Patrick Edlinger: life on top of freedom

[9b]

Sadness.

What can you feel when you read news like that ?

How many teenagers, or even childs, or men, after having seen his film, started to consider the idea of going to climb not a mountain, but just a rock ?

That music, that blonde guy, without shoes, ...

Just his life to climb, on his fingers tips.

Something new, more artistic was born.

When most part of climbers were focusing on trying to do what Rehinold Messner had already done, Patrick Edlinger was quietly training in the Gorges du Verdon.

Just climb, to be free.

FREE from the idea to reach a top of a mountain.

A grade, or just something for your ego.

Very often with the risks and the adventure of a free solo.

Free from fears and mental limits.

It was not a sport.

Sport climbing and redpoint came later.

"La maniere",  the climbing style was more important.

Grace as the invaluable gift to dance with the rock.

It was "FREE climbing".

And it was mostly on sight, like in mountain.

Some years ago, I met Patrick at Trento Film Festival.

" I climbed a 9a ", he told me when I was filming him for the first real film with Adam Ondra.

No climbing magazine or website had already published what he was telling me.

So I decided to wait, to let his 9a free from fame a little more.

That was his last inspiration for me, now too big to not share with all.

Merci Patrick.

[9b]

This is the very first (and bad) translation (from french to english) of the 9b interview with Patrick Edlinger.

It's all filmed, it will become a film, if somebody will give his/her help to edit.

 

 

 

What do you think about love for climbing ?

It’s the main point, it’s love for life.

Climbing for me is about passion.

And passion is to love the life.

If You love the life, You love to climb.

And if You love to climb

You have no problems in Your head,

You have no point of rest.

So … You make some progression :-)

 

Do you think this love is possible for all climbers ?

Sure …

 

Or just for top climbers ?

No, it’s possible for all climbers.

Everybody at their own level.

You know the things very important in Your life.

There are some climbers, as me, that have the chance to climb every day.

So the pity is this level ... but for example I have some friends who are bakers or workers who have less time than me and they have exactly the same passion.

It’s not the grade you climb.

It’s the energy You put to do your best, this is the freedom.

 

So, it’s a little a mix between love and freedom

Sure.

It’s a lifestyle, it’s not a sport.

Climbing it’s a lifestyle

For me they are 30 years since I started to climb, I continue with the same passion.

At 50 years old I climb 9a

Why ?

Because I have the motivation, because my life it’s not just the climbing.

It’s meeting other persons.

It’s a lifestyle.

Voilà.

 

 

Is it a school too ?   

What do You think climbing teaches You in your life ?

It teaches me to live, to become a man, the taste of freedom, to know what I am, who I were.

 

Is it a little of exploration of Yourself ?

Completely, it’s very egoistic.

Me, I practised climbing to know what I was.

And if climbing situations were extremes, solo, they showed me who I was.

 

Is it completely egoistic or there is a little of generosity because You can share …

No, there is some egoism  “a la demarche” (what does it mean ?) at Your level regarding yourself.

And then you share because You give people.

You give people the desire to climb.

Because You give confidence, You motive some persons

Because you make climbing some people.

If you want.

It’s just “a la demarche” you are egoist because You are forced to, but then the rest is giving.

Me, You know, I am 50 years old it’s not ...

It’s giving.

The pleasure is giving others more than take.

 

Where did You climb the 9a ?

Verdon

Chris came ...

 

Is it the new secret spot ?

It’s secret spot.

 

How many routes ?

There are many routes but ...

 

Ok

You’ll see it because I’ll make the film this year.

This year I’ll make a film You’ll see the route.

 

My dream is to make a film for you with You!

Maybe, why not ? What time ? :-)

Ok, I phone You.

 

You can search me on google as 9b :-)

Ok, 9b :-)

[9b]

" I wrote the following Blog about 2 weeks ago but for some reason didn’t get around to publishing it but the very sad news today of the death of Patrick Edlinger at the age of 52 only confirmed what I had already been thinking.

I am not a morbid person nor prone to morbid thoughts but it is a fact that we are not long on this earth and if we are not careful life can pass us by very quickly.

I didn’t know Patrick well but met him on many occasions in the late 80s at competitions and on the crags in the south of France.

He was passionate about his climbing, technically brilliant, elegant to watch and inspired a way of climbing that was adopted by many.

His climbing achievements are second to none but more than this prove he understood the value of life and of how fortunate he was to have found something he felt so passionate about.

Although most of us would love to have pushed the limits of climbing like Patrick ,at the end of the day it’s not how hard you climb that matters, but how hard you try.

I am sure Patrick gave his all as did others of my generation no longer with us such as Wolfgang Gullich, Kurt Albert and John Bacher to name but a few.

They were all an inspiration and are sorely missed. "   Ben Moon