BURSTYannick Flohé just announced that he has climbed Excalibur 5.15c (9b+) in Drena, near Arco, Italy. The route is his first of the grade. For context, 5.15c is currently the world’s second-hardest climbing grade, and Excalibur was the eighth route of the grade to be established. There are only 10 widely-recognized 5.15c routes in the world, five of which remain unrepeated.
Excalibur was established by Stefano Ghisolfi in 2023. The line is short, steep, and powerful. It works its way up a series of sharp micro edges and small awkwardly-positioned pockets to a fierce boulder problem up high, requiring an extremely technical heel hook. Ghisolfi put substantial effort into unlocking the complex beta in 2022, working the moves with some of the world’s best climbers, including Adam Ondra, Will Bosi, and Jakob Schubert.
There was much speculation whether the climb would be 5.15c or 5.15d once completed. Ghisolfi had this to say about the grade: “I’m also confident to propose [5.15c] as [the] grade, this time I have no doubt about it, and for sure it is the hardest of all my first ascents, and probably the hardest route in Italy now!”
Ondra walked away from the project due to the high potential for injury from the beta he was forced to use. The small holds required him to put his fingers in a scary tendon-compromising position. It’s uncertain if Schubert will return to the project in the future. Will Bosi took multiple trips and 20 days of projecting to finally unlock Excalibur, making one of the most coveted second ascents in the word of sport climbing in February 2025. He sent the route exactly two years after Ghisolfi’s FA.
Excalibur didn’t see its next ascent until April 2025 when Brooke Raboutou made her historic third ascent – the first female ascent of a route graded 5.15c. Several women have climbed 5.15b in the past, including Angela Eiter, Laura Rogora, Julia Chanourdie, and Anak Verhoeven. Excalibur was Raboutou’s first 5.15.
Flohé was the fourth to ascend the line. It took him nineteen sessions. He first tied in back in March 2025, and while he had success making links with his first go, several factors came into play throughout the projecting process, and the send eluded him, until recently, of course.
Flohé is an incredibly well-rounded climber who excels in comp climbing and on rock as a boulderer and sport climber. He made history this year in July when he became the first climber to flash V15 with his ascent of Foundation’s Edge V15 (8C) in Fionnay, Switzerland. The following month, he made the second ascent of Alex Megos’ Ratstaman Vibrations in Céüse, suggesting an upgrade from 5.15b to 5.15b/c. It was his first of the grade.
Flohé has completed many hard classics in Switzerland and France over the past few years. In February 2025, he made the third ascent of Story of 3 Worlds V16. In Spring 2024, he climbed Lazarus 5.15a at the Schiefer Tod crag in Frankenjura – his first of the grade. In 2023, he sent two V16s and two V15s: Return of the Dreamtime V16, Ephyra V16, La Force Tranquille V15, and From Dirt Grows the Flowers V15. And in 2022, he repeated the famous Off the Wagon Sit V16.
You can read Flohé’s full statement about Excalibur below:
With Excalibur I finished my second and last remaining lead project of the year. In 2025 my goal was to send ‘Rastaman Vibrations’ and ‘Excalibur’. Rastaman Vibrations I had already started trying in 2024 and finally sent in August 2025.
The first time I tried Excalibur was in March 2025 and I made some promising links, already climbing to the last crux on my first try from the ground. The lower part of Excalibur suits me really well, and I almost never fell before the heel move at the last crux.
However, the last two moves, especially the two-finger pocket where I could barely fit my middle finger and index finger, fully crimped with a small spike to crimp my thumb on, were a real challenge, even as individual moves. This move was so low-percentage for me that I fell at least twenty times there. Without executing that move perfectly, the final move became impossible and I fell there at least twelve times as well.
Over the nineteen sessions I spent on this route, skin, patience, and conditions were the main factors. I had trips where I injured my skin on the first try and then had to rest for four days, only to open the same split again. The difference between resting and trying was not fun at all. On my final trip, I planned one day on and three days off to make sure my skin was always in good shape.
It was a frustrating process, with high expectations early on and major setbacks along the way. In the end I almost did not care about sending anymore and just came back each time, giving two or three tries, then returning three days later.
Eventually I stuck the last move by a very small margin and was almost surprised when I did.
For my next project I will choose a long route with comfortable holds!
Stefano Ghisolfi’s FA of Excalibur 5.15c
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