Fontainebleau and the Birth of Bouldering as We Know It

Written in Stone
Written By Kris Hampton
 
 

By 1908, people had been practicing on boulders for over 25 years, but it lacked something essential to bouldering: community. In Fontainebleau, groups of climbers with a shared passion would unite around the sandstone blocs and forever shape the game of bouldering.

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REFERENCES:

Fontainebleau: 100 ans d'escalade by Gilles Modica and Jacky Godoffe

French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs Documentation Center

French National LIbrary, Le Bleausard and La Montagne Magazines

The American Alpine Club Library https://americanalpineclub.org/library

https://sites.google.com/site/topobleau/cultures-bleau/1947-escalade-aux-trois-pis



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Kris Hampton

A climber since 1994, Kris was a traddie for 12 years before he discovered the gymnastic movement inherent in sport climbing and bouldering.  Through dedicated training and practice, he eventually built to ascents of 5.14 and V11. 

Kris started Power Company Climbing in 2006 as a place to share training info with his friends, and still specializes in working with full time "regular" folks.  He's always available for coaching sessions and training workshops.

http://www.powercompanyclimbing.com
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The First Boulderer and His Occultist Protégé: Oscar Eckenstein and Aleister Crowley