Patrick Edlinger "My plan for the future is to remain free for life"

1995 Calanques, France. Patrick Edlinger was climbing casually and elegantly on a 7b route, after missing a few bolts a hold exploded under his hands, causing him to fall eighteen metres. During the flight the heart stops, not metaphorically, he has a real cardiac arrest. He was urgently resuscitated by a doctor on site and managed to recover without serious consequences, returning to climb at a very high level, even in free solo.

An unforgettable figure in the golden age of climbing in the 1980s, he was an icon of elegance, technique and power. "With Jerry Moffat, Maurizio Zanolla, known as 'Manolo,' Wolfgang Güllich, and Patrick Berhault", says Fabio Palma, "Edlinger was one of the five cornerstones of the free climbing explosion in the early '80s" . But Patrick wasn't just an extraordinary climber; he was also a media icon, hailed by Paris Match as a true star.

His epic exploits, immortalized in cult films such as " La Vie au bout des doigts " and " Opéra Vertical ", captured the imagination of thousands of young people. His distinctive style, with splits beyond 180° and runs in the woods before challenging the walls in Verdon, transcended the simple act of climbing. As Palma says, "It is something that transcends the personal technical level, one's character, and enters that nebulous world in which the terms idea, archetype, model appear."

Edlinger, born in Dax in 1960, started climbing at a very young age, inspired by his mountain-loving parents. His early passion for climbing grew, leading him to become one of the most renowned climbers of the 1980s. His solo ascents on Pelvoux, Pic Coolidge and Ailefroide in the early 1970s put him on the map, but it was in the 1980s that he reached the height of his fame.

"As a man he was a shy person, at times he could seem gruff but he hid a very sweet fragility", reflects his friend Luca Bich. His magnetic presence, characterized by long blond hair, a sculptural physique, and deep eyes, made him both an aesthetic and athletic icon.

Edlinger's philosophy on climbing was a mix of hedonism, respect for nature and the search for limits. "For me, climbing is a way of life, not just a sport" , he says. "It's an excuse to travel the world, to find new places and new people. The most important thing is to remain free for life, this is my real plan for the future."

"Flying was, in his philosophy, an indispensable aspect of climbing," he writes in his book Grimper, pratique et plaisir. "The novice must learn to fly very quickly on his second or third day of climbing. His progress will be much faster and he will avoid certain stresses that could block him." This vision, rooted in an era when free climbing was still the subject of suspicion, broke the mold and opened new horizons.

Le Blonde was not only an extraordinary athlete but also a pioneer in the opening style. In Buoux, in 1982, he climbed the first 7b on sight , "Captain crochet", followed by the first 7c in the world , "La polka des ringards". In 1983, he reached the level of 8th. His dedication to the limestone walls of Provence, particularly in Céüse, is evident in the numerous itineraries he opened. In 1988, at Châteauvert, he was the first to climb the 8b+ of Are you Ready? and in 1989 it was the turn of the free solo of Orange Mécanique 8a , in Cimaï. In the same year he climbed routes up to the grade of 8c such as Maginot Line at Volx and Azincourt at Buoux.

His complex relationship with competitions, highlighted by the Manifesto dei 19 in 1985 , reflects his vision of climbing as a personal quest and refuge from institutionalized patterns . His involvement in competitions such as Sportroccia and the World Cup circuit came later, but his resistance to convention remained intact.

His life has been an odyssey of challenges, daring flights and a relentless search for freedom. As he himself said, "He knew he had become a legend, so he had to keep dreaming." Il Biondo will remain a legend, an icon who has left an indelible mark on modern climbing.

His tragic end, marked by alcoholism problems and a fatal domestic accident, closed the chapter of a living legend, but his free spirit and philosophy remain engraved in the soul of climbing and in the values of BRAGHE .