Axel Legrand
Basque climber and instructor based on Kalymnos, member of Rebolt Kalymnos
ABOUT AXEL
I was born in France and grew up in the French Basque Country. I've been climbing for seven years, and I now work as a climbing instructor on Kalymnos with my French climbing instructor certification.
My biggest achievement in climbing has been contributing to bringing titanium climbing gear to Kalymnos through the Rebolt Kalymnos project, drawing on my background in mechanical engineering.
SHOOT A QUESTION
- Warm up or warming up by climbing? Warming up by climbing.
- Coffee or matcha? Iced coffee.
- Climb in silence or with music? Silence.
- Pull ups or hanging? Pull ups.
- Favourite snack in the crags? Tuna with mayonnaise.
- Lead or boulder? Lead.
- Alone or with group? Small group.
- Static or dyno? Dyno.
5 QUESTIONS FOR AXEL
1. What's your biggest f**k up in your climbing life?
A multipitch adventure in Mallos de Riglos that ended with an abseil in the dark, in 0°C temperatures and 100 km/h winds.
2. If you could pick anyone from the climbing history or the present climbers, who would you love to go climb with and why?
Nicolas Favresse and Sean Villanueva O'Driscoll, for their vibe.
3. What is your dream line?
Le Voyage de la Mandarine – a three-day aid climbing route in the Verdon, France.
4. What's your favourite part of being in the Rafiki team?
Meeting the other ambassadors through our climbing trips.
5. What's your advice for the climbers of all levels?
Focus on your technique, tactics, and strategy—not just your strength.
