Shawn Raboutou


Quick Info

From: USA 🇺🇸
Date of birth: 19th April 1998
Age: 27 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 9A
Hardest Boulder (Flash): 8B
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a+
Notable Partnerships
Giuliano Cameroni
Family
Didier Raboutou (parent)
Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou (parent)
Brooke Raboutou (sibling)

Shawn Raboutou is an extremely strong boulderer from the USA. He's the son of Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou and Didier Raboutou and brother to Brooke Raboutou.

Since his 2018 ascent of Off the Wagon SDS Shawn has continued to cement his reputation by establishing many hard problems at 8C+ and above, including Big Z, Fuck the System and The Story of Three Worlds. More recently he's pushed the highest levels with his ascent of Alphane for which he proposed 9A and Megatron, another 9A.

References

[1] Down and up Karma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ9sCAhRh1M?t=481.

[2] Interview with Magnus Midtbø 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BiC-ypXGLU

Contributors
145 contributions since 8th February 2021.
14 contributions since 13th March 2025.
13 contributions since 18th July 2025.
8 contributions since 7th December 2025.

Quick Info

From: USA 🇺🇸
Date of birth: 19th April 1998
Age: 27 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 9A
Hardest Boulder (Flash): 8B
Hardest Sport (Worked): 9a+
Notable Partnerships
Giuliano Cameroni
Family
Didier Raboutou (parent)
Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou (parent)
Brooke Raboutou (sibling)

Shawn Raboutou is an extremely strong boulderer from the USA. He's the son of Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou and Didier Raboutou and brother to Brooke Raboutou.

Since his 2018 ascent of Off the Wagon SDS Shawn has continued to cement his reputation by establishing many hard problems at 8C+ and above, including Big Z, Fuck the System and The Story of Three Worlds. More recently he's pushed the highest levels with his ascent of Alphane for which he proposed 9A and Megatron, another 9A.

References

[1] Down and up Karma https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ9sCAhRh1M?t=481.

[2] Interview with Magnus Midtbø 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BiC-ypXGLU

Contributors
145 contributions since 8th February 2021.
14 contributions since 13th March 2025.
13 contributions since 18th July 2025.
8 contributions since 7th December 2025.

Lists


Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.


Ascents

39 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown.
Sort
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
First Ley 9a+ Lead | worked 2018

There is some ambiguity about the name. Cyrille Albasini seems to have called the line L'Ouevre, but some report the name given by Raboutou as Buddha.

References

[1] https://www.lacrux.com/fr/bouldering/shawn-raboutou-route-loeuvre-8c-9a-et-Boulder-Fondation-Edge-8c-sommairement-en-pointill%C3%A9s/

[2] https://www.instagram.com/p/BqaBKMKBfQP/

Welcome to Tijuana 8c Lead | worked 2010

Age 12

Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade

I would fall on the last move twice a day—I only had two tries per day—and I did that for 10 days…. It’s so long, and I had to be fresh to be able to do the last two moves. So I was trying every other day. [But] it wasn’t too stressful because I like to project. … I didn’t feel like I had to climb it, I was more just enjoying it. [3]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/ChczmRCDDdi/

[2] https://youtu.be/Rx6GPpO37C4?t=2564

[3] https://www.climbing.com/news/shawn-raboutou-alphane-v17/

Shawn started trying the problem in autumn of 2021 but was not able to climb the problem:

It was a really good season so I was able to try it all the way to mid/end December. My season came to an end, my body was starting to fall apart. My whole right arm would just go numb after a try. It was really bad! [4]

He then came back after climbing Alphane in April 2022 to try the line again.

It didn't feel like a good day, I didn't feel like I was going to do it. This one try, I just fucking kept going, I don't know what happened. [4]

The ascent was kept under wraps for a long time. Climbing.com:

While Raboutou was willing to comment on Alphane, he wasn’t ready to disclose what else he’s done that we should know about. Though unverified by Climbing, rumors circulate that Raboutou has also sent the Megatron project, in Colorado, another presumed V17. When asked about it, he simply replied, “I have another cool video coming out soon.” [2]

References

[1] https://www.8a.nu/news/shawns-9as-rumours-qpmk1

[2] https://www.climbing.com/news/shawn-raboutou-alphane-v17/

[3] https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck_SnuhDXC8/

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_MniTA8MYU

Shawn climbed the line twice in a row as he dabbed the tree on his first time around.

https://youtu.be/oa0bXWl2RBs

Spray of Light 8C Boulder | worked Jul 2016
Monkey Wedding 8C Boulder | worked Jul 2016
Foundation's Edge 8C Boulder | worked 19th Nov 2018

The same day as Giuliano Cameroni made the first ascent.

With kneebar

Back-to-back family ascent with Brooke Raboutou.

References

[1] https://youtu.be/BSvx7_-gPiA

Big Snapper First ascent. 8C Boulder | worked Before 22nd Oct 2023
The Book Club First ascent. 8B+ Boulder | worked 2017
Reverse Cowgirl First ascent. 8B+ Boulder | worked 2018
Fight Club First ascent. 8B+ Boulder | worked

Down and back up again!

References

[1] https://youtu.be/WQ9sCAhRh1M?t=488

Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade