The well-known test piece in Drena near Arco saw another repeat just before Christmas. Previously, only Will Bosi and Brooke Raboutou had managed to repeat the line. After 19 sessions on the steeply overhanging wall, "Excalibur" (9b+) is now also on Yannick Flohé's tick list.
Fine-tuning in the crux of »Excalibur«
Following the successful inspection of Stefano Ghisolfis Testpiece in Drena tells Yannick that the line was the last major lead project he had planned for 2025. He had already started working on it in March of that year. Excalibur to project. The climber from Essen was initially able to quickly decipher the individual sequences, and on his first attempt, he climbed to the final crux. However, a successful redpoint ascent wasn't quite possible at that time. Anyone who ventured to the approach of Excalibur shortly before the Rock Master Festival in October could observe Yannick working on the project again. He was joined by international stars of the climbing scene, including... Brooke Raboutou, who had mastered Excalibur at the beginning of the year, thus becoming the first woman to reach the grade 9b+, John Placci and Alex Megos, he worked on the toughest line in the region.
“The lower part of Excalibur suits me very well,” the professional climber explained after his redpoint. “I almost never fell before the heel hook on the final crux.” The two moves after the crux proved all the more challenging. A tiny two-finger pocket left him barely enough room for his middle and index fingers simultaneously. Holding this in a full crimp and then executing the iconic heel hook is an extremely difficult move in itself. By his own admission, Yannick fell at least 20 times at this exact spot before finally managing the sequence. The crucial point: the moves have to be executed precisely, because even a small mistake makes the following move impossible – and he says he fell at least twelve more times on this move.
I finally managed that last move and I was almost surprised myself when it happened!
Yannick Flohe
Over 19 sessions in the project
Yannick dedicated more than 19 sessions to Excalibur over the course of a year. He cites skin damage, the necessary patience, and external conditions as the biggest obstacles. "There were trips where I tore my skin open on the very first day and then had to wait four days before attempting again—only for the same crack to reopen immediately. This constant switching between climbing and forced rest was really no fun," he says of the process. Will Bosi, the first person to repeat Excalibur, also repeatedly emphasizes in his video about the project how skin-intensive the line is.
For his last trip to Arco in December, Yannick planned for plenty of rest days from the outset. One day of climbing, followed by three rest days to ensure his skin had sufficient time to recover. "It was a frustrating process, with high expectations of myself from the beginning and major setbacks along the way," he continues. "In the end, I almost didn't care whether I sent the route or not. I just kept going back to the crag, made two or three attempts, and came back three days later."
A strong year for Yannick Flohé
For Yannick, 2025 was a year full of milestones. He started strong in February with the ascent of Story of Three Worlds (8C+), one of the hardest boulders in Ticino. In July, he went one better: he achieved the hardest flash ascent to date of a boulder, Foundations Edge (8C) in Fionnay. Just a few weeks later in August, the professional athlete reported his "proudest climbing moment" with the ascent of Rastataman Vibrations (9b/+) in the French climbing area. Céüse And in October, he won the title of "Rock Master 2025" at the legendary knockout bouldering competition in Arco. It's no surprise, then, that after such a run, he's already tackling an even harder route. For his next project, Yannick jokes, he wants to choose a line with "more comfortable holds." We eagerly await what this young climbing star has planned for 2026.
You might be interested in:
- Sir William Bosi and the Excalibur Quest | Video Premiere
- Stefano Ghisolfi scores Excalibur (9b+) | Hardest route in Italy
- "My proudest climbing moment so far" | Yannick Flohé ticks Ratstaman Vibrations (9b/+)
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Credits: All images: Crimp films