Nicolas Favresse official website

Siurana on the road to Venezuela

Nicolas — 2011-12-31T12:02:00Z

I have spent the last months an a half around Siurana with my girlfriend Argyro. When we first arrived mid-december, I was completely out of shape after a months period of lectures all over Europe with our movie "Vertical Sailing Greenland" but day by day the fingers started closing better on the small holds and the shape came back. The last two weeks I managed to complete 4 beautiful routes : Lolla Corwin 8c, Pati noso 8c, l'Odi Social 8c+ and Chikane 8c+. Also Argyro climbed her first 7C+'s and soon 8a.

working the project!

Photo : Bernardo Gimenez

I am now back in Belgium packing for our next big wall adventure in Venezuela. It's against my heart that I left Siurana. I was so close to sending a beautiful project I bolted. The last 3 days in Siurana I was planning to give it all but the side effects of the Yellow fever Vaccin kicked my ass and I was completely out of it not leaving me chance for it. Anyway that way I have good excuse to come back to Siurana after our adventures in Venezuela.

Have fun

Nico

Follow our Venezuela adventure on our blog : www.expedition.be

our Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/xpeditionbe

Vertical sailing Greenland DVD available now!

Nicolas — 2011-11-24T12:44:10Z

Finally we found some time within our very busy climbing schedule to finalize the Vertical Sailing Greenland Dvd. I hope you'll enjoy it! Sorry for the delay;)

Four climber-musicians and 75 year-old Reverend Capitain Bob set salon the west coast of Greenland on a search for unclimbed walls. " Do not return without the summit!" the captain yells as they set off on a vertical ocean of granite. The Impossible Wall is so steep, wild and intimidating that it is deemed impossible to climb. With no sunset, no sunrise and no brains, these warriors get lost in a sea of time, and slowly start to run out of food. After two and a half months of sailing and climbing in Greenland, they sail the ten-meter Dodo's Delight across the gargantuan Atlantic Ocean and face the infinite salt water, bad weather and vomit. Prepare to suffer!

Our film has recently entered a few film festivals and won so far 4 prizes.

*"Best Mountain Adventure Film" at the Kendal mountain festival

* "young filmaker award" at the Tengersee film fest in Germany

* "Coup de coeur du Jury"FESTIVAL DU FILM D'AVENTURE LA ROCHELLE

* "audience award"FESTIVAL DU FILM D'AVENTURE LA ROCHELLE

The movie comes with subtitles in french, Dutch, English, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish.

Movie trailer - expedition report and pictures

You safely pay using paypal (no account needed) and we send you the DVD (worldwide) by post mail (Our Sponsor - Five Ten is in charge of the shipping process).

Price: 18€ (+ 4€ for shipping)

Here you can also buy the movie Asgard Jamming or both together.

Enjoy!

If you have any question, contact us

Orbayu... a Video by Bernardo Gimenez

Nicolas — 2011-11-07T13:24:06Z

Here is a little Video Bernardo Gimenez made from the route Orbayu which I repeated last summer with Adam Pustelnik. Adam's unfortunate accident shorten the trip and so we had to quit our main project which was to free another line o the same wall. Bernardo hadn't planed to make a video out of this but still made a great job! Enjoy!

Adam is still laying in a bed most of the days but recovering slowly. He'll be back!

BD athletes Adam Pustelnik and Nico Favresse make first repeat of Orbayu (8b+/8c) in Naranjo de Bulnes, Spain from Black Diamond Equipment on Vimeo.

El cap exploration

Nicolas — 2011-10-31T00:24:00Z

The line!

A few days of rest after Salathe wall, cragging down low in the valley floor, Sean and I put our force together for an attempt to explore the potential of a new free line on the right side of El cap. That was our main target for this season. As usual we preferred not to inspect too much with Binocular as we prefer to stay away from too much assumptions. The line seemed obvious from the meadow, it's a huge traversing feature that goes crosses a pretty big part of that side(it crosses about 15 different routes!).

