Climbers

The first climber to onsight 8b and 8b+.

In an unusual turn of events, in 2004 it was believed (and widely reported) that Elie and a fellow traveler had been stoned to death in Iran while travelling. However the unfortunate victim was later found to be another person carrying a Swiss passport. [1]

References

[1] https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/climbing/elie-chevieux-is-alive.html

[2] Elie Cheveux Interviewed by Toni Arbones for Desnivel

Guy Percival is a climber who has added many first ascents around the Bristol area in the UK. In particular he has been active at crags such as Avon Gorge and Cheddar Gorge as well as many other smaller venues.

Hugo Parmentier is a French competition climber, sport climber and boulderer. After a string of good results in youth competitions he struggled to achieve similar results on the adult circuit and started to climb outdoors more frequently, including making the second ascent of Eagle-4 in 2020 and climbing his first 8C with Le Pied à Coulisse in 2023.

In 2023 he climbed 100 7As in fontainebleau with his housemate Sébastien Berthe, travelling only on foot and by bike. [2]

References

[1] Interview with fanatic-climbing.com, March 2024 https://fanatic-climbing.com/interview-hugo-parmentier-performance-enthousiasme-et-ecologie-interview-hugo-parmentier-green-enthusiast/

[2] https://fanatic-climbing.com/100-blocs-de-bleau-en-7a-en-une-journee-et-en-velo-100-7a-boulders-in-font-by-bike-in-a-day/

[3] Interview with Lucien Martinez on the 100 7A challenge in Fontainebleau, 2024 https://www.grimper.com/news-les-100-7a-aventure-xxl-facon-bleausarde

[4] https://fanatic-climbing.com/hugo-parmentier-sur-une-ile-deserte-hugo-parmentier-on-a-desert-island/

John Long:

Unlike many pontifical climbers who, having made their mark, silently slip into history, Bridwell’s initiative has redoubled with each new route. Indeed he has maintained a level of motivation rarely matched by any climber anywhere. Yet this same motivation has occasioned controversy, fisticuffs and vindictive slandenngs from fellow cragsmen. [4]

References

[1] Portrait by Dean Fidelman

[2] https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201214821/Jim-Bridwell-1944-2018

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysF9wx4X08A

[4] Interview with John Long in Mountain 79 (1981), page 22 /library/11090/mountain-79

John Menlove Edwards was a pioneering British rock climber of the 1930s and 1940s, responsible for many influential first ascents in Snowdonia and widely regarded as one of the great writers in climbing literature.

With Colin Kirkus he was regarded as the finest rock climber active in North Wales in the 1930s. His first ascents on the cliffs of the north side of the Llanberis Pass, which had hitherto been regarded as too steep and loose for climbing, paved the way for the exploits of Joe Brown, Don Whillans and others in the 1950s. Consequently, the epicentre of Welsh climbing moved from Ogwen to Llanberis where it has remained ever since.

Menlove Edwards trained and worked in Liverpool as a psychiatrist. He was gay, at a time when homosexual sex was illegal in the UK, and a conscientious objector for most of World War Two. His mental health deteriorated in the latter part of his life and he took his own life in 1958.

References

[1] Perrin, J. (1993). Menlove: The Life of John Menlove Edwards. United Kingdom: Ernest Press.

[2] https://open.spotify.com/episode/36tUZibMMhAB4fmjz3X1pq?

[3] https://footlesscrow.blogspot.com/2015/11/a-black-rainbow-life-and-times-of.html

American big wall climber, most known for his speed ascents and linkups in Yosemite.

In 2025, alongside Michael Vaill, he became part of the second team to complete the El Cap Triple in under 24 hours, following Alex Honnold and Sean Leary. [1]

References

[1] El Cap Triple post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLG3qSwxRoF/

[2] Climbing.com 'Profile of Climber' article: https://www.climbing.com/culture-climbing/profile-climber-jordan-cannon/

References

[1] Vimeo channel https://vimeo.com/user9534812

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/kevin_thaw-4327