July 31, 2019 - Air time.

My body felt somewhat tired this morning, but I wanted to get some air, so why not go to 95.2 and try some dyno-ing.
"Air", next to "L'Ange Naïf", seemed like a good one to start with, even though I had never dared to really go for it in the past. I was doubting to take a second crashpad, but didn't after all. When I arrived at the boulder, I again was spooked by how high it is and why I maybe should have taken that extra pad anyway.
So be it, I was there, and decided to slowly build up the confidence. Still, that big boulder in the back was worrying me.

Surprisingly, it didn't take me as long as I expected and finished it after a handful attempts.

Fontainebleau - 95.2 - Air 7B+(7B)

I knew that the dyno to the right was even more scary and even closer to that boulder in the back, but decided to give it some tries anyway.
After a few times not making the jump and falling really close to the boulder behind me, I was scared off and started packing. For some reason I changed my mind and decided to try a few times more, trying not to think about that boulder behind me and really jump.

It was a huge relief when it suddenly stuck and I mantled up. Very scary and quite hard dyno this one.

Fontainebleau - 95.2 - Air (droite) 7A+

I hadn't planned on trying "Jafesse Connexion Airline" again, as I sort of had already given up on that one. I just didn't see myself doing that huge dyno, covering about two metres from the starting hold to the next.
My curiosity took over though and after the first try this morning, I immediately had the feeling that this could work. Which it did in the end.

This huge dyno to compression on slopers is much nicer than it looks. I wonder why I never bothered trying it more before.

Fontainebleau - 95.2 - Jafesse Connexion Airline 7B(7B+)

I had collected enough air miles for the day and headed back home. There was still a lot of work in the garden to finish, so at least I would still be getting some air.

July 30, 2019 - Shapes and formes.

Boulders come in all kind of shapes, formes and colours. Especially in Bleau.
The small but widespread area of Cassepot Roches Roses is a good example.
It's quite a long walk up to the last boulder in the far end of the area, but it's the most interesting one with many problems, all definitely worth it.
The shapes on that boulder offer many possibilities but I was able to finish two of them today.

First one was "Mik Mak", which looked like an easy warmup, but required much more effort than expected. Beautiful line with a quite scary topout.

Fontainebleau - Cassepot Roches Roses - Mik Mak 7A

Soon after, it was followed by the even more beautiful "Coeur de Flamme".
Truly a stunning line on a very special boulder with a scary uncertain finger lock at the end.

Fontainebleau - Cassepot Roches Roses - Coeur de Flamme 7A+(7A)

I lacked on energy for finishing any of the other problems, but spent quite some time trying and working out moves. This boulder hasn't seen the last of me yet.

July 29, 2019 - Skull & Bones.

I like the far end of Franchard Sablons. The Franchard region can be very crowded, but it's quite rare to see other climbers or hikers in that part of it.
I wanted to try quite some problems, but it was already hot quite early and my hands were sweaty for some reason and I couldn't find good friction anywhere. It didn't bother me very much though, because even though I couldn't top out, I was climbing and enjoying the deafening silence of the forest.

Deer skull at "L'Arête de l'Abri-Bivouac".

The only problem that I managed to top out this morning, was the very nice line "Matagot (sortie droite)". A problem that I had never dared trying due to the exposed factor created by the boulder just below you when doing the last moves.
Somehow it didn't scare me away this time, but practiced the last moves and finished it on my first attempt from the sitstart.

Fontainebleau - Franchard Sablons Ouest - Matagot (sortie droite) 7A+

July 28, 2019 - Tanned.

Me and my family have spent the past week in the Var department, enjoying a nice relaxing, but also tiring vacation. Even though I'm not a fan of sun bathing or tanning, and the only times you will see me in the direct sun is when walking from one shade spot to the next, I did seem to have gotten a tan. You be the judge, I have been so already.
Anyway, after a smooth eight hour drive, we arrived back home yesterday afternoon, but I still have a whole week of holiday in front of me. One that will be spent at home, in the always so beautiful forest.

