French Legend Patrick Edlinger Passes Away

by Jack Geldard - UKC Chief Editor Nov/2012
This news story has been read 14,091 times

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+Patrick Edlinger on the cover of Vertical Magazine 5, solo in Joshua Tree, 97 kb
Patrick Edlinger on the cover of Vertical Magazine 5, solo in Joshua Tree
UKC News, Nov 2012
© Photo by: Gérard Kosicki Iconic French climber Patrick Edlinger has died aged 52. The French sport climbing pioneer passed away on Friday the 16th of November.

Edlinger was well known not only for his hard sport onsights in the early 80's, but also for his audacious solo ascents of technical and hard routes such as Orange Mécanique, an 8a at Cimai, and multiple solos in the huge Verdon Gorge.

He went on to climb routes at the very limit of difficulty in the late 80's.

A full obituary is scheduled for publication on UKClimbing later this week.

You can read Planet Mountain's 2005 article on Patrick here: Planet Mountain and another news piece from them with an interesting video here: News with Video.

Below is a video of Patrick in action in the Verdon:


* Forums ( Read More... | 9 comments, 22 Nov 2012 )
According to the German magazine Alpin's website he died after falling down his stairs at home and suffering a brain hemorrhage. He managed to drag himself to his bath where his body was found. Tragic to die so early...
kenkenyon - 22 Nov 2012

To see Patrick Edlinger free soloing, search for "la vie au bout des doigts" (French title, that would be "Life at the fingertip" in english) on youtube, It is the (short) movie that shot him to...
Atmos - 20 Nov 2012

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