Climbers from France

Isabelle was the first woman to climb 8b with her ascent of Sortillèges.

Bleausard bouldering pioneer. Chipped and climbed the first 7B in the forest Le Carnage in 1977.

Yet, although a new milestone had been reached, the driving force of the practice at that time remained the spirit of play. Serious training for specific routes was out of the question. Climbers were above all technicians, and physical power was not among their priorities. Jérôme Jean-Charles, for example, was obsessed with finding difficult moves involving clever body positioning and delicate balance rather than sheer strength. He preferred to see bouldering as “a succession of resting positions, so that this activity would never become the domain of gymnasts.” [1, Translation by ChatGPT]

In the 1980s, he climbed the entire Cuvier white circuit wearing trainers.

References

[1] Godoffe, J. 'Blocs en Stock: Le Cuvier', 1993

Alpinist, guide, member of the Group Militaire de Haute Montaigne.

References

[1] https://www.gmhm.fr/caporal-leo-billon/