This morning I went back to what is now called the Mont Blanc Ouest area. During my vacation, where I didn't climb at all, Olivier Joanon had been busy in the area and had opened quite some new problems, out of which a handful in the seventh grade.
I warmed up in "Nom d'un Menhir", on the backside of the boulder across "Rasta Roquette". Nice little prow where it's mostly about foot placement. Not hard for the grade, but I did have fun with this one.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc Ouest - Nom d'un Menhir 7A+

As I was there and still had plenty of battery left in my camera, I decided to repeat "Rasta Roquette (assis)", which I opened just before leaving on vacation, but wasn't able to get a video of it.
This morning I got it on video, but not without losing some skin off the back of my hand.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc Ouest - Rasta Roquette (assis) 7B+(7C)

At about 80m from there, I noticed someone between some boulders, and it turned out to be Laurent Darlot who was working in "Mont Suribachi", one of the boulders that I still wanted try this morning.
I watched him send it and remembered some of his beta, but as we don't quite have the same morphology, nor the same strengths, I had to use a different one. One that turned out to be a good one for me in the end.
I really enjoyed this boulder. Very nice one.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc Ouest - Mont Suribachi 7B(7B+)

July 18, 2019 - The real moquette.

As the name "Rasta Moquette" apparently was already chosen, I changed mine to "Rasta Coquette". The good thing about that, was that I was reminded of the first "Rasta Moquette" that was opened not very long ago in the back of the 91.1 area.
I had already seen it, but as the boulders in that part of the area dry quite slowly, I didn't have the chance to try it and had forgotten about it.

We are having a long dry period already, so I knew that it would definitely be dry now and went to 91.1.
"Rasta Moquette" looks and is quite small and short, but the moves make it a really fun line to climb.
I really enjoyed this one.

Fontainebleau - 91.1 - Rasta Moquette 7A+

July 17, 2019 - Some new stuff.

Being in holiday, I had time to climb and set off to the Ouest of the Mont Blanc area behind Éléphant.
I went with the idea of trying the new "Slippery Joe" at about 200m to the Ouest of the main Mont Blanc area.
Unfortunately, "Slippery Joe" wasn't really what I expected and still suffering from pain on my fairy tail, I didn't feel like trying something that didn't fit my style.
Strangely enough, I hadn't thought of a backup plan, but I hard my hard brush with me, and as there were quite some more bigger and smaller boulders in the immediate vicinity, I decided to have a look around and see if something would be worth brushing.
On the way, at about 30m to the East of "Slippery Joe", I had passed a boulder that had drawn my attention, so it was a good place to start.

I had already visited this small unknown sector with Neil (Hart) about six years ago, even before the Mont Blanc area was made public, so many of the boulders around had already been cleaned before six years ago and then again forgotten about. The boulder I cleaned could be one of them, but time at least had taken its toll and I can assure you that I had to clean off a lot.

"Rasta Coquette" is the right line and "Rasta Roquette" the left.

Did four problems on the same piece of the boulder, but unfortunately only two videos.

"Rasta Coquette", the right line on the picture, is about 6C(6B+) depending on your height.
Standing start with both hands on low small undercut crimps and exit directly or slightly left, using two big oblique slopey crimps.
I didn't bother making a video of the standstart, as I did the sitstart soon after. The sitstart start with two hand on the same two small undercut crimps, but getting off the ground requires a very hard pull on them. Maybe enough to make it a little 7A. Grade to be confirmed.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc - Rasta Coquette (assis) 7A

"Rasta Roquette"'left line on the picture, starts the same as "Rasta Coquette", but make a dyno to a good sandy hold on the left, without using the big slopey crimps of "Rasta Coquette". Exit slightly left.
Even though it might look not that hard at first, this took me quite some time. The position to dyno from makes it a very strange and hard move.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc - Rasta Roquette 7B+(7B)

Finally, now that I had gotten the hang of that move, it didn't take me many attempts anymore to do its sitstart too, "Rasta Roquette (assis)". I estimate that grade to be about 7B+(7C). Of course, also to be confirmed.
Unfortunately, while taking a longer break before attempting the sitstart, I had forgotten to turn off the camera and the battery didn't want to wait until I was finished to give up on me. Something that will not happen soon again.

Anyway, it probably will not take too long before I go back and make a video, as the static version of "Rasta Roquette" is still a project and there are more boulders with potential.

July 14, 2019 - Hide & seek.

