Pierre Allain: The First Superstar of Modern Bouldering
After World War 1, bouldering began to shapeshift into something that very closely resembles the modern day game. At the forefront of that movement was Pierre Allain, a climber who was openly competitive and aimed to be the best. Also a talented and accomplished alpinist, Allain invented much of the gear we take for granted today, including the first shoes specifically for climbing -- and they were shaped by bouldering in Fontainebleau.
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
