Victor Fleutre

Victor Fleutre

 

Victor Fleutre, 28, started climbing in Amiens in a small climbing gym in the city centre in January 2013. He was immediately hooked on climbing. Six months later, he met Julien Gromez, an route setter at Arkose now. It was he who introduced him to opening in 2013. Previously specialised in the resale of car parts, he decided to stop this activity completely and move to Quebec in 2018. This departure took place thanks to his meeting with a Quebec route setter while climbing in Fontainebleau. This was his first adventure abroad. The opportunity for him to see what was happening on the other side of the Atlantic.

 

SNAP : What is the difference in the profession of route setter between France and Canada ?

Victor: “In Canada, the profession is more recent than in France. Indoor climbing is less culturally instilled than in France. In Canada, they are close to Yosemite, to many things, they have a more developed outdoor culture than here. But in Montreal, things move fast. There are already 18 climbing gyms. It’s a city that’s developing. I arrived by chance and I really like it here. I arrived as an route setter and for the past year I’ve been head route setter at Beta Bloc Montreal Dorval.”

 

Victor Fleutre

 

SNAP : What are the strengths and weaknesses of this job ?

Victor: “In my situation, there are not many weak points. At the beginning, the wages were relatively low but eventually the job developed quickly. In addition, you have to be careful not to injure yourself, especially when you open five days a week. As far as the strengths are concerned, it is a creative job. There’s a certain amount of freedom on the final product, on how you want to make people climb, how you teach people ! It’s the pleasure of making people climb at the base. Also, I open in several venues which diversifies the encounters and allows me to discover other ways of working.”

SNAP : Are there any constraints imposed by the climbing gyms ?

Victor: “You have to follow the vision of the head route setter. Since I became route setter, it’s up to me. We only discuss with the climbing gym the distribution of the opening levels. In terms of ordering shots, colours and openings, I have a lot of freedom.”

SNAP : How do you decide for the brands of climbing holds ?

Victor: ” I’m not particularly attached to one brand. I think everyone’s got some really good stuff depending on what I want to use it for. I like movement very much at the base, I learned to like doing a bit of design. I wasn’t predestined to do it but I really enjoy it. I like everything that is gestural, open, dynamic grips. I’ll go for simple shapes, very simple shapes with defined grips, rather than grips that look like rocks. I like the gestures of competition. I also try to be versatile and have variety for the clients.”

 

Victor Fleutre

 

SNAP : Have you tried Snap holds ?

Victor: “I was very surprised by the Snap Holds. Yoris really pushed all the shapes to their maximum potential.”

SNAP : Are there any long-term projects you’re dreaming of ?

Victor: “I would like to travel to open. To visit some countries to discover, to open competitions, to see what’s going on around us, to meet people, other cultures, other climbers… I would like to be able to open everywhere in the world. To open in Australia, in the United States, in Canada… through several countries. I’m very curious to open on the islands (beautiful places to visit, for example Hawaii, Noumea, with friends who have sun). Australia is quite inspiring, South America, USA, Japan… These are really places I want to go and see before I stop my route setter career.”

SNAP : How did you improve your level in indoor climbing ? Do you have any advice for beginners ?

Victor: “My story is special because I had the chance to climb with Julien who is very strong. He taught me a lot technically. In 8 months, I was doing 7C in Fontainebleau. I was already very athletic. I didn’t need to work very hard but I climbed 6 days a week twice a day and I was lucky enough not to get injured. You have to listen to your body to avoid injuries, listen to pleasure more than performance, be curious about all styles, about everything that is done elsewhere. This has helped me a lot! I was always curious about why I couldn’t do it, I always tried to understand the movements. I fell in love with this sport. Trying to listen to more experienced people really helps. I can push myself to climb harder. I’ve never been a very strong climber and that’s not necessarily what I’m looking for. My max is 8A/8A+, I’ll probably never do 8C. What I like is to be able to climb in any style, any sector.”

3 yoga outfits for men

And yes, you heard right, we are exclusively adressing to men in this article. Sorry ladies. Women’s yoga outfits are too easy, you can dress like this, or like that, and it’s always sexy, it’s terrible. So the real question is: how do you dress for a yoga class when you’re a man? We’ve consulted the style brigade, answer in pictures below.

So, why talk about yoga at all?

 

1. Improve your range of motion 

First of all, dear little climbing friends, you should know that this discipline is perfectly complementary to climbing. All the postures practiced in yoga stretch the muscles and tendons to make you more flexible. Improving your flexibility helps you increasing your range of motion, and stopping making false excuses when a move is resisting you 😉

2. Avoid injuries

A strong core and good flexibility help to avoid some injuries. Extension movements prepare the muscles without pulling on them. Yoga also develops muscular balance: in vinyasa flow, to reach the cobra posture you slowly lower your body to the ground from a plank, which strengthens the triceps and chest muscles. These repetitions of series can help prevent elbow tendonitis by correcting the climber’s typical imbalances.

