Marc le Menestrel


Quick Info

Nationality: FR
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8B
Hardest Boulder (Flash): 7B+
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8c+
Notable Partnerships
Antoine Le Menestrel

Features in The Real Thing, Bleau.

https://www.facebook.com/climbing.in.the.80s/photos/a.270388289694020/446421228757391

Contributors: remus

Quick Info

Nationality: FR
Hardest Boulder (Worked): 8B
Hardest Boulder (Flash): 7B+
Hardest Sport (Worked): 8c+
Notable Partnerships
Antoine Le Menestrel

Pics + Vids

Added at 17:01 on 13 January 2021
Added at 07:02 on 05 February 2021
Added at 20:02 on 28 February 2021
Partage (8A+, FA)
View this post on Instagram

Added at 22:12 on 17 December 2023
L'Alchemiste (pre-chipping) (8B, FA)
Added at 07:02 on 05 February 2021
L'Alchemiste (pre-chipping) (8B, FA)
View this post on Instagram

Added at 09:04 on 19 April 2021

Ascents

11 recorded ascents.

Year Climb Grade Style Ascent Date
1983 Le Bidule 8a+ Lead | worked 1983
First ascent.
1984 Les Mains Sales 8b Lead | worked 1984
First ascent.
1985
1986 Le Minimum 8c Lead | worked 1986
First ascent.
1987 Careless Torque 8A Boulder | did not finish Between 1st Jan 1987 and 1st Jan 2002
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994 Just Do It 8c+ Lead | worked May 1994
Second ascent.

References

[1] News report from Allez magazine issue 4 http://king-dino.blogspot.com/2011/04/allez-southern-californias-crag-mag.html

[2] Pic by Steve Lewis who met him out there and witnessed the ascent. There may be further pics in an issue On The Edge from 1994 or 1995?

1995 The Big R 8b+ Lead | worked May 1995
First ascent.

Graded 14b initially which would have made it the third of the grade in America at the time.

http://king-dino.blogspot.com/2011/04/allez-southern-californias-crag-mag.html

1996 L'Alchemiste (pre-chipping) 8B Boulder | worked 1996
First ascent.

One day I was trying with Sébastien Frigault. He makes a good try, where he nearly reaches the right hand hold at the top. It had taken me 3 years to get to that point and for him a few sessions sufficed. I told him I was impressed and he answered "It is normal the old generation must leave place for the new." [Laughing] I got annoyed and did it next try.

Repeated in 1997 for the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIreNKro7QU?t=2565

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN1hLG4A_4x/

1997 Brad Pit 7C Boulder | worked 1997
Second ascent.

The first ascent using a foot on the rail.

Stu Littlefair:

I was there to see Marc do Brad Pit. It was pretty incredible. These days a high foot seems obvious but it was so visionary then, and he knew he was going to do it that way from the photos of Jason [Myers] on it. [1]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31061.msg626382.html#msg626382

[2] Date is approx https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,33546.msg677007.html#msg677007

Deliverance 7B+ Boulder | flash 1997

The same day as working out the high-foot beta on Brad Pit. Date is approx [1].

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,33546.msg677007.html#msg677007

1998
1999 La Merveille 8A+ Boulder | worked 1999
First ascent.
2000
2001
2002 Partage 8A+ Boulder | worked Before 1st Jan 2002
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Just Do It 8c+ Lead | worked May 1994
Second ascent.

References

[1] News report from Allez magazine issue 4 http://king-dino.blogspot.com/2011/04/allez-southern-californias-crag-mag.html

[2] Pic by Steve Lewis who met him out there and witnessed the ascent. There may be further pics in an issue On The Edge from 1994 or 1995?

Le Minimum 8c Lead | worked 1986
First ascent.
The Big R 8b+ Lead | worked May 1995 8c
First ascent.

Graded 14b initially which would have made it the third of the grade in America at the time.

http://king-dino.blogspot.com/2011/04/allez-southern-californias-crag-mag.html

Les Mains Sales 8b Lead | worked 1984
First ascent.
Le Bidule 8a+ Lead | worked 1983
First ascent.
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
L'Alchemiste (pre-chipping) 8B Boulder | worked 1996
First ascent.

One day I was trying with Sébastien Frigault. He makes a good try, where he nearly reaches the right hand hold at the top. It had taken me 3 years to get to that point and for him a few sessions sufficed. I told him I was impressed and he answered "It is normal the old generation must leave place for the new." [Laughing] I got annoyed and did it next try.

Repeated in 1997 for the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIreNKro7QU?t=2565

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN1hLG4A_4x/

La Merveille 8A+ Boulder | worked 1999
First ascent.
Partage 8A+ Boulder | worked Before 1st Jan 2002
Careless Torque 8A Boulder | did not finish Between 1st Jan 1987 and 1st Jan 2002
Brad Pit 7C Boulder | worked 1997
Second ascent.

The first ascent using a foot on the rail.

Stu Littlefair:

I was there to see Marc do Brad Pit. It was pretty incredible. These days a high foot seems obvious but it was so visionary then, and he knew he was going to do it that way from the photos of Jason [Myers] on it. [1]

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,31061.msg626382.html#msg626382

[2] Date is approx https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,33546.msg677007.html#msg677007

Deliverance 7B+ Boulder | flash 1997

The same day as working out the high-foot beta on Brad Pit. Date is approx [1].

References

[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,33546.msg677007.html#msg677007

Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade
Climb Grade Style Ascent Date Suggested Grade