Born in 1979, Arnaud Petit hails from Chambéry, France. Due to his frequent participation in outdoor activities, he spends very little time at home.
 
　　Achievements?
  They’re nothing short of glorious history...
  Won the Serre Chevalier Grand Prix in 1995,
  Took home an X-Games award in 1996,
  Competed in the Birmingham World Cup in 1997,
  And in the same year, established a new route on the Grand Capucin.
 
　　On-sight rock climbing without falling
  Completed Belle Marquise in the Calanques at 8a/8a+ (1993),
  Climbed 8a+ in Modulor, Switzerland (1995),
  Tackled 8b in Short Circus, South Africa (2000),
  Conquered 8b at La Nymphomane in the Maurienne region of France (2005).
 
　　Redpoint records
  Biographie, 8c+ (1996).
  In 1997, completed a 300-meter climb on Octogénèse, including two thick walls rated 8a and 8b.
  Climbed an 8c difficulty wall on the first try at Patience.
 
　　Boulder climbing
  Pendragon in South Africa (2000).
  Yosemite National Park in the U.S., where he climbed Half Dome (starting and returning from Camp 4 in about 12 hours). Successfully sent Midnight Lightning, rated 7b+.
  In Hueco Tanks, Texas, U.S., he sent Sarah, V12.
 
　　Favorite places?
  Ceuse in Taghia, Morocco, as well as the Tarn region — because I’ve never been there…
 
　　Goals for 2007?
  Climb Salto Ángel in Venezuela, a 1000-meter high route featuring 7c+ difficulty climbing — all traditional style.
 
　　How did your climbing journey begin?
My family were into climbing, and I grew up looking at beautiful photos of Libéouat Rebuffat. (Rebuffat, translator’s note: the first person to climb the six great north faces of the Alps, who famously said, “Determination can take a climber to where he wants to go—and bring him back alive.”)
 
　　What motivates you?
Competition. “As early as 1994, I wanted to compete in the World Cup to test my abilities. Over three years, I put a lot of effort into reaching that goal—it was truly amazing to achieve it. The feeling of giving my all to training and competing was incredible. After 1997, I reaffirmed my belief that I could make the finals. Setbacks taught me I had to keep training to win. It all made perfect sense, but with increasing surgeries, I had to stop.”
 
　　Rock climbing
  "These days I'm no longer obsessed with purely chasing climbing difficulty — I only do that when maintaining my level. I often climb in tennis shoes. Of course, I love constantly pushing my limits and experiencing the need to maintain balance and give everything my all. So I try to clip quickdraws and ropes together as fast as possible to complete routes of difficulty 8b and 8c. But I can't always do that, because going too fast often leads to frustration. I really enjoy discovering new spots and doing first ascents of sport routes or multi-pitch routes, just like I did in Morocco with Michel Piola and Benoit Robert, or in Mali in 2005 with Manu Pellissier."
 
　　Bouldering
  "I really enjoy bouldering — it's the opposite of climbing, with no height involved and very accessible."
 
　　Mountaineering
  "It feels amazing to complete a good project once a year. If not, then going to a scenic but not overly tough place will definitely refresh your mind."
 
　　What are your thoughts on your climbing future?
  "Seems like I'm getting worse? There was a time when I was really into extreme sports, and later I realized that young climbers today can accomplish in a week what used to take me a whole year. In a year, I can travel and discover new spots. What I want to do is climb more and seek out new climbing areas. I dream of finding the perfect route — one divided into 10 pitches on a solid, perfect rock face, whether it’s 6b or 8b, as long as it’s better than any wall I’ve climbed before, those two things are enough to excite me."
 
　　What do you usually eat?
  "Pasta, chocolate, and lots of other stuff, but I don’t eat McDonald’s often. I spent a month at Pakistan’s Trango Tower, where there was no McDonald’s at all."
 
　　Who’s your favorite singer?
Carla Bruni, Feist
 
　　Any unforgettable, thrilling moments?
Too many,
Climbing Octogenese in Corsica,
Completing Biographie,
Reaching the top of the final route at the Kranj competition in Slovenia in 1996,
Doing a first ascent on a beautiful route in the Hoggar region of North Africa,
Completing Grand Capucin with Stephanie.
Last year, climbing with several new friends — with Titi Gentet in Taghia, with Manu Pellisier in Mali, and with Niko Kalisz in the Pyrenees.
Being three pitches from the top of Trango Tower, handing over the lead to Christophe Dusmarest — we knew nothing could stop us from reaching the summit.