Sean, last year you said it’s important to allow yourself the possibility of failure, because otherwise adventures would be empty and sterile. When did you know you wouldreturn to Greenland to face the Mirror Wall again?
"As soon as we decided to rappel down last year, I knew that I would want to come back. It’s simply a too beautiful line, on one of the most spectacular walls in the world. I had poured my heart and soul into that climb, and when we didn’t manage to overcome that smooth rock section, I was disappointed. At the same time, I felt so close and yet so far from succeeding. I was really happy though that we didn’t compromise on our climbing style and that we accepted failure as a positive experience. Placing a few bolts in a row (a bolt-ladder) would have allowed us to reach the top. But that wasn’t what we wanted, it wasn’t the experience we were seeking in Greenland.This kind of expedition is a huge investment. My companions from last year (Nico Favresse, Ben Ditto, and Franco Cookson) made other plans, so once I got home, I started putting a new team together."
What did you feel when you thought about returning to the route that had already rejected you once?
"I was very apprehensive. I wasn’t sure at all that we’d make it! Even so, it was very important for me to continue the adventure with the same style as last year and to be willing to accept failure again."What were the odds of success you gave yourself?
"I’d say I gave us maybe 20% chance to succeed on the same line as last year. But I thought perhaps it would be possible to find an alternative, another way. I was ready to accept the challenge and give my best. Reaching the summit, success—wasn’t the most important thing.I was very clear with the expedition team I assembled this year (Pete Whittaker, Julia Cassou, Seàn Warren, Keita Kurakami, Takemi Suzuki): I told them right away that it was a huge challenge, and the chance of failure was high.
Keita Kurakami died of a heart attack just two weeks before we left. It was a blow to our expedition and understandably, his close friend Takemi chose not to come.
We decided to go ahead.
Keita had a name as a Shakuhachi flute player: "龍心 (Ryu-shin), which translates from Japanese to "Dragon Heart".
The route we managed to open (1,000 meters, difficulty 8b/R/A2+, mandatory grade 7b+/R/A2+) is named after him, our climbing companion, our friend.
He was a huge inspiration, and thinking of him, we gave our best and maintained a good climbing style."
You didn’t want to climb pulling from bolt to bolt (bolt-ladder): only free climbing or challenging artificial climbing between bolts. Do you feel there’s anything you could have done better or tackled differently?
"I think we climbed with the best style possible considering our skills. In total, on the 1,000 meters of wall, there are 27 bolts, including belays. I’ve never placed so many bolts on a route because I prefer to keep routes as natural as possible, but this wall didn’t have enough cracks or features where we could place removable protection. Except for a couple of bolts left at a belay for the portaledges, I think all the other bolts we placed were really necessary for our safety.Could someone stronger, better, or braver have done better? Maybe. I couldn’t have done better."
It was a 43-day expedition, not exactly short.
"For me, a fast-paced ‘fast food’ expedition doesn’t make sense. It focuses too much on performance and not enough on the experience: you just consume the mountains. If you only push the accelerator, you miss the essence of things, you forget to live. I don’t decide how long to spend on an expedition, the goal I have in mind decides that. Obviously, I realize it’s a privilege to choose to dedicate time to this kind of adventure."How does it feel to come back home after such a long time?
"Sometimes it is hard for me to leave these amazing places and it brings sadness. But it’s always nice to return to friends, family, and all the small great comforts of ‘civilization.’ Hot water, heating, fresh food, a bed—those things should never be taken for granted..."After 12 days on the wall, you made it to the summit. Where did you find the motivation to spend another 6 days on the wall trying to free the remaining pitches?
"It was easy, we didn’t need extra motivation! The day after reaching the summit, we were really tired, and we took a full rest day. But all four of us agreed that it was wonderful being there, and we’d stay on the wall as long as possible. We saw it as a huge privilege. How many times in life can someone be on the Mirror Wall? Probably not many...Nothing is trivial up there; even getting to the wall is a complex and laborious journey. Once you are up there you might as well enjoy it as long as you can!"
Despite everything, 3 pitches were left unfreed. Do you think you’ll go back?
"Never say never... but I don’t think so. When planning a sailing-climbing expedition in that area, you have to take into account the sea-ice which only clears by the end of July and the weather conditions which deteriorate in September. Considering a minimum of 10 days to carry all the material back and forth on foot to the wall, I think 20 days is the maximum time available to spend on the wall in one season.I think it would be very, very difficult for me to free those remaining pitches and climb the rest of the route in that little time. Maybe I’d have more chances if those pitches were in my home crag, but I think I’ll leave them there for someone stronger than me!"
You’ve done great climbs in teams and exceptional solo climbs. What are your feelings, are there different types of satisfaction?
"Climbing in a team and solo are very different adventures. In a group, you’re a team: it’s important to work together, make decisions together, support each other, respect each other, and to make compromises.When you’re alone, however... you do everything yourself! You make the decisions and do what needs to be done. Of course, in a team you can climb harder lines than when alone. If we progressed so well this year, it was also thanks to the efforts of last year. I’m extremely grateful to each of my climbing partners who shared these two years of adventures with me, including Keita and Takemi. They are all awesome!"
The wall is like a mirror. Do you think trying to be a better person helps you become a better climber?
"Definitely! Being a better person means being more balanced, having positive energy, and being in a mindset that’s more suited to climbing. The wall can reflect both the positive and negative aspects you carry inside. In any case, it’s much more important to be a good person than a good climber. I’m... working on it. For me, when I set off on an adventure, it’s crucial to make sure I have my personal motivations clear: sometimes it helps to write them down on a piece of paper. I’ve realized that not worrying about the result, success, or failure, makes me stronger, and it makes the experience stronger too. I can’t control the weather, the conditions, or the rock.There’s no point complaining or wanting things to be different than they are.
What I can do is my best, choose to live fully, and enjoy every moment!"