Anna Stöhr at Buoux climbs Antoine le Menestrel's La Rose et le Vampire

Yesterday Buoux was in the headlines with Agincourt, the first 8c in France freed back in 1989 by England’s Ben Moon. As mentioned, back in those days this limestone crag was the world’s epicentre for sports climbing, in particular the Le Bout du Monde sector which contained the highest density of hard routes worldwide.

The best of of the best came to test themselves here, yearning to redpoint the famous triad that breach the bulging overhang comprised of La Rage de Vivre (8b+, Antoine Le Menestrel, 1986), Le Minimum (8b+, Marc Le Menestrel, 1986) and La Rose et le Vampire 8b, Antoine Le Menestrel, 1985). The latter route contains one of the most famous moves imaginable, an extreme cross through on modified pockets. The long reach through caught people’s imagination and has come to be known as the Rose move.

Antoine Le Menestrel managed to free the line in September 1985 and even today it remains a coveted and stout test, as Austria’s Anna Stöhr demonstrates.

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