Alain Ghersen

climbingaway.fr | bleau.info

Quick Info

From: France 🇫🇷
Date of birth: 14th November 1963
Age: 61 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8a+

Boulderer and alpinist.

Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.

In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen: “In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.”

In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1]

In 1987, Ghersen succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]

References

[1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017

[2] OTE Guide, 1997

[3] https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/

Contributors
TdG
29 contributions since 8th August 2025.
6 contributions since 25th April 2024.

Quick Info

From: France 🇫🇷
Date of birth: 14th November 1963
Age: 61 years old
Gender: Male
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8A
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8a+

Boulderer and alpinist.

Another champion of Bleau and beyond in the 1980s: Alain Ghersen. His personal obsession was to statically climb every move that others tackled dynamically. No more dynos — a technique commonly used in Bleau on boulders where bad falls are unlikely. Unlike Jérôme Jean-Charles, Alain Ghersen — now a mountain guide and instructor at ENSA — is a world-class alpinist. His solo ascents in the Mont Blanc massif, especially his link-ups in the late 1980s, left a lasting mark on the history of alpinism.

In an unpublished profile of Pierre Allain ('Pierre Allain, or the Prevalence of Pleasure, April 2015'), Alain Ghersen recounts a baroque link-up from the summer of 1987: a Paris–Bleau–Saussois–Chamonix journey starting from one of the most renowned routes in the forest, Le Carnage at Bas-Cuvier. Alain Ghersen: “In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.”

In the summer of 1990, Alain Ghersen once again demonstrated the extraordinary technique and endurance he had developed in Bleau on its most extreme circuits. Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge. Three historic, major alpine routes — it’s hard to top that. [1]

In 1987, Ghersen succeeded in climbing all problems in Fontainebleau graded 7A or above. [2]

References

[1] Modica, Godoffe, 'Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade', p.232, Les Editions Mont Blanc, 2017

[2] OTE Guide, 1997

[3] https://www.instagram.com/p/DLzw88ZNrZ2/

Contributors
TdG
29 contributions since 8th August 2025.
6 contributions since 25th April 2024.

Pics + Vids

No pics or vids yet.

Ascents

15 recorded ascents.

Sort
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Le Bidule 8a+ Lead | worked 1987

In just over 40 hours, I linked together ascents of Carnage (7B) in Bleau, Bidule (8a+) in Saussois, and the full Peuterey Ridge on Mont Blanc — all solo.
Digital Crack 8a Alternate Leads | worked 1990
First ascent.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2022/01/digital_crack_-_now_and_then-72975
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
C'Était Demain 8A Boulder | worked Before 1st Jan 1987
L'Aplat Du Gain 8A Boulder | worked 1988 8A+
First ascent.
Bérézina-Carnage 7C+ Boulder | worked 1980s
First ascent.
Le Surplomb de la MĂ©e (Pre-Break) 7C+ Boulder | worked 1983
First ascent. With Jacky Godoffe.
Apothéose 7C+ Boulder | worked 1988
First ascent.
Alta 7C Boulder | worked 1980s
First ascent.

First climbed by Alain Ghersen, with an undercling that broke off soon after.
Infidèle 7C Boulder | worked 1980s 7C+
First ascent.

Bleau.info lists Ghersen as first ascentionist, whilst 7+8 2016 edition lists Godoffe.
L'Ange NaĂŻf 7C Boulder | worked 1986 8A
First ascent.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Divine Providence ED4 Alternate Leads | worked 1990
First ascent.

First Free Ascent. 7c.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2016/07/divine_providence_by_nina_caprez-70583
Divine Providence ED4 Rope Solo 1993

Solo in winter over 5 days.

References

[1] https://grivel.com/blogs/grivel-stories/divine-providence-by-damien-tomasi
American Direct ED1 Solo | worked 1990

Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge.

Walker Spur ED1 Solo | worked 1990

Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge.
Peuterey Ridge D+ Solo | worked 1990

Solo, without any self-belaying, and in a single continuous push, Ghersen climbed the Directe Américaine on the Drus, the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses, and the full Peuterey Ridge.