3. Keep cool

Yoga basics: relax, breathe, calm down and increase your ability to concentrate. Acquiring body awareness means knowing where pain and other body sensations come from, but also being aware of the space. In a critical moment of panic before clipping a draw, faced to the unexpected, in any adrenaline situation where panic prevails, having learned to tame your body will make all the difference.

This ability to feel and know your body, this fundamental strength that you will acquire through yoga will translate directly into your capacities to stay calm on any wall  because you will approach it with much more confidence.

 

Conquered? Let’s get dressed now!

 

Outfit 1

Organic cotton jogging + signature white hemp T-shirt. Oh yes, because when we do yoga we wear natural materials. Look how Terii looks in this eco-friendly, stylish and comfortable outfit! Ready to get into the reverse postures.

jogging kaki slim fit

Outfit 2

Lightweight straight cut shorts made from organic cotton. Worn with a small black T-shirt in monochrome, so 2021.

tshirt for climber black color

 

Outfit 3

The “Holds” T-shirt, a nod to climbing, soft and comfortable in organic cotton and hemp. Combined with ultra light and stretchy shorts, long enough for all those weird yoga postures (nothing will pop out, I promise).

climbing outfir for man snap

 

Discover the shorts in video:

Jérémy Bonder, objective Olympic Games 2024

Jérémy started climbing at the age of 6 in a discovery class. Two years later he joined his first club and began competing. Once the machine set in motion, it will lead him to national and international podiums a few years later.

Today the goal is even more exciting: to tackle the 2024 Olympics.

 

 

SNAP: Climbing is your reason for living, do you manage to live from this passion today?

Jérémy: I decided to quit my job in 2010 to devote myself fully to training. Today I can make a living from it mainly thanks to Arkose who sponsors me to help me achieve my current goal: to become Olympic champion at the 2024 Olympics in the combined difficulty/boulder.

 

jeremy bonder french climber

French boulderer Jérémy Bonder

SNAP: What is a day like for an athlete training for the Olympics?

Jeremy: Training in the morning, break and nap if I can, that’s new, and training in the afternoon. This is the classic rhythm while waiting for the competitions to arrive, but this year with covid new rules we have to adapt!

 

SNAP: Do you vary your training locations?

Jeremy: Yes, I always train in different indoor locations, with different exercises. I also use outdoor supports, very often the forest of Fontainebleau because I live there. I am also going to Saint Léger or other cliffs from time to time.

 

SNAP: Do you train by yourself or are you accompanied?

Jérémy: Ah I have a whole staff around me: one trainer, a physiotherapist, a mental trainer and Louis Marie from Beth program by Arkose for the partnerships. They’re not always there, so I train a lot on my own, but I also love climbing with my friends, it’s more challenging and there’s a better atmosphere.

 

SNAP: How do you choose your projects?

Jérémy: I’m mainly focused on competition, I’ve been French champion 3 times, in the podium of the World Cup and I’m now aiming for the Olympics. My first objective at the moment is to know the new Olympic bouldering/difficulty format to try to continue to progress in difficulty and to train in this new combination. But that doesn’t stop me from having outdoor projects, since this is how I discovered this discipline. The aim is to have fun and push my limits in high grades.

 

SNAP: What role does climbing play in your personal life? 

Jérémy: Ahah there’s my wife just here with me, you want me to ask her?! I think I know what she’s going to say… Climbing is a big part of my life. Indeed, even on Holiday, you have to make concessions…!

 

SNAP: What is your biggest dream right now?

Jeremy: I am not a person who idealizes a person or a place. This Olympic dream is a challenge for me. When I started out, we didn’t even consider that climbing would ever be in the Olympics, so for me it was a dream. Now it’s real.

Clément Lechaptois, the rock’s relentless

At 28 years old, Clément is one of the best French outdoor climbers. This 8b and 8c cross climber has always intrigued us. What is his lifestyle? How do you manage to reconcile your professional life and your passion when you are a rock climber? Here is a look back at a day with Clément.

We met Clément in the Hautes-Alpes, near Annecy. The day begins with a weather check of the week, as every Monday morning. According to the moments of rain, Clément modulates his timetable. Today, with the sun shining, we will start with a morning of work before going to the forest to have fun.

“I work often in the morning, then I climb in the afternoon and I do a training session in the evening.”

clément Lechaptois 8B

Don’t get too greedy, 8B, Rocky Mountain National Park ©Marine Thevenet

 

SNAP: What is your job? Do you manage to live from climbing or do you have a professional activity aside?

Clément : “In climbing I would say that I am semi-pro, part of my income comes from sponsors and I am also an independent opener. Even if I don’t open a lot, it’s a creative job that I like, a pleasant environment. I open for national teams and for competitions.

At the same time, as I love training and I am a mechanical engineer, I decided to create an innovative training tool that allows me to concentrate the real scientific data of a training session and to make it accessible to climbers. It’s a tool dedicated more to climbing gyms, and we’re currently developing a second Smartboard that will be oriented for individuals with my associates.”

