The First Boulderer and His Occultist Protégé: Oscar Eckenstein and Aleister Crowley
People have likely climbed on boulders for all of human history, but in the late 1800's, one man began advocating for climbing on boulders as a way to become a better climber. His name was Oscar Eckenstein, and he fundamentally changed the way we climb. Was he the first boulderer?
REFERENCES:
The Confessions of Aleister Crowley by Aleister Crowley
Bouldering & The Vertical Path by John Gill
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/56043/56043-h/56043-h.htm#i_114
https://ianoffthewall.blogspot.com/2016/04/2016-climbers-club-first-ten-years.html
https://www.summitpost.org/the-only-genuine-jones/611051/p2
https://www.alexroddie.com/2012/12/oscar-eckenstein-first-true-innovator/
Journals of The Fell and Rock Climbing Club https://www.frcc.co.uk/library-and-archives/journal/
Journals from The Climber’s Club https://climbers-club.co.uk/history/journals
The American Alpine Club Library https://americanalpineclub.org/library
UK Alpine Journal: https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1960_files/AJ%201960%2062-79%20Eckenstein.pdf
https://www.alexroddie.com/2012/12/oscar-eckenstein-first-true-innovator/