Sean about to squeeze in there and get to the other side of the golden finger of faith

The only way to know anything was to go for it and get a close look. So that's what we did! We packed up for 7 days and tried to free ground up as high as we could. The first day it rained all day but the features are so overhanging that we were dry and the condition for climbing where actually better than when the sun is out. We started on the free version of Zodiac and at the black Tower (pitch 5) we cut out left trying to get an obvious left leaning ramp system. In order to free climb we had to do a down climb which was pretty funky on thin granite plates which turned out to be an A4 R of an already established aid line.Yakes! Once we got to the ramp, the next challenge was to reach "the golden finger of faith" which is a huge left leaning golden flake feature in a finger shape. We were pleased to discover many face holds making a couple of really cool pitches of 5-12 face climbing which allowed us to reach the "Golden finger"

Portaledge musical session

It was followed by a beautiful endure corner which turned out to be much more challenging than expected and we spent each 4 tries in order to sent it on lead. Sean had a memorable fall with a cam popping in his face while trying to do it by night. His face came out pretty bloody but he was so psyched with prospect of getting a picture to update his Facebook profile picture. The next pitch was one of the coolest when we found out we could squeeze our way to the other side of the golden finger making a sweet and extraordinary way around a very difficult section. We finally reached the top of "the golden finger of faith" which is probably 2/3 of the way to the top of Elcap with all the pitches below us redpointed.

Sean's new Facebook profile picture!

During the day the heat of the sun was so intense, we were forced to wait, eat and play music in our portaledge with the fly used for making shade. Unfortunately right after the golden finger of faith, our hopes to free everything dropped with five meter section of rock totally blank. We looked for variations but no obvious solution was possible to find. So We just kept going and forget about the idea of freeing it all. The next part we followed the route Iron Awk all the way to the top. As we went we just focused on looking at other possibilities. Nothing clear appeared but we saw many options. I still feel that something is up there maybe even two different lines so we are psyched to come back for further exploration. Just being up cragging on el captain is amazing.

First day climbing into a storm

I had once more a super fun trip to Yosemite with plenty of super good climbs but also great Camp 4 parties and meeting climbers from all over the world. Yosemite is the Mecca!

Salathe wall free after all

Nicolas — 2011-09-29T22:55:00Z

After having climbed the Nose with Belgian TV Star Tom Waes, it was time to get into the real business. My girlfriend Argyro who had never come to Yosemite joined and I decided to do her big wall baptize on the Salathe wall which is mega classic and I had never tried to free. It must have been the hardest big wall when it was first freed. Now it is for sure still a benchmark for hard big wall free climbing.

Nico on his attempt to send the headwall in the sun! Picture: Sean Villanueva

It's almost the same route as freerider except for 4 difficult pitches way up high on the route. Being up there brought back to me some really fun memories from 7 years ago when Freerider was my first ever big wall and my third ever trad route. I remember having so much fun with Sean as well as many scary/intense moments. The nice thing was, this time the climbing felt easier and way more under control than 7 years ago. I guess after 7 years, experience is kicking in;) It was nice to get to lead every pitch but on the other hand that meant I had to haul every pitch too in a boiling hot sun! That was by far the most difficult part of the ascent. Even with drinking a gallon of water per day I could never get rid of my thirst and strangely I was only peeing once a day! Of course we didn't go up with empty hands. We had my mandolin, Argyro's melodica which basically is a piano which you can blow in and all the tools not to be lacking of any comfort. Even though it was so hard and more about the hauling than the actual climbing I really enjoyed being up there with these fun toys and having this opportunity to do it all adding this extra challenge. Argyro

Argyro tries to seduce the capitan

did also a amazing job at handling the exposure and seconding every pitch without the use of jumars considering she has so little experience. She had basically never crack climbed before and was able to pull all the move on the headwall free but one! After three long and strenuous days we finally made it to the base of the Salathe headwall, a mega slightly overhanging flaring crack with exceptional exposure. We set the ledge right at the edge of big roofs at the base of the headwall and started with one well needed day of jam/rest just enjoying this amazing location. It was funny because there we ended up meeting with Sean and Mayan who had started the climb the same day as us but with a very different style and strategy having preplaced stashes of food and gear along the route. Mayan had been looking for the right partner to give a good shot at it and finally recruited Sean for it.

Sauna style climbing;) approaching the Monster off width!

