Written in Stone: Climbing History

Jaksot

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  Bart Van Raaij | 400 Trips to Fontainebleau, Writing Climbing Guidebooks, Bleau.info and More 21.09.2026 1t 7min

  Bart Van Raaij is the owner of Bleau.info, the author of the popular 5+6 and 7+8 guides, and is obsessed with Fontainebleau. Since the 1980s he's visited Fontainebleau more than 400 times, despite living 6 hours away. In this episode, we hear the stories of his first time doing legendary boulders like Carnage, Berezina, Amok, and more. We discuss why he would choose to write a guide to a seemingly endless area so far from home, and why the history matters to him. Check out Bleau.info at https://bleau.info/Find Bart's guides at https://www.7plus8.com/ ASSESS + IMPROVE YOUR MOVEMENT ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/ytmoveEXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-yt FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-yt
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  Jacky Godoffe | Making Climbing History in Fontainebleau, Big Boss, Fatman, C'Était Demain and More 14.09.2026 1t 13min

  Jacky Godoffe joins me to chat about legends of Fontainebleau: Jerome Jean-Charles, Robert Paragot, Pierre Allain, Fred Nicole, and more. We hear the stories of his boulders Big Boss, Fatman, and C'Était Demain, as well as stories about Carnage, La Pierre Philosophale, La Merveille and more. ASSESS + IMPROVE YOUR MOVEMENT ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/ytmove EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-yt FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-yt    
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  You're Wrong About The Limits of Climbing 19.08.2026 12min

  A few thoughts that combine all of the things I spend time thinking about while I get together the Bleau interviews. The future of climbing difficulty isn't only about the size of holds or the distance between them. In fact, that's rarely what changes things. It's more about the climbers and their skills. ASSESS AND IMPROVE YOUR TECHNIQUE➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/ytmove OVER 150 BONUS POWER COMPANY PODCAST EPISODES ➡️ https://patreon.com/powercompanypodcastMONTHLY CLIMBING THOUGHTS IN YOUR INBOX ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/ytcurrent BETTER UNDERSTANDING GRADES PLAYLIST ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/grades   DISCLAIMER: Climbing and training for climbing is inherently dangerous. Anything you do is at your own risk and Power Company Climbing and our coaches takes no responsibility.
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  The History of Fontainebleau Bouldering Circuits 03.08.2026 33min

  EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-yt FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-yt Bouldering began as a way to train for the mountains, but by the mid 1940s in Fontainebleau, it had started to form it's own identity. A Bleausard named Fred Bernick had an idea that would continue the tradition of preparing for those mountain routes: Circuits. He laid out the first two, and inspired by a piece of Fontainebleau history from the late 1800s, he marked them with painted arrows. They were instantly popular. 80 years later, there are over 370 of Bernick's circuits. Resources can be found at https://www.plugtoneaudio.com/written-in-stone Support the restoration of Fontainebleau: https://www.fondation-patrimoine.org/les-projets/sauvons-la-foret-de-fontainebleau-/105641 Music: "Sneaky Snitch" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Hob. VIIb:1" Aspen Symphony Orchestra Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "écoutez ça" Alix Combelle Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Fariboles" Alix Combelle Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Rue Deperre" Alix Combelle Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "L'horloge du grand-père" Alix Combelle Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  
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  The First V6 (7A) Boulder | Robert Paragot and The Joker 09.07.2026 46min

  WATCH THIS ON YOUTUBE Perhaps the most powerful force in the early years of Fontainebleau bouldering history was the consistent changing of the guard. Every few years a new group would supplant the old, bringing new ideas, updated ethics, and stronger fingers. But when a brash group of climbers, formed from the best of several groups, the difficulty standards of the previous leaders, Pierre Allain's Convicts of Cuvier, were left in the dust.  Led by Robert Paragot, a young climber who often wore only his PA's and his underwear and climbed while smoking a cigarette, this new group would do battle for several major projects, resulting in the world's first V6 (7A) boulder, The Joker.  And just as suddenly as they'd shown up, they'd disappear from Cuvier.  EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-yt FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-yt Resources can be found at https://www.plugtoneaudio.com/written-in-stone Watch Paragot par Paragot: https://vimeo.com/465783740   Music: "Blue Eyed Baby" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Elle et Li" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Rue Deperré" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Ma Chanson Triste (Melancholie)" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Ambiance (In The Mood)" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Willie DixonLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Divertissement dans une Fonderie" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Fou (Mad)" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Nerves and Fever" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "La-Da-Da-La-La" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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  World's First 6A (V3) Boulder and The Convicts of Cuvier 22.06.2026 37min

