Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll
Acting
Biography
Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll is a professional climber and mountaineer born in Etterbeek, Belgium, in February 1981, to an Irish mother and a Spanish father. A polyglot, he speaks English, Dutch, French, and Spanish, and has established himself as one of the most original figures in contemporary mountaineering thanks to a style that is committed, inventive, and remarkably free. His reputation was built on major traverses and first ascents on big walls, notably in Patagonia, Greenland, and other extreme terrains. With the Favresse brothers, Ben Ditto and Bob Shepton, he participated in a Greenland expedition that earned him a Piolet d’Or, and he later received a second Piolet d’Or for his solo traverse of the seven needles of Fitz Roy, dubbed the “Moonwalk Traverse,” a feat hailed as a world first. His journey is also marked by friendship and climbing partnerships, particularly with Nicolas and Olivier Favresse, with whom he has long shared the idea of joyful, collaborative, and creative climbing. Accounts of him emphasize his humor, his simplicity, and his love of adventures undertaken with friends, to the point that he is often described as someone you'd want in your group. Music plays a significant role in his life. Raised in the Irish musical tradition, he sings, plays the Irish flute, and has often connected his expeditions to a festive and sonic world, notably alongside climber-musicians like Nico Favresse, who takes his guitar with him on his travels. This musical dimension is as much a part of his identity as his exploits on the rock face, which explains why he is often presented as a complete mountaineer—athlete, artist, and companion on his journey. Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll has thus built a rare career, where performance, style, friendship and music are intertwined, with a record that is among the most remarkable in modern mountaineering.
Known For
Every fall the REEL ROCK Film Tour brings the year's most exciting new climbing films to live audiences around the world. For 2010, the tour features six amazing short films, with stories from the cutting edge of alpine climbing, bouldering, sport climbing, and traditional climbing.
Reel Rock
Embark on the Kamak ship, bound for Greenland and its pristine cliffs, following our favorite Belgians: Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse, Jean-Louis Wertz, and their newest Swedish recruit Aleksej Jaruta. After 2 weeks of sailing between storms and icebergs, the quartet sets up their base camp at the foot of the Mythic Cirque, a unique spot surrounded by rocky towers rising from the sea. Their goal: establish dream lines on these untouched summits, armed with their musical instruments. An ode to adventure and friendship!
Cherry on the Cake
A "team of savages," as their boat captain Bob Shepton calls them, comprised of Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Olivier Favresse, Nicolas Favresse, and Ben Ditto, set off for Greenland to attempt a first big wall climb. Arriving in Asia by plane, they prepare the sailboat for two months of self-sufficiency. Accompanied by whales, seagulls, and icebergs, they train on various rock faces before beginning their ascent of the seemingly impossible wall. It takes them 11 days to complete the climb, braving bad weather, the rock itself, the wilderness, and three different bivouac sites—all accompanied by music, of course! The return journey is not without its challenges, as they must avoid a cyclone and cross the Atlantic to reach Oben in Scotland.
Vertical Sailing Greenland
Big wall climber Siebe Vanhee enlists Drew Smith and fellow Belgian countrymen Nico Favresse and Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll to attempt the first free ascent of the elusive Riders on the Storm route on the East Face of Patagonia’s Torre Central.
Riders on the Storm
No description available.
Coconut Connection
REEL ROCK cranks it up to 11 with our latest collection of electrifying climbing films showcasing the sport's biggest stories and athletes. Featuring Ashima Shiraishi, Will Stanhope, Matt Segal, Brette Harrington, Kai Lightner, Mike Libecki and the Wild Bunch.
Reel Rock 11
In their infinite quest for virgin big walls, adventurers Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse, Stephane Hanssens and Evrard Wendenbaum, head in September 2013 to a remote valley in the westernmost region of China. There, they found a fantastic 1200m vertical pillar, culminating at 5842m. They spent 14 days on the wall facing snow storms and harsh conditions to finally achieve this amazing ascent with some frost bites but never forgetting to have a lot of fun and to play unreal musical sessions.
China Jam
No description available.
Dodo's Delight - The Adventures Of The Dodo
Attempt to make the first free climbing of the Mount Asgard.
Asgard Jamming
Reel Rock 19 showcases three world-premiere climbing films spanning disciplines, characters, and continents: a heartfelt story of second chances in love and climbing on Squamish’s legendary Cobra Crack; an outrageous 18-day big wall epic on Patagonia’s towering Torre Central; and the pursuit of a lifelong dream—a 5.15 first ascent—made possible by an unlikely partnership.
Reel Rock 19
Located in the heart of the Patagonian pampas, in Argentina's Chubut province, Piedra Parada's monolith rises up from the surrounding desert. Lying just to the north, the majestic 200-meter monolith La Buitrera Canyon was home to the 10th anniversary Petzl RocTrip in November 2012. For more than a week, climbers from all over the world came together to share a common passion: climbing. Thanks to the hard work of a team of Argentinean and international route developers, La Buitrera Canyon, 5 km long with towering cliffs up to 200m high, is now one of Argentina's major climbing spots. For the tenth edition of the Petzl RocTrip, more than 1500 people climbed in the wind, dust, heat, and cold, for an unforgettable Patagonian experience! As every year since 2002, the Petzl RocTrip is an opportunity for climbers to come together for a shared passion in a friendly atmosphere. Featuring Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Dave Graham, Charlotte Durif, Dani Andrada, Daniel Du Lac, and Nina Caprez.
Petzl RocTrip Argentina 2012
"Notes From The Wall" (2017) is a climbing documentary directed by Guillaume Lion. It follows three of Belgium's top mountaineers – Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll, Nicolas Favresse, and Siebe Vanhee – in their audacious attempt to free climb one of Patagonia's greatest walls. For 19 days, on El Regalo de Mwono (1,200 meters), in Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, the team faced extreme weather conditions, technical difficulties, and the mental exhaustion of long days and nights spent on this vertical face. Much more than just an ascent, "Notes from the Wall" captures the raw spirit of adventure, intense camaraderie, and moments of humor that punctuate the ascent of these elite climbers pushing their limits and reflecting on the meaning of climbing and friendship in one of the most spectacular—and unforgiving—climbing environments in the world.
Notes From The Wall
The latest film from the Belgian climbing team, following Asgard Jamming and Vertical Sailing Greenland, Venezuela Jungle Jam features Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, Nico Favresse, Stephane Hanssens and Jean-Louis Wertz as they attempt a new free climb on the overhanging 500m wall of Amuri Tepul in the Venezuelan Jungle.