Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll

to climb a rock you have to become the rock. Climbing is like making love to the universe.

 "I started to climb when I was 13 in a gym in Belgium. At first I did sport climbing. At the beginning, wild camping and hitch-hiking were enough to fuel my desire for adventure. Then I discovered my true speciality: big wall free climbing, wide, wet, moss-filled cracks and bold slabs…

Profile

Date of birth: 7 February 1981                                   Activities: Climbing, Multi-pitch routes and big walls
Current status: Pro climber                                          Education: Sports teacher
Home: Brussels  

Presentation

Free climbing new ROUTES accompanied by my Irish flute

"I love climbing and the challenges it presents. I love criss-crossing my way across the rock, climbing to my limit, exploring. I like high-quality compact rock with perfect holds. But I also like wet cracks that add spice to any adventure. Climbing is a way of life for me, it enables me to meet extraordinary people and share the most amazing experiences. It’s a discipline that has taught me about life and that forces me to live in the present moment. I am more attentive to the taste of what I eat, to the rock that tears my fingers and causes me to bleed. Climbing is often a difficult activity. The other things I like doing are connected to climbing. I love slacklining, which teaches me to optimise my state of mind so that my thoughts, emotions and experience all come together at once. When slacklining, the notion of time disappears, everything happens in the present, everything is connected. It’s like being in a meditative state. My Irish flute is also part of my climbing equipment. When I’m half-way up some wall, with the ground far beneath my feet, stuck on a portaledge for days sitting out a storm, my flute helps me to pass the time constructively, rather than just waiting. Playing music is another way of keeping me attached to the present moment."