The first Petzl RocTrip happened ten years ago in Millau, France. Since then, Petzl has been organizing this gathering of climbers at exceptional sites around the world. Every year, the Petzl RocTrip is an opportunity for climbers to come together around a shared passion in a friendly environment.

The 2002 Petzl RocTrip was my first experience competition climbing on the natural rock and attempting a redpoint route. What stood out for me was that it did not really feel like a competition but more like a day climbing and a party for all to celebrate our sport of climbing.

It is not really so important who is the best climber; most important is sharing our experience with eachother and encourage everybody to climb their best and to enjoy being in the nature.

So for these reasons the Petzl RocTrip is a more realistic competition and much more than just a competition. The ultimate route was a very good experience. For me it symbolized why I climb: to try hard, share my experience with other people and to be in the beautiful natural world.

For me the Petzl RocTrip is the real thing!

Chris Sharma, Millau, 10/10/2002