Written in Stone: Climbing History

100 episodes

Can We Really Say When Bouldering Began? Yes, We Can.
2026/11/09 | 24 mins.
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We can't possibly know when the first person climbed on a boulder, or what their motivations were. But even if they were challenging themselves to find a difficult way to ascend that particular rock, was it bouldering? Maybe not.
Bart Van Raaij | 400 Trips to Fontainebleau, Writing Climbing Guidebooks, Bleau.info and More
2026/09/21 | 1h 7 mins.
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/

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Jacky Godoffe | Making Climbing History in Fontainebleau, Big Boss, Fatman, C'Était Demain and More
2026/09/14 | 1h 13 mins.
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.

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You're Wrong About The Limits of Climbing
2026/08/19 | 12 mins.
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.

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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.
The History of Fontainebleau Bouldering Circuits
2026/08/03 | 33 mins.
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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 License
http://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/

About Written in Stone: Climbing History

Written in Stone tells the (mostly) true stories of the most groundbreaking ascents in rock climbing history, one climb at a time. Hosted by Kris Hampton, you’ll hear the narrated, sound designed stories about what led to new levels, shifted the culture, and changed the game. You'll also get conversations with the climbers who were there and those who were inspired by what went down way back then.Season One: The 1990s and the explosion of sport climbing. Season Two: The 1980’s and the birth of sport climbing as we know it. Season Three: The History of Modern Bouldering.Like Todd Skinner always said, ”never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

Podcast website

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