Tribout started climbing at age seven in Fontainebleau, France with his grandfather, a mountaineer, and also joined the youth section of the French Alpine Club. There he met other young climbers such as Catherine Destivelle. In 1982, he climbed his first 8a (5.13b)-graded sport climbing route, Fritz the Cat, at Saussois, and in 1985 climbed his first 8b (5.13d)-graded route, Les braves gens, in the Verdon Gorge.
Between 1986 and 1998, he participated in international competition climbing events, finishing third twice and fourth twice in the final standings of the World Cup. In 2008, aged 47, twelve years after he had last climbed an 8c (5.14b)-graded climb, he climbed two 8c routes.
The East Face of Monkey Face at Smith Rock containing Just do it, 8c+ / 5.14c, established by Tribout in 1992 and at the time considered the hardest route in the USA.[1]
