17 by—it appears—four years. Previously, that honor went to Noah Wheeler, who sent Return of the Sleepwalker in December 2024 at age 22, with a close second by Hamish McArthur, who sent Megatron last April at age 23. How do you think you were able to take on a challenge of this caliber at such a young age?

Richard: I grew physically quite early, and especially this year. But I think age doesn’t really matter—outdoor experience does. Since I was little, I’ve always worked on climbs at my physical limit, and that background helps me approach projects the right way. And of course, I did everything possible to succeed—recovery, physio, I was eating and sleeping well. All I could do to optimize, I did.

Climbing: This achievement comes on the heels of a bronze win in Boulder at the World Cup in June. You also just sent Es Pontás (9a+/5.15a) in Mallorca. Do these achievements outdoors change your focus at all going forward?

Richard: Not really, but it shows me that my goals weren’t unrealistic, and that I can aim even higher. These performances mostly reflect the love I have for this sport—and that won’t change anytime soon.

Climbing: What else are you up to outside of climbing? Do you plan to attend university or focus on your climbing?

Richard: I’m finishing my final year of high school, which I spread over two years to have more time. After that, I’ll probably take two gap years to prepare for the [Olympic] Games, then decide whether to go back to school afterward.

Climbing: What are your goals for the rest of the year and 2026?

Richard: My main goal is still the international season. I want to be consistent in the World Cup and aim for the overall podium. But above all, my main focus is the Olympic Games, and earning an Olympic qualification to compete at the next Los Angeles 2028 Games. For outdoor climbing, we’re planning a trip to Rocklands in July, and I’d love to try Alphane (V17) this winter.

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