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Ice Season Warm-Up: Beyond Good and Evil

The thin route was first climbed in 1992 and is considered a classic

The first ascent of Beyond Good and Evil, the wild and famous mixed line in Les Pelerins, Chamonix, France was in November 1992 by Mark Twight and Andy Parkin.

The duo had attempted the thin ice line in 1989, around the same time as the Berlin Wall crashed down in Germany. The 10-pitch 600-metre route was so thin on the first ascent, the two climbers couldn’t get one ice screw in. They added a skull and crossbones on the topo, denoting a scary and dangerous final pitch.

The route’s name was inspired by the quote by Nietzsche that read, “In the house of pain, we were chained together searching for our truth, beyond good and evil.” Be sure to follow Twitght on Instagram below.

In 2013, for the 20 anniversary of the first ascent, Marion Poitevin and Sébastien Ratel were filmed repeating it. The short film includes interviews with Twight and Parkin and the climbers who made the second ascent, François Damilano and François Marsigny.

It was shot by top videographer Jon Griffith, who said after the shoot, “The adventure began and as we quested up the route I found myself on the sharp end of some of the best climbing I’ve done in a long time.

“Freeing the A1 pitch was slow going but mind-blowingly good. It felt like a special day to have Beyond in such virgin conditions without a soul about.”

Beyond Good and Evil

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