  WATCH THIS ON YOUTUBE Shortly after WWII, a new group formed in Fontainebleau. They called themselves the Cuvier Academic Club, but were quickly known as The Convicts of Cuvier. Led by Pierre Allain, René Ferlet, Guy Poullet and Jacques Poincenot, this group would raise standards in the forest with the first ascent of La Marie Rose, the first V3 (6A) in the world. EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-yt FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-yt Resources can be found at https://www.plugtoneaudio.com/written-in-stone The Fontainebleau Boulder post mentioned in the video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ1sYqwDE6a/?img_index=1   Music: "Tel Quel (En Plein Sur le Nez)" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Willie DixonLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Panassie Stomp" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Midi à Jalopi (12 O'Clock in Jalopi)" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Strictement pour les Persans (Strictly for the Persians)" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "That Blue-Eyed Baby From Memphis" Don RedmanLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Mush Mouth" Claude HopkinsLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Joyeuse Fumée (Holy Smoke)" Alix CombelleLicensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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  Pierre Allain: The First Superstar of Modern Bouldering 08.06.2026 44min

  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. EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-yt FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-yt RESOURCES ➡️ https://www.plugtoneaudio.com/written-in-stone      
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  Fontainebleau and the Birth of Bouldering as We Know It 25.05.2026 39min

  EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-yt FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-yt 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. Resources can be found at https://www.plugtoneaudio.com/written-in-stone  
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  Was Oscar Eckenstein Really the First Boulderer? Featuring Efix Roy 18.05.2026 19min

  Was Oscar Eckenstein the first boulderer? What does that even mean? This season, we are asking and trying to answer some big questions. In this episode, I talk with our research assistant, Efix Roy, about the big question raised by the first episode of the season. EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-yt FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-yt Bouldering & The Vertical Path by John Gill
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  The First Boulderer and His Occultist Protégé: Oscar Eckenstein and Aleister Crowley 11.05.2026 35min

  WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE 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? EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-pod FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-pod   Resources can be found at https://www.plugtoneaudio.com/written-in-stone   Music: "Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, 'L'inverno' (Winter)" The Modena Chamber Orchestra (https://musopen.org)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "String Quartet no. 2 in B minor - IV. Allegro furioso" Steve's Bedroom Band (https://musopen.org) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Nocturne in B flat minor, Op. 9 no. 1" Eduardo Vinuela (https://musopen.org)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "String Quartet, Op.25 - II. Intermezzo. Andante con moto, quasi allegretto" Steve's Bedroom Band (https://musopen.org)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "The Wand of Youth, Suite no. 1, Op. 1a - II. Serenade ( For String Quartet - Jones)" Steve's Bedroom Band (https://musopen.org)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  
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  Season 3 | The History of Modern Bouldering 20.04.2026 7min

  What is bouldering, really? What defines a "boulderer"? And how has that changed since the beginnings of the game? Are there rules, and if so, where did those "rules" start?  Coming Soon: Season 3 of Written in Stone | The History of Modern Bouldering. EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/stone-pod FREE BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/secretstoners-pod
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  Michael Kennedy on Access to Climbing Culture and the Photo of Edlinger That Defined the 80s 06.04.2026 1t 13min

  Michael Kennedy is a legend of climbing media. As the editor of Climbing Magazine from 1974 to 1998, he helped to bring climbing culture to tens of thousands of climbers who otherwise didn't have access to it. He also took the photo that I believe best defines climbing in the 1980s.  Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE and get bonus episodes. Follow the show on YouTube. ---------------------------------- Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.  
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  BONUS: When Lynn Hill Proved That Women Can Beat Men In Competition 01.12.2025 13min

  WATCH THIS ON YOUTUBE GET THE BOOK ➡️ https://link.powercompanyclimbing.com/wis-YT In a recent Magnus Midtbo video, Janja Garnbret mentioned that she could do well against the men in a sport climbing competition. Lynn Hill may have helped prove Janja's point - all the way back in 1990. SUPPORT THE SHOW + BONUS EPISODES ➡️ https://patreon.com/secretstonersclub  
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  The Thumbs Up: Sharing Lanes And Circling Back in 1980s Climbing. 08.09.2025 23min

  After a few weeks of thinking about it, I've put my finger on what I learned about climbing by looking back at the 1980s, and I'm ready to reveal where we go next season. Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE and get bonus episodes. Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! ---------------------------------- Season Two is generously supported by Rab.  This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2. Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.  
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  Jordan Cannon on The Free Salathe, How to Climb Pitch 19, and Why Style Matters 18.08.2025 1t 7min

  Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s! Today, in the final interview of the season, we are talking to young legend in the making, Jordan Cannon, who is fresh off of an incredible season of big wall climbing. Most important for this conversation is his recent ascent of The Free Salathé, including the infamous Pitch 19, one of only a handful to do the route this way. Jordan’s emphasis on aiming for the best style possible without letting that get in the way of having an incredible experience is refreshing. It’s not about rules. It’s just for the love of the game. In this episode we get nerdy about some of the individual pitches, including Pitch 19, the roof and the headwall, and try to parse out some of the confusing history. We also discuss Jordan’s ascent, the style he aimed for, and the compromises he had to make. And finally, why Jordan isn’t yet finished with The Free Salathé.     Jordan on Instagram Watch Free As Can Be   PREORDER THE BOOK AND GET BONUS EPISODES!   BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/store/p/big-walls Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! ---------------------------------- Season Two is generously supported by Rab.  This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2. Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.
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  Mark Hudon on Free As Can Be on the Salathé Wall, Skinner and Piana's Ascent, and Experience Vs. Trophies 13.08.2025 1t 2min

  Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s! Mark Hudon is a bonafide climbing legend. One of the best free climbers of the 70s and early 80s, he and partner Max Jones looked past convention and moved hard free climbing to the big walls of Yosemite. His article Long, Hard and Free inspired a whole generation of climbers, including Todd Skinner and Paul Piana, and laid the groundwork for the game that is Yosemite big wall free climbing. In this episode we discuss the idea that eventually led to the Free Salathe, how Mark felt about it finally getting done, and how his philosophy about climbing has changed over time.  Find Mark online Read Long, Hard and Free Watch Free As Can Be   PREORDER THE BOOK AND GET BONUS EPISODES!   BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/store/p/big-walls Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! ---------------------------------- Season Two is generously supported by Rab.  This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2. Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.
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  Steve Bechtel on Skinner, Piana, Friendship, and Community 11.08.2025 1t 23min

  Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s! Steve Bechtel is a Wyoming climbing legend who moved to Lander when the limestone at Wild Iris was discovered and helped to develop it alongside Todd Skinner and Paul Piana.  In this episode we discuss the sides of Skinner and Piana that often get lost when listing accomplishments - their roles as friends and community builders. Their humanity. Find Steve online.   PREORDER THE BOOK AND GET BONUS EPISODES! BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/store/p/big-walls   Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE and get bonus episodes. ---------------------------------- Season Two is generously supported by Rab.  This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2. Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.
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  Paul Piana and Todd Skinner Free the Finest Rock Climb On Earth (Part 2) 04.08.2025 1t 7min

  Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s! After causing a ruckus in Yosemite Valley and Index, Todd Skinner didn’t slink away. He looked up. Way up. At El Capitan. He and Paul Piana had been dramatically influenced by an article written by Mark Hudon called Long, Hard and Free, and the dusty disappointment of the Valley Demi-Gods wasn’t going to hold them back.  Using tactics borrowed from the future, Skinner and Piana got to work on their big objective, free climbing the Salathé Wall. Many great climbers had made free attempts. Each contributed to the mystique. Several claimed it would never go free. The two cowboys from Wyoming didn’t believe that - they had been collecting skills that made them uniquely suited for this route. The flaring cracks of Vedauwoo. The runouts of The Needles. The pin scars of City Park and The Renegade. The dynamic climbing of Hueco Tanks. It would be, all at once, a notice of change and a love letter to the past.They weren’t going to take no for an answer, even if it killed them. It nearly did. BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/store/p/big-walls Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE and get bonus episodes. ---------------------------------- Season Two is generously supported by Rab.  This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2. Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.
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  Paul Piana and Todd Skinner Partner Up and Push the Boundaries (Part 1) 28.07.2025 42min

  Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s! By the middle of the 1980s, the shift to sport climbing was in full swing. Two Wyoming cowboys, Paul Piana and Todd Skinner, recognized that the strength they’d gained from sport climbing would give them an advantage on projects left behind by the previous generation. However, that previous generation wasn’t so quick to embrace the changes. Particularly in Yosemite Valley, resistance was massive – they wanted their walls preserved in a time that was already in the past. It would take a new age maverick to push through the noise, but that maverick would need a calming and realistic voice beside him.  BIG WALLS, SIGNED BY PAUL PIANA! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel! Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE and get bonus episodes. ---------------------------------- Season Two is generously supported by Rab.  This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2. Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.
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  Rob LeBreton on Snowbird and Australian Sport Climbing in the 1980s 21.07.2025 41min

  Check out our new book, Written In Stone: The 1990s! Rob LeBreton wears a lot of hats. First, he’s a long time friend of the show, but he’s also a dad, husband, gym owner, former president of Sport Climbing Australia, and absolute climbing legend - the first Australian to establish climbs of 31 and 32 (13d and 14a) in Australia.  After the Snowbird episode came out, Rob sent me a video of the finals that he had recorded onto VHS back in 1988, which resulted in several things. First, I got excited to see the famous Edlinger moment at the top of the wall. Second, I posted it on YouTube and have been blown away by how many people are excited to see it - the link is in the shownotes - and third, it made me realize how much someone across the world can be impacted by a story and the media created around that story. So I asked Rob to come on the show so I could better understand where Australian climbing was in '88 and what seeing this television broadcast meant to him. Watch the Snowbird Finals Video at https://youtu.be/Gl0spp0S34Q   Check out our website for related episodes, resources and more! Join the Secret Stoners Club for FREE and get bonus episodes. ---------------------------------- Season Two is generously supported by Rab.  This episode is supported by Tension Climbing and The Tension Board 2. Written in Stone is co-created with Power Company Climbing.