The 80’s were a time of major change in climbing. The French were rewriting the rules of the sport and many of the old school American & British climbers were not enthused about it. There was a lot of debate about what was valid. Many were even questioning if sport climbing could help one improve.
In 1985 Frenchman Antoine Le Menestrel traveled to England and soloed their hardest route, Jerry Moffat’s “Revelations”. For those that were paying attention that may have been on the fence, this sealed the deal. Clearly Antoine, JB Tribout and all their cohorts who had been working out in “The Lab” were on to something. As John Bouchard used to say. “Keep up with the times or the times will leave you behind.”
This piece I wrote about the first ascent of Liquid Sky was published in Alpinist #28. It’s a glimpse into what was happening on Cathedral Ledge at that time.
Liquid_Sky_First_Ascent_Alpinist