L’Ombre du Voyageur is a roof crack boulder problem in a cave in Le Salève, near Geneva. The first half of the problem is the hardest section before you reach a slight rest hanging from a single handjam, and then the easier end section.
The line was first spotted by Elie Chevieux, but it had to wait until Charles Albert started working the line around 2019 until it would then see a first ascent in 2023.
Speculating on the grade, Charles acknowledged it would likely feel significantly easier with shoes and knee pads but suggested 9A would likely be appropriate for an ascent in this 'normal' style. Pietro Vidi then made the second ascent using all the tricks in the book (2 shoes, 4 kneepads (!) and 2 crack gloves) and suggested 8B+ was more appropriate. Given Pietro's ascent is closer to the 'normal' style it seems 8B+ is probably closer to the grade others will experience on this problem.
3 recorded ascents, including 1 unsuccessful ascent.
Climber | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|
Charles Albert | Boulder | worked | 18th Oct 2023 | 9A |
First ascent. Over 60 sessions.
Charles struggled to grade the problem due to it's length (being more like a route) and because he climbed it barefoot and without kneepads, as is his preferred style. He suggested that for him it was maybe approaching 9A+, but that shoes and knee pads would almost certainly make it substantially easier. Even so, he felt 8C+ would be too harsh and so settled on 9A. [1, via google translate]. References[1] https://www.grimper.com/news-charles-albert-libere-9a-bloc-saleve [2] Video from a previous attempt https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsWcuwBgFwg/ [3] https://www.climbing.com/news/charles-albert-climbs-new-v17-boulder/ [4] https://watch.reelrocktour.com/featured/videos/charles-at-large [5] https://www.grimper.com/news-ombre-voyageur-charles-albert-conquete-absurde |
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Pete Whittaker | Boulder | did not finish | 2024 | |
Pietro Vidi | Boulder | worked | 25th Jun 2025 | 8B+ |
Second ascent. 3 sessions.
Pietro used 4 kneebar pads, climbing shoes and crack gloves on the ascent, using different beta to the first ascentionist.
This resulted in a 3 grade downgrade
References[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/DMXd2WxtNjn/ [2] Instagram correspondence with Pietro. [3] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2025/07/pietro_vidi_repeats_lombre_du_voyageur_9a_proposes_8b+-74011 |