After a studious morning, we head to the area where Clement is currently training, about an hour away.

“The ideal pace is to have two half days of climbing outside, or just go exploring.”

clément lechaptois rocky national mountain park

TopNotch, 8b, Rocky Mountain National Park

SNAP : What do you mean by “exploring”?

Clément : “My passion is to develop new areas, to open outdoor blocks. Very early on, I made the choice to sacrifice my work to go outside. For more than four years, I have been trying to produce beautiful photos and videos and to make this discipline accessible, to inspire and show the beautiful places where you can go climbing. To make people want to go there.”

SNAP: How do you choose your projects?

Clement: “The aspect that always motivates me in the quest for new boulders is aesthetics: shapes, holds, movements… I don’t particularly like climbing next to a factory, I like to be in beautiful places.”

SNAP: How do you go about finding beautiful places?

Clément: “It’s a lot of word of mouth, it can even be with practitioners of other sports, the guys who run will explore much further than what we can do in climbing. For example Le Grand Sablat was found by skiers! It’s cool to talk to people in the mountains, watch videos… I do a lot of Google Earth searching, read IGN maps and go hiking. Sometimes I find nuggets on the side of the road when I least expect it. Opening boulders is not very natural for people, usually they arrive on a spot, look at the topo and limit themselves to the existing one, but sometimes it’s just next to a boulder, and nobody had noticed it yet!

I have opened some crazy 7a’s, sometimes a bit high and not always accessible, and I stumbled upon them. As you go along you see more and more lines appearing.”

The climbing session lingers as it almost always does with this relentless rock climber… fortunately we had taken the headlamps!

 

clément lechaptois grimpeur français

Dreamtime, 8B+, Cresciano

 

 

Yoris, the man behinds SNAP Holds

For almost two years, it has been possible to climb on SNAP Holds all over the world. A successful bet for the brand, which had set itself the goal of taking the climbing world to a new level. Who is behind this initiative? How is the creation process going? Meeting with Yoris Delahaye, the man behind SNAP Holds creations…

 

yoris delahaye

 

What is your job title exactly?

I am a project manager and shaper for SNAP. I am also a route-setter at Arkose.

 

What do you like in this job?

I’m passionate about research, the creative process, the micro adjustments that push me to go back to the shape lab to sculpt what I had imagined. For me it’s a pleasure and a great opportunity to have a lab at my disposal and to have the opportunity to create a hold and then to play with it.

yoris delahaye snap holds

 

You’re also a route-setter, does it help when it comes to shape?

Absolutely! Climbing holds are the basic element for route-setters. Without quality ingredients it’s difficult if not impossible to offer a specific movement to the climber.

When you design a hold it is important to be creative but it is not enough, you also have to anticipate where the climber will put his foot, how he will take the hold with his hand, in short, how it will be used. Being a climber AND an opener is essential in my opinion to create an innovative and qualitative offer to the route-setters.

 

Yoris Delahaye

 

Do you work alone?

No, I’m in a Parisian workshop at Arkose’s headquarters where I work with Nelson Emo, Florian Escoffier and Thibaut Le Scour especially on the creation of ideas, the DNA of the series. Then I shape a large part of the shots, about 80%.

 

 

What is the creation that makes you really proud?

The creation I am most proud of is the Roswell. The idea came to me gradually, through discussion, reflection and further research.

 

What makes SNAP Holds different?

We are always looking for new shapes and new types of grips. The goal is really to offer a wide variety of holds.

One of the key points is to create holds and volumes by being an opener yourself to get into their skin so that they are as functional and aesthetic as possible.

 

Any last words?

Let’s continue to push exploration beyond its limits and look for treasures in everyday life!

 

 

Find SNAP Holds here.

#BESTRETCH, like SNAP pants

To address all active urbanites, climbers or not, who want to reconcile a balanced lifestyle between city and nature. That was the promise of SNAP! The brand was born in Chamonix 25 years ago and has always offered a range of climbing equipment and clothing dedicated to climbing.

Today, with the advent of climbing gyms all over town and around the world, SNAP has decided to continue to cater to climbers, but not only. Whether you’re skateboarding, biking, running after your subway or even scootering [jokingly, we don’t really condone scootering], you’ll love our eco-friendly stretch pants.

 

chino curry en coton bio et matières recyclées

pantalon stretch pour femme

Stretch AND eco-friendly ?

In terms of development, we make it a point of honor to always choose the least polluting materials for the environment. Unfortunately, 100% organic or natural stretch does not exist yet… so we mix and match, and opt for recycled materials. We combine organic cotton or recycled polyester with elastane to obtain a fabric that is much less polluting than a standard material during manufacture, a “bi-stretch” effect, i.e. in both directions, horizontal and vertical. This is not the case with most pants, so test yours, go ahead.

Find all our men’s pants and women’s pants here!