Shawn Raboutou was born and raised in the heart of Boulder, Colorado, with an undeniable legacy of climbing greatness running through his veins. His mother, the legendary Robyn Erbesfield-Raboutou, is a four-time Overall World Cup champion and one of the few women to conquer 5.14a. And if one climbing superstar parent wasn’t enough, Shawn’s father – Didier Raboutou – also has a place in the climbing history books. He was a pioneer in early international climbing competitions, participating in the first SportRoccia, as well as winning distinguished competitions like Arco Rock Master, Vaulx-en-Velin, and Bercy in France. With such a prestigious family history, it’s no surprise that Shawn quickly honed his climbing skills from a very young age.
Today, Robyn and Didier own ABC Climbing, a facility that trains young kids into professional climbers. Having spent his whole childhood in the climbing gym, Shawn learned from some of the best climbers in the world and had a huge advantage over all the other kids. His younger sister, Brooke Raboutou, is also a top climber, making the whole family a true powerhouse in the sport of climbing. Brooke is an Olympian and has stepped on almost 20 podiums in her competitive career.
Where Shawn has really made a name for himself is in the outdoor bouldering scene. He has spent the last few years traveling around with other elite boulderers, like Daniel Woods, Jimmy Webb, and Guiliano Cameroni, in search of the most physically and mentally demanding boulders in the world.
He has climbed eight 8C’s and seven 8C+’s with apparently very little effort, including iconic boulders such as The Finnish Line, Monkey Wedding, Livin’ Large, Off the Wagon, and The Story of Three Worlds.
His most noteworthy ascents, however, have to be Megatron and Alphane, both of which are V17 boulders. In true Shawn Raboutou fashion, he didn’t announce either of his ascents until a few months later.
Shawn sent Alphane in April 2022 (but didn’t announce it until August 2022) after 25 sessions spanning over a few months. Why did he take so long to tell the world about his biggest achievement? In an interview with Climbing.com, he said
“I just find it annoying that you have to post on Instagram when you do a climb. Trying to change it up. Just climb for fun.”
A true testament to the kind of guy he is.
According to Raboutou, unlocking the Alphane boulder problem was a process that involved a great deal of experimentation and perseverance. Initially, he attempted the right variation of the problem, and although he was able to complete all the moves, it felt more like a V18.
Shawn Raboutou is not only a talented climber but also a well-known member of the Mellow crew, a group of elite climbers who travel the world in search of the most challenging routes and boulder problems.
As part of the Mellow team, Shawn has had the opportunity to climb with some of the world’s best climbers, including Daniel Woods and Jimmy Webb, where they film their experiences bouldering around the world on their YouTube channel. The Mellow crew’s videos showcase their adventures in some of the most beautiful and remote climbing areas on the planet, from Africa to Europe and America. With a focus on pushing their limits and exploring new terrain, Shawn and the Mellow team continue to inspire and motivate climbers around the world.
https://hardclimbs.info/climbers/shawn-raboutou