Patrick Edlinger

Born: 1960-06-15

Patrick Edlinger, born June 15, 1960 in Dax and died November 16, 2012 in La Palud-sur-Verdon, was a French climber and mountaineer. Renowned for his full solo ascents, he is one of the pioneers of high-level free climbing and was, in the 1980s, one of the first media figures in the discipline. Introduced to climbing at the age of nine, Patrick Edlinger practiced regularly at fourteen to devote himself fully to it at eighteen. Spending his days on the cliff, it happens to him, for lack of finding partners to belay him, to climb solo. With his friend Patrick Berhault, he distinguished himself by difficult achievements for the time, prefiguring another way of climbing, where the physical dimension takes precedence as much as the state of mind. In 1982, Patrick Edlinger introduced rock climbing to the general public thanks to documentaries by Jean-Paul Janssen broadcast around the world: "Life At Your Fingertips" and ""Opéra Vertical". There is free climbing and, partly, full solo, routes from the famous sites of Buoux (Luberon) and the Gorges du Verdon. Edlinger exposes a philosophy of climbing where hedonism, respect and love of nature, self-transcendence and a taste for risk are combined. This way of life combined with his youthful physique will mark the public in a profound way. At the origin of the climbing craze, Patrick Edlinger, "Le Blond", is not just a media figure, he is a high-level climber, who performs solos in routes rated 7a and also opens routes of extreme difficulty for the time up to 8b+/8c. A true international star, Patrick Edlinger was, in the 1980s, the favorite personality of the French according to a survey by Paris Match magazine, which relayed his exploits. When the Manifesto of the 19 decrying the competition was written in 1985, he did not sign it. In 1986, he won the first international climbing competitions in Bardonechia, then in 1988 in Snowbird in Utah. At that time, he launched his own line of clothing which he held with a few friends. In 1988, an advertisement was broadcast featuring him to promote Grany cereal bars; it was resumed in 1998 and then in 2004. In July 1994, he took part in two official UIAA competitions: the L'Argentière master's where he finished 34th and the Serre Chevalier master's where he placed 17th. In 1995, Patrick Edlinger suffered a serious accident while climbing a cliff. While training in the creeks of Marseille on a 7b route and he jumped several insurance points, a hold breaks and he falls eighteen meters. In cardiac arrest, he was resuscitated by a doctor present on the spot and finally got away with only a few muscle tears. He then retired from high level climbing, but continued to climb in the 8th degree for fun. From 1997 to 2000, he was editor-in-chief of the rock climbing magazine Roc'n Wall, which was eventually absorbed by the magazine Vertical. He stopped practicing solo when his daughter was born in 2002 and from 2009, he ran a gîte with his wife in the Verdon. In 2011, he began writing his biography with the collaboration of his friend for 25 years, Jean-Michel Asselin. He died accidentally on November 16, 2012 at his home in La Palud-sur-Verdon, at the age of 52.


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Edlinger, la liberté au bout des doigts

as Self
Released: 2023-01-12

In the 1980s, Patrick Edlinger, nicknamed "Le Blond", painted with the grace of a poet the first...

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Among Wolves

as Patrick
Released: 1985-12-31

An American general with highly confidential defence information has been kidnapped by...

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The Beautiful Story

as Self
Released: 1992-03-18

A film with emphasis on visuals and music, the plot concerns characters who meet in present...

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Une Araignée au Plafond

as Self (archive footage)
Released: 2021-07-01

In this film, following in the footsteps of Patrick Edlinger, Christian and Olivier build the...

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Life by the Fingertips

as Self
Released: 1982-12-11

"La Vie au Bout des Doigts" is a documentary film by Jean-Paul Janssen released in 1982,...

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Aventure à Bleau

as Self
Released: 1980-01-01

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Over-Ice

as Self
Released: 1981-01-01

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Profession grimpeur, Eric Escoffier

as Self
Released: 1985-01-01

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Berhault

as Self
Released: 2008-01-01

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La Cordée de Rêve

as Self
Released: 2001-01-01

La Cordée de Rêve traces the great alpine journey made from August 2000 to February 2001 by...

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Verdon Forever

as Self
Released: 1998-01-01

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Une Vie au dessus du vide

as Self
Released: 2023-01-03

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Le Grec - Georges Livanos

as Self
Released: 1994-01-01

Georges Livanos, nicknamed the Greek but pure child of Marseille, amateur mountaineer, opened...

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Passion Extrême

as Self
Released: 1989-01-01

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Opéra Vertical

as Self
Released: 1982-01-01

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En Solo : L'ivresse des sommets

as Self (footage archive)
Released: 2022-11-27

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Plan-Séquence

as Self
Released: 1992-01-01

In a vertiginous sequence, Claude Lelouch's camera follows Patrick Edlinger climbing with his...

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The Fingertip Phenomenon

as Self
Released: 1984-01-01

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Oversand

as Self
Released: 1981-01-01

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Arrowhead

as Self
Released: 1989-01-01

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Roc'n Wall 97

as Self
Released: 1997-01-01

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Overdon

as Self
Released: 1980-01-01

First film in a series of three with Over-Ice and Oversand and one of the first films on free...

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Champs-Elysées

as Self
First aired: 1982-01-16

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Le Grand Échiquier

as Self
First aired: 1972-01-12

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