It was so fun to be all there super psyched to be trying the headwall and to be just cragging up there straight out of the portaledge. One of the main challenge was the sun that would come in around 10 am only and making the crack much less welcoming. So we had only about 4 hours/day to share between the three of us. On the first day I ended up trying it a couple times in the sun and made a really close try. It wasn't ideal but the time was running and I had to learn the moves. Mayan had come very close to send it a couple of times but the right moment hadn't come yet and Sean was just following Mayan focusing mainly on Mayan's success. It was funny because while being up there no climber were climbing up on the route but five climbers came down for working on some pitches and stashing gear. That felt pretty strange to suddenly have ropes dropping down and climber rappelling with big haul bag from the top. It seems like it's a new trend in Yosemite. It's kind of a shame I find. Just reducing the adventure of big wall climbing to its minimum by top roping every pitch before going ground up but whatever as long as people respect each other and the place climber can do whatever they want i guess. Argyro too had here her little project trying to red point the 12a super exposed roofs below the headwall so we were all trying hard.

First night on a big wall for Argyro... ledge party!

The second day on the headwall was the day. As usual we were woken up by Mayan and Sean who were really good at getting up on time for the first light as opposed to us not having alarm o'clocks and slow morning people. So that fitted kind of perfectly. After a brief warm up Mayan made the show by sending the headwall first try while we were watching from laying down in my warm sleeping bag. That was great and very inspiring. I was quite a bit more anxious because I knew I could do it too but also easily slip off the crack at so many places. My energy was dropping. It was my sixth day on the wall. The pressure of a red point like this is so much bigger than if it was just dragging on the ground. I had spent so much energy just to get up there and when you know it's one of your last chance to succeed the pressure is on big time! I knew I could do it but that wasn't the point… I wanted now! After a brief warm up it was my turn. Since the headwall is so long there was no way or me to remember every move of the crack. Mainly I had to stay focus on dominating the crack all the way.

Argyro Jamming with her melodica

On my previous attempt I decide to fight trough one move and then couldn't get back to a comfortable position so I just pumped out and the headwallspitted me out. So I stayed focus on staying in control. It was prefect and beautiful. Just the climbing, the flow, the exposure. Probably the best crack I have ever climbed.I was so psyched when I got to the first anchor!!! And then I just decided to keep going trying to make it portaledge to ledge making a mega 60m pitch. I had only tried the following 13b pitch once briefly but I had nothing to lose so I went for it. Thankfully Sean was just next to me helping me out with his beta and a couple grunt later giving it all I was at the ledge. I had the salathe wall! We stayed an extra day with Sean while Mayan exited the route allowing Sean to have a bit more food and water. The next day Sean took his turn and kept the sending train going with a beautiful fight and we all topped out going straight to the "all you ca eat" buffet at curry village to add the cherry on top of the cake;)

Yosemite part 1 : Belgian Tv star Tom Waes up on the Nose

Nicolas — 2011-08-30T22:33:00Z

Tom taking a break on El cap Tower

I can't believe 3 years passed since the last time I was in Yosemite valley. It's funny how every time it's the same feeling: It's even more beautiful than what I had remembered. Even after having climbed in so many places all over the world, Yosemite remains this unbypassable mecca for big wall climbing and I will always come back to it. This last fall I spent 1month and half in the valley which still felt way too short. El cap was the main target. Partnered with

Tom Lower down on the Nose... Still a long way to go

Sean Villanueva and Sean Leary, our first mission was to join and film belgian realty TV star Tom Waes on his first big all ascent with the Nose. It's part of a TV program where Tom test himself to its limits with extremely difficult challenges and very limited amount of training for it. Tom is in his forties and had never climbed before beside 7 days of training on short limestone sport cliffs in Belgium. No one believed he could do it… But he did and even more he led about 10 pitches including the great roof and the king swing!

Congratulation Tom!

5:30 AM Getting prepared to go for it

Orbayu repeated and Adam in the Hospital!

Nicolas — 2011-07-31T13:12:00Z

We (Adam Pustelnik and Nicolas Favresse) are very happy to announce you that we just repeated Orbayu in Naranjo de Bulnes, Picos de europa, Spain. We needed 3 days for Nico and 4 days for Adam and Nico again to climb free everypitch of the route ground up in a day. Orbayu was put up in the summer 2009 by the Pou Brothers Eneko and Iker and was proposed as the hardest big wall in the world with a crux pitch of 8c+/9a and 4 other pitches in the 8th gradeall blended in a big wall size rock feature. Unfortunately last Friday…

Two days after sending Orbayu, Adam fell 20m to the ground after breaking a hold and ripping off 3 pieces of gear. We were trying to free a new line, which was the main plan for our trip. Adam is staying at the moment at the Oviedo's hospital recovering from a broken sacrum, sternum and L1 vertebra. The project will have to wait a bit… But Adam is already in good spirit.

