"What matters is to realize yourself fully, to exhaust all your possibilities, to make something concrete. Whether in sport, in literature, in the bold enlightenment of a scientific or philosophical theory, or in simple harmonious play of your muscles, what's important is that this work represents the peak of your creative potential."
I first got to known the name Pierre Allain in the early-1970s when I got my first pair of rock shoes. The PA rock boot - named after its inventor - were not state of the art by then, but they were far better than using my mountaineering boots at the gunks.
Pierre Allain (1904-200) was a noted "Bleausards," a group of Parisians who bouldered in Fontainebleau as training for the Alps. He made many first ascents, but certainly his 1935 route on the North Face of the Dru is one of the most historically important. He was also noted for his gear innovations: rock shoes, rappel devices, cagoule, pied d'elephant, and alloy carabiners.
The quote is from his book, ALPINISME et COMPETITION, and was mentioned in #50 of the ALPINIST.
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