Watch BD Athlete Victor De Le Rue head into the Pyrenees mountains to combine a first descent on the splitboard with a multi-pitch ascent on the area’s famed granite.

Video: Nathan Birrien, Pierre Hourticq Photos: Fabian Bodet

Q&A

YOU SEEMED TO HAVE MADE THE MOST OUT OF LOCKDOWN DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC IN FRANCE. WHAT DID YOU DO TO TRAIN AND STAY IN SHAPE?

Yeah, the lockdown was quite a weird time for all of us. So, after I cleaned the house and did all the stuff I had to do I started to shape some climbing holds, and began to cover my living room with them;) And so I started to work out a little bit in a fun way.

AS SOON AS RESTRICTIONS WERE LIFTED YOU WERE ABLE TO CLIMB AND RIDE A MAJOR OBJECTIVE IN THE PYRENEES. WAS TAILLON’S NORTH FACE AN OBJECTIVE THAT YOU PLANNED OUT DURING THE LOCKDOWN?

After the lockdown I was absolutely sure that my season was over but my buddy Pierre Hourticq gave me a call and proposed to go and try to ride that mountain as he had just checked it out and he said it was in all-time condition.

HOW DID IT FEEL TO FINALLY HEAD INTO THE MOUNTAINS ONCE THE RESTRICTIONS WERE LIFTED?

It was quite a dramatic change to go from being home for 2 months, and go straight out to one of the sickest lines and mountains of the Pyrenees. The weather was really bad for most of the way up, and the fact that we got locked down and were finally out gave us the motivation to keep going up even if the weather was really bad. And it paid off. It cleared up.

TELL US ABOUT THE LINE OF TAILLON. WHAT DOES THIS NORTH FACE HAVE TO OFFER?

It’s a really tall face 800 meters long, a pile of rocks in the summer, and what makes it technical is that you encounter a bunch of different snow conditions, with rock-solid ice at the bottom. And you are quite exposed at the bottom so you need to get quickly out of there.

YOU’RE A CLIMBER TOO. HOW DOES SPLITBOARDING AND CLIMBING COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER FOR YOU? 

I wouldn’t consider myself a “climber,” but I really love to climb a lot in the summer, mostly trad muti-pitches. It’s mostly a tool to get to the top of attractive views. With climbing, I learned a lot of techniques that are helping me out daily when I go out for adventures. And splitboarding in the winter is my tool to go and access sweet lines.

IF YOU COULD SPEND THE DAY CLIMBING OR SNOWBOARDING, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Just depends on the season. I like to change my activities from time to time. So, I say snowboarding in the winter and climbing in the summer. But I like to add some paragliding in there as well as soon as possible.

IF YOU COULD SPEND THE DAY RIDING WITH ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD THAT BE?

Enzo Nilo is a guy that is always fired up for anything and is the guy that motivates me the most.

AND CLIMBING? WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

I like to go with bunch of different people and enjoy some good times with them , weather they are better climber or not. Just be out and go one a fun adventure.

FAVORITE PIECE OF BD GEAR YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT. 

The JetForce UL Avalanche Airbag pack 26L.

Victor putting his ice riding to the test