First of all we would like to say that Orbayu is an exceptional route and we would like to thank the Pou brothers for their vision for this line and their effort to put it up. It climbs 4 pitches of overhang that was put up in sporty style (with bolts but at times long run out between them if you choose not to place extra removable protections. The middle part of the route (where is located the hardest pitch) follows the Mediterranean route which is a A3 aid line. The last part of the route shares the same pitches as the classical Navaro Rabada route. On the crux pitch, all the protections we used where already in place. Sometimes led heads, pitons and fixed nuts. But the hardest part are well protected with bolts (some of them very old but many of them (bolt ladder) so even safe if one of them broke). Two additional bolts on the side of the bolt ladder is protecting the crux of the route which goes free slightly right of the aid line.

So since everybody ask us about the grade, we can't avoid talking about it. Overall the route felt easier than its original grade. The crux pitch felt definitely easier than 8c+/9a to both of us. We both think it's no more than 8c… maybe 8b+ if you are not short. Adam is shorter than Nico (1m66 – 1m 75) so Adam had to do more complex sequences than Nico. Nico sent the route twice… the second time he linked the crux pitch (pitch 5) with the next pitch (originally graded 8a+) to avoid a hanging belay placing the quick draws as he went making a mega 60m long pitch. So this is the grade we propose for the route : pitch one : 8a – pitch 2 : 7c+ after making it harder with a hold we broke pitch 3 and 4 we linked both of them together making it 7c pitch 5 : maybe 8c or 8b+ depending on your height pitch 6 : 7c but it's nice to link pitch 5 and 6 together to skip a hanging belay from pitch 7 to the top it's 6b or easier.

Also we would like to say that Naranjo de Bulnes is an amazing place to climb and hang out. The rock is fantastic and the views are breathtaking. Now we are really crossing our fingers for Adam to recover as fast as possible so that he can be back and strong as soon as possible. Many projects are waiting ;)

Happy climbs

Nico and Adam

P.s: Bernardo Gimenez was able to capture some images when we sent Orbayu.

A possible video will come up… stay tuned

Here is more info about the first ascent of Orbayu

Vertical sailing Greenland... the film!

Nicolas — 2011-07-19T15:31:19Z

Here are a few video's to give you a little bite of my last expedition in Greenland. Lately, we have been touring around Europe, showing the full lenght version of the movie mixed with live music and stories. Soon the dvd of our movie will be available online.

Stay tuned!

In the search of virgin Big walls, the Belgian musical trio Nico & Olivier Favresse, Sean Villanueva and their American Friend Ben Ditto will bring you along their latest climbing and sailing adventure in Greenland with Capitain Bob Shepton, a 75 year retired priest! More info about the expedition

Asgard Jamming - the dvd of their previous expedition

enjoy!

Piolet d'or!

Nicolas — 2011-04-22T17:53:20Z

I am very happy to announce you that me and my partners (my brother Olivier, Sean Villanueva, Ben ditto and Reverend Bob Shepton) have just received the piolet d'or for our expedition in Greenland last summer. It is reputed to be the most prestigious mountain award!

We are very surprised to have been first of all nominated and then now received the piolet d'or because it did not even crossed our mind once that our expedition, where we actually didn't use a piolet could fit to the piolet d'or;) Indeed our expedition was very different than any of the other nominated expeditions... And in that matter it was hard to imagine to be compared with any of them. All of them were extremely impressive so it felt a bit awkward because in my opinion all of them deserved to have it also. Our activity has nothing to do with competition and I think the piolet d'or wants to keep it away from that idea.

From what I understood, here are few points why they picked our expedition:

They really appreciated the fact that we left the 9 climbs we put up in Greenland very clean. Only one bolt was placed on the whole expedition.
The area on the northwest coast of Greenland was totally unexplored and very remote.
The spirit of our team
But personally I think it's mostly the music that seduced them;)

Also from what I understood, choosing our expedition was a way to open the mind of people by proving that alpinism is a very wide discipline and most of all just a spirit of approaching all types of mountain challenges.

The other piolet d'or was given to Katsutaka Yokoyama and Yasushi Okada for I-TO (ED+: WI5 M6, 2500m) on Mt. Logan's southeast face.

Have a nice day,

Nico

Here is more info about the piolet d'or.

Greenland picture Gallery

Nicolas — 2010-10-31T15:33:00Z

Enjoy the pictures of my expedition in Greenland!