Bois Rond Le Moine is a relatively new sector near the Auberge, consisting of only a handful of mostly isolated boulders spread over the hill on the South.
When I went looking for the boulder of "Mon Cochon" a few weeks ago, the description to get there, still mentioned taking the Chemin d'Arbonne à Achères for about 1000m and then go right for about 110m. I ended up at the boulder of "Lithothérapie", but wasn't able to find "Mon Cochon" afterwards.
I wasn't able to find the boulder of "La Maison du Sanglier" neither, even though that description said to the Chemin d'Arbonne à Achères for only 250m and then go right and the that boulder can be seen from the path. I walked to every small boulder that I could see from the path, but nothing.

This morning started cloudy and a bit colder, so I thought it would be a good occasion to look for those boulders again. Especially after seeing that the description to find "Mon Cochon" was updated and mentioned to take the Chemin d'Arbonne à Achères for only 400m instead of the 1000m written before.
Using the updated description, I did manage to find "Mon Cochon" this time, even though not without a bit of luck. To future possible repeaters, it helps to know that it's near the top of the hill. Still well hidden.

Hiding under the snout of "Mon Cochon".

Standing in front of the boulder and sitting under that nose, clearly revealed the obvious name of the line I was about to try.
Still suffering from severe pain on my fairy tail, I was afraid to fall and getting hurt even more, so maybe that's why it only took me three attempts. Still it was well worth having played that hide & seek for. A very nice line!

Fontainebleau - Bois Rond Le Moine - Mon Cochon 7A+

I tried to find "La Maison du Sanglier" again following its description, but again nowhere to be found. Until I noticed another path on another side of the hill and deviated from the area I was supposed to look according to the description. There it was clearly, clearly visible from the path below, yet that path is the Chemin Descamps.
Anyway, again only three attempts after having worked out the moves, but not without getting hurt first.

Fontainebleau - Bois Rond Le Moine - La Maison du Sanglier 7A+

So to get there, on the parking standing at the barrier of the Chemin d'Arbonne à Achères, immediately turn right and follow the obvious Chemin Descamps for about 250m where you can see the backside of the boulder, about 50m up the slope on the left side.

Now compare that with the original description and you will understand why hide & seek can take a long time that way.

July 13, 2019 - Keep on moving.

After a rough night due to the pain on my tail bone, I had difficulties to sit or stand up this morning.
My tail bone was hurting like hell, but I found that moving around slowly made it somewhat bearable, so I went out to see some of the new boulders in the new Mont Simonet Ouest area, hoping that it would be okay enough to climb.

Laurent Darlot was already there before me this morning, working in the long traverse of "Globe-Trotter". He had opened some of the lines in that sector, so he showed me what was what, where and how and gave some good beta to start with "Tout à l'Honneur".
On my first attempt, I held back because of the pain when I lifted up my left foot high. I decided that I should just go for it and deal with the pain later, and made it on my second attempt.

Fontainebleau - Mont Simonet Ouest - Tout à l'Honneur 7A(6C+)

The sitstart, opened by Laurent, proved to be much more interesting. Some very nice moves to get you in the standing start position, and forcing you to pull much harder for the final move.

Fontainebleau - Mont Simonet Ouest - Tout à l'Honneur (assis) 7B

Coming down and jumping the final 50cm off the boulder felt like torture to my fairy tail every time, which didn't really motivate to try something else, but I finished with the seeming first ascent of "Reckless (gauche assis)", where the hardest move is the first one, making me wonder how the standstart can be 6C.
Laurent, being smaller, had to start lower with the left hand, adding another not convenient move to it, but followed immediately after me. He had just finished "Globe-Trotter" anyway.

Fontainebleau - Mont Simonet Ouest - Reckless (gauche assis) 7A(6C+)

July 12, 2019 - Stupid fairy tail.

No, I didn't make a typo when writing tail in the title of this post. It's more meant as a reference to my tail bone for a tail that I don't have. That's why I sometimes jokingly call it my fairy tail bone.
As we don't, or no longer, have a tail, we often forget about it or are plainly unaware of its existence, but nevertheless, it's always there. Right at the very bottom of your spine.
The few moments in life when we get reminded of having one is mostly because we fell on it and can feel the pain in which it can result.

