Born in the town of Draguignan in South East France, Sébastien Bouin began climbing with his mother when he was 12 years old. Just a decade later, at the age of 22, Seb had already managed to reach the pinnacle of the sport with his ascent of Chilam Balam (9b), thus announcing himself on the world stage.

Though he has climbed at the very highest level, Seb is not merely focused on hard grades. He has a deep obsession with the sport and its roots. This has led him on a journey to explore climbing’s history and repeat some of the most beautiful lines in the word, irrespective of their difficulty.

By learning from climbing’s past masters, he hopes to master the art himself, leaving a trail of his own stunning hard lines and projects to inspire future generations. He is motivated by the process of creating something from nothing. Searching for the purest, boldest lines, the mega routes with just enough holds to make them humanly possible.