The first 7A in the forest, and probably one of the first in the world.
1 recorded ascents.
| Climber | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Paragot | Boulder | worked | 1953 | |
|
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 |
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