Being reminded of having a tail bone, is exactly what happened to me after work, when I stopped at Franchard Isatis and did my first try in "La Power-Lolotte (assis)". I missed the sloper of the first move and fell with that useless part of my body right on one the tree roots just above the surface.
It's the kind of pain that makes your toes curl and even though not crying, can make your eyes tear.
It hurt like crazy, but luckily the adrenalin took over during my next attempts, not making the pain go away, but rather making it bearable.
I only had a short hour that I could climb, but was able to make it just in time.
Even without the big hold near the top that broke off in 2017 and has now become a bad sloper, this is still a real beauty. Maybe even nicer now I would dare to say.

Fontainebleau - Franchard Isatis - La Power-Lolotte (assis) 7C

It's only when I cooled down again and the adrenalin faded that my damn fairy tail bone really started to hurt! I wish I didn't realise again that it's there.

July 07, 2019 - Down the hole.

It was already early afternoon when I arrived back home from Belgium, but I was motivated for a climb and went for it, despite the heat.
It was already 15h, so the sun was high and the car thermometer said 34°C when I parked at the cemetery of Boissy-aux-Cailles.
My first idea was to try some of the problems on the boulder of "Blind Spot" on top of the hill, above "Water Roof", but it was directly in the sun, and the overhang offered much less shade than I had hoped for.
After a few desperate attempts in "Faux Pas" and "Micromégas", the heat became unbearable and I had no choice but to stop climbing on that overhanging face of the boulder.
On my way back down the hill, I couldn't resist from taking a break in the pit of "Water Roof", where it felt nice and cool.

I hadn't planned on trying "Water Roof", because I remembered from last time that the moves in the small cave are quite physical and it felt too hot for that.
Having cooled down substantially deep in that hole though, I decided to give it a few tries.
To my pleasant surprise, the moves went much better than last time and after only a handful of attempts, I fought my way to the top.
Coming back down from the boulder, I noticed that the lid of the camera was still closed. It took a while before I had a more or less good spot for the camera, and apparently had forgotten to press record.
Luckily I was able to repeat it again after another cooling break down the hole.

Fontainebleau - Boissy Vallée de l'Église - Water Roof 7B+(7B)

July 04, 2019 - The die is cast again.

I still remember it well, when I did "Alea Jacta Est" in Roche aux Oiseaux, back in October 2016. It was beautiful Autumn day, and I still had to go to the South for work.
Slightly different situation today, being a hot Summer day in the beginning of July. I had done working and and already diner when I arrived at Roche aux Oiseaux this evening with only one thing on my mind, the sitstart of "Alea Jacta Est".
It had been a hot day, but there was a slight breeze and the air felt very dry. Something that could be noticed when touching the rock.

I still wanted to do something with my youngest son Noah, so I didn't have a lot of time, but I didn't feel any pressure. The area is close to home, the walk not far, and I knew that is still going to be dry for a while, so I could come come back soon if it didn't work out today.
Touching the crimp quite easily with every try, so I knew that it was just a matter of a bit of luck to deadpoint at the right time and crimp on the right spot.
When it suddenly stuck for the second time, I still expected to slide off the crimp, but somehow managed to stay on it and reach for the next hold. I knew that it was kind of over from then on, but I didn't want to make any wrong move, so held my breath and climbed on to reach the top.
Just like when I did the standing start, it came unexpected, but who cares, the die is cast.

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Oiseaux - Alea Jacta Est (assis) 7C+

July 03, 2019 - The Ritz.

I really needed a climb this evening to disconnect from work and luckily the temperature had already cooled down a lot.
The sun was already setting when I arrived at 95.2, but the sandstone boulders had gathered the heat and they still felt warm. Not really good conditions, but the air was dry, my skin not too bad and the motivation high. I was ready to try "La Ritz (assis)" again.
Despite that I could do all the moves quite easily, and had done the standing start already a couple of times, it still took me four short, but dedicated sessions to finally finish "La Ritz (assis)".
Not really hard moves to get into the position of the standing start, but keeping the friction until the end was quite hard and I had to change method many times.
Finally it all came together this evening, and I'm glad to add this beauty to my ticklist. Really worth the effort!

Fontainebleau - 95.2 - La Ritz (assis) 7B