La Joker | 7A Boulder problem at Bas Cuvier

France / Île-de-France / Seine-et-Marne

Quick Info

Grade 7A
Type Boulder problem
Crag Bas Cuvier
Country France 🇫🇷
Rock type Sandstone
History
First ascent Robert Paragot (1953)
Recorded repeats 0

Quick Info

Grade 7A
Type Boulder problem
Crag Bas Cuvier
Country France 🇫🇷
Rock type Sandstone
History
First ascent Robert Paragot (1953)
Recorded repeats 0
Also known as La Jocker.

The first 7A in the forest, and probably one of the first in the world.

Contributors
8 contributions since 13th August 2025.
3 contributions since 22nd May 2021.

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Ascents

1 successful ascent recorded.

Climber Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
First ascent.

Paragot's suggested grade was '6f' or 'VI h' [depending on source].

According to 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', before the war, Alpinists had introduced the I-VI system created by Willo Welzenbach in 1926 and capped at grade VI. Pierre Allain proposed splitting grade VI into 'VI a', 'VI b', 'VI c', 'VI d', etc, to allow 'grades to breathe again'. So La Joker, at the cutting edge of difficulty, was graded 'VI h'.

When the grades were rationalised and the seventh grade accepted, La Joker was graded VII-, later translated to 7a. It therefore retrospectively became the first 7 in the forest, a few years ahead of the first climb claimed at grade 7, L'Abattoir.

References

[1] Godoffe, Modica, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', Éditions du Mont-Blanc, 2017, p.194