Cédric Lachat
Acting
Biography
Cédric Lachat was born on August 17, 1984 in Porrentruy, in the Jura. On the cliff, he is known for his many difficult ascents of multi-pitch routes in the Alps, notably "WoGü" 8c, "Silbergeier" 8b+ and "Fly" 8c... The click for climbing is made when he is 10 years old, when his big brother starts in this sport. For Cédric, it's a revelation, he will do the same. From then on, everything is linked. At the age of 12, his free time is entirely devoted to this new passion. A year later, he finds himself promoted to the Swiss team. At 14, if he is not yet on the first step, he is on the other hand on all the podiums in the European Cup. Not in the least attracted to school desks, he also completed an apprenticeship as a sanitary installer. His parents and the Swiss Alpine Club recognize his talent and rightly support him. At 18, he won the World Championships in the Junior category in Canteleu, France. From then on, he would remain the best Swiss climber on the circuit until he left in 2013. "There was no better ambassador for competitive climbing in our country", says Hanspeter Sigrist, head of the Competitive Sports sector at CAS. “His good results at international level and his regularity have allowed sport climbing to make a real leap forward in our country.” Beyond his exceptional physical faculties, he loves challenges. "In everything I do, I'm on point. I love challenges, not with other competitors, but with myself. I like being confronted with a problem and having to solve it.” His adolescence comes down to draconian training. His record grew with victories in the World Cup in difficulty or bouldering. In 2010 in Innsbruck, Cédric competed in all disciplines and became European bouldering champion. In 2007 Cédric met the Swiss climber Nina Caprez with whom he lived for 10 years. His vision of climbing is changing. "With Nina we started to dream together of projects, adventures and travels." They settled in Grenoble in France, close to the cliffs of the South and those of Switzerland. They buy an apartment which they retype and Cédric begins his State patent of speleology. During this period, they accomplished great things together, like the sequence in 2011 of the route "Silbergeier" (8b+), in the Rätikon. Over the years, his taste for competition wanes, resin also gradually loses its charm "You always have to be on top, get results. Sacrifice everything, and everything can change overnight to end up without work, forgotten by ordinary mortals. In the end, it comes down to being locked in a room and holding plastic sockets." After his good result in Briançon in July 2013, during the World Cup, he announced his retirement; “I always said that I would stop as a champion, and not as a loser!”. For Cedric Lachat; "Today, I am satisfied with my career and I think I have conveyed a good image of climbing. This sport is not just about performance. It is also a source of pleasure". He will achieve his highest rating in May 2023 at the age of 38, "Fantasia", rated 9b.
Known For
Switzerland is a real paradise for climbing as well as the country where Cédric Lachat was born and raised. With his unique sense of humor and unbridled enthusiasm, experience the beauty and wonder of five iconic peaks and mountain ranges: the Eiger, Gastlosen, Wendenstöcke, Lauterbrunnen and Rätikon. Early climbers talk about the evolution of gear and climbing over time.
Swissway to Heaven
Nina Caprez and Cédric Lachat are passionate climbers. A passion they share and pushed them to become professionals. They travel around the world in search of walls and cliffs of exception. In Spring 2014 they set up camp beneath one of the most difficult multi-pitch routes in the world – Orbayu (2000 meters). Orbayu is a large limestone tooth which rises above the natural park of Picos de Europa in Spain. This huge wall is among the most beautiful in the world. It’s a mixture of extreme difficulty (8c). But the major problem with this type of wall lies in the fact that weather changes are very fast: rain, low temperatures, wind, etc… The ascent of such walls demand unusual experience. Nina and Cédric document joy, fear, danger, but also the beauty of climbing in Orbayu.
Orbayu
Since the dawn of time, humankind has felt the need to explore, whether through terrestrial, subterranean, underwater, or space exploration. This film follows the attempt to connect the Fromagère chasm with the legendary Berger chasm, located in the Vercors massif. The exploration is undertaken by Cédric Lachat, a former world climbing champion, and David Parrot, a highly motivated speleologist. From preparation to success or eventual abandonment, this adventure explores the various facets of speleology: sport, science, and heritage.
On a marché sous la Terre
With the proliferation of private climbing gyms and the sport's inclusion in the Olympic Games, climbing, long a counter-cultural movement, is undergoing a profound transformation and facing a major paradox. On the one hand, private gyms are enjoying increasing popularity, while on the other, natural climbing sites are under serious threat. What vertical legacy will we leave to future generations? Is outdoor climbing destined to disappear? What will the future hold for climbing? Led by Cédric Lachat, a multi-award-winning Swiss climber, the film provides an international overview of this counter-culture, which has recently become a social phenomenon.
The Future of Climbing
Silbergeier is a long pitch route (8b+ max) built by Pietro del Pra in 1993 and organized by Beat Kammerlander. In this film, Nina Caprez achieves the first female ascent with her then partner Cédric Lachat. A beautiful production by Vladimir Cellier, carried by essential music.
Silbergeier
Between music and climbing, the film Rockin' Cuba retraces the exploration of the Vinales Valley in Cuba by six Franco-Swiss climbers: Nina Caprez, Mélissa Le Nevé, Mike Fuselier, Enzo Oddo, Cedric Lachat and Seb Boussogne. The landscapes are magnificent, the images by Julien Nadiras sumptuous, the humor always around the corner and the work on the music by Vladimir Cellier, simply incredible.