One of the most interesting members of the new generation of climbers goes by the name of Dylan Chuat. The curly-haired Swiss athlete with his tongue sticking out during moments of supreme concentration is a true climbing all-rounder, boasting an excellent list of achievements both in indoor competitions and in terms of repetitions on crags.

Born in 2000, the native of Geneva began climbing at the age of 10 and immediately demonstrated elegance and technique in his extensions. In fact, young Dylan was among the few to trace clean lines with his body, making them seem incredibly simple. A style that was accompanied by remarkable physical strength and that resulted in numerous podium finishes in national competitions from his first appearances in the youth category. His early successes came most often in lead races, where the Swiss climber was able to demonstrate his ability to interpret sequences in a way decidedly superior to other athletes of his age. He was called up to the senior national team in 2019. Wearing the red jersey of Switzerland, “Dydy” took home the country’s top trophy in 2020 and 2021. Added to these two prestigious victories are a top-10 placing in the 2020 European championships and a semifinal in the 2021 world championships.

During the pandemic, Dylan found himself climbing on the rock near his home every day, almost by chance. The return to wall climbing has given space to his boundless ambition and allowed him to continually challenge himself. In 2023 Dylan decided to stop competing. He has collected first-rate repeats, among which “Action Directe” and “La Mola Mola” (both 9a) stand out, and completed first ascents of “X Integral” (9a+), “The Shocker” (9a), and many other routes graded 9 or above. Some injuries prevented him from achieving his full potential, but in the call of climbing, Dylan has found the drive to go beyond even the limits imposed by his own body.

You have strong ties to the Canton of Valais. What extra stimulation does climbing on your home crags give you?
In the Canton of Valais there are many different crags for many different climbing styles, and the rock is perfect. There’s an endless number of projects to develop, which keeps things interesting.

What are your plans for the next few years?
For the last few months I’d been training for “Fight or Flight,” my first 9b. The preparation went well, and I’d never felt so strong ... but due to some injuries I didn’t have the chance to get my hands on it. My priority is to perform at the initial levels and to find a project that can challenge my current condition.

If you weren’t a pro climber, what would you do instead?
You’d probably see me with my snowboard or on outings with my dog. These are my two greatest passions, besides climbing.
Anecdotes, superstitious rituals ... tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
Before starting a competition or a project on the crag, I pray while holding the necklace that I’ve been wearing around my neck for eight years now. It’s very important to me.

What’s your favorite Karpos product?
That’s definitely the hardest question to answer. I’ll go with the Easy Frizz Pants, which really surprised me. They aren’t a super technical garment, but they’re comfortable and extremely lightweight for climbing!