He has written six books on the subject as well as numerous articles for Montagne magazine and Trek magazine. He was a top-level climber for fifteen years (1975-1990), notably completing six routes on the north face of the Grandes Jorasses (including the second ascent of the MacIntyre-Colton line in 1980), making solo climbs in the Alps and Peru, scaling the big walls of Yosemite, and racking up several first ascents (including the Ginat route on the Droites, and the Modica-Noury gully on Mont Blanc du Tacul). He is a member of France's elite Groupe de Haute Montagne (G.H.M.).