Jacques Wehrlin (? – 1916)

Jacques Wehrlin founded the clan of Rochassier in 1908. The first group primary focussing on climbing in Fontainebleau, France the forest that would go on to define modern bouldering worldwide. In the early 20th century, long before indoor climbing gyms, crash pads, or the modern grade systems, Wehrlin was among the earliest enthusiasts to explore the sandstone boulders of the forest systematically.

Wehrlin, with his blond beard, is described as the first climber of Fontainebleau, an everlasting student. He was the librarian of the Club Alpin. Passionate about geology and botany. He was the soul of the group of rochassiers until the first big war. He invented Sundays spent in hobnailed boots, with bulging packs and coils of rope slung over the shoulder, setting out from the Gare de Lyon.
Wehrlin had three favorite places to climb in Fontainebleau: Trois Pignons, Long Rocher and Cuvier-Chatillon. The white sand at Trois Pignons reminded him of the snow in the alps. 

Early Context: Fontainebleau Before Bouldering

At the end of the 19th century, Parisian climbers associated with the Club Alpin Français began coming to Fontainebleau not only to practice for Alpine climbing but also to engage directly with the low sandstone boulders there. These excursions planted the seed for what would become an autonomous discipline: bouldering.

Jacques Wehrlin and “La Fissure Wehrlin”

The first recorded boulder problem in Fontainebleau dates from 1908. That year, Jacques Wehrlin — a member of the Groupe Rochassier, an early climbing club active in the area — climbed a crack in the Bas Cuvier sector of the forest that would later be recognized as “La Fissure Wehrlin.” Today this line is graded around 3 (roughly equivalent to a very easy modern grade) and recognized as one of the earliest documented solo bouldering ascents in the forest.

la fissure wehrlin climbed sinse 1908, first asent by Jacques Wehrlin

Wehrlin’s ascent was not simply a matter of reaching a high point on a rock. Contemporary accounts note that the move demanded technique and focus, even with very rudimentary climbing footwear such as studded boots, which were typical at the time. His own reflections on the sandstone’s smooth faces and sparse holds suggest he was interested in movement and challenge on rock in its own right, not merely using the boulders as Alpine training.

For a period, the feature he climbed even carried his name in early guidebooks by Maurice Martin — a later chronicler of Fontainebleau climbing — although evolving local usage eventually led to other toponyms for the same monolith.

Legacy in the Evolution of Bouldering

While Wehrlin’s line was modest in technical difficulty by later standards, its significance lies in its place in history: it is widely acknowledged as one of the first purposely climbed problems in Fontainebleau that later generations would regard as a dedicated boulder problem, rather than merely a part of Alpine preparation.

Nulle part on ne saurait mieux apprendre à grimper.
Nowhere could one learn to climb better.
Jacques Wehrlin about Fonteinebleau

The activity that Wehrlin participated in grew over subsequent decades. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, local climbers continued to explore the forest’s sandstone. Later innovators — such as Jacques de Lépiney, who established the first graded problem, La Prestat, around 3c (F4) in 1914, and Pierre Allain, whose soft-soled climbing shoes and FA of L’Angle Allain pushed difficulty forward in the 1930s — built on the foundation laid by early figures like Wehrlin.

By the mid-20th century, Fontainebleau had developed recognized circuits, grading systems, and a vibrant bleausard culture that would profoundly shape the global culture of bouldering.

The “Groupe des Rochassiers”

Wehrlin was a leading figure of the Groupe des Rochassiers, a circle of climbers who met every Sunday at Fontainebleau. Calling himself ‘the noble old man’ you can feel his position among within this group. Along with peers like Pierre Le Bec and André Jacquemart, Wehrlin helped transform the forest into a “laboratory” for climbing movement.

Death at world war I

Jacques Wehrlin was mobilized at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. Serving as a lieutenant in the French army, his climbing career was abruptly cut short by the conflict. Wehrlin was killed in action on 20 July 1916.

Why Wehrlin Matters Today

Today’s Fontainebleau — with its thousands of problems spanning all levels, painted circuits, and annual pilgrims of climbers from around the world — is far removed from the environment Wehrlin first encountered. Nonetheless, his name endures through La Fissure Wehrlin and through the recognition that the very concept of bouldering in Fontainebleau has deep historical roots stretching back to his early explorations.

Wehrlin’s contribution is not solely about the technical difficulty of his ascent but about his role as one of the first explorers to appreciate the boulders for their own movement potential — a perspective that would, over time, help define bouldering as a distinct subset of climbing.

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