July 23, 2026 - Live!

The forest fires are under control for almost a week now, but the ground contains a huge layer of turf and this is still smoldering up to half a meter deep in many places and can catch fire again at any moment. That's why close to 500 firefighters are still making rounds looking for those spots and drown them. This process will still take several weeks and the burnt areas will most likely remain closed to the public for a year. It's still unknown what will happen after that.
It's a true disaster for the forest and the many animals that have died, but I'm starting to be fed up with still constantly seeing pictures and videos of the fire and the aftermath on social media. Nobody truly knows how much the inferno has hurt me, but I try not to stay focused on the negative aspect of things. Instead, I have done quite a few things to help out our small community here in the little village of Noisy-sur-Ecole. I'm not going to name them because I'm not looking for compliments, but friends here and there will know if they ask about it.
I also haven't stopped climbing, because even though most of the forest is still closed to the public, and the unburnt areas will remain closed until Monday at least, but some areas around Nemours and the areas in Buthiers are free to enter. Those have never been closed. Climbing there has offered me a way out, away from the fires, and the oh so many depressing pictures and videos of the inferno on the internet. What happened happened and stopping with everything will not undo any of it. There's a time of mourning, but life still continues, despite the many calls to not go climbing out of solidarity or because of the risk of getting injured and requiring the need of rescue. Even though the latter might be true to some degree, where do we draw the line ? Should the inhabitants of the region stop riding their bikes, their cars, stop living their lives and stay in bed all day ? I choose to live.
As Buthiers is open and close to home, I have spent a few short sessions trying "La Fourmi Verte (assis)", right next to the big parking. I had done the standing start almost to the day five years ago I honestly didn't think that I would have needed three short sessions to do the sitstart. It's mostly quite good holds, but the crux requires a lot of power and is at the very top. It was especially the resistance power that I was lacking. Every time I made a small mistake before the crux, I didn't have enough left in me anymore to do and control the crux move.
The trick was to just repeat it over to dial in all the moves up to the crux to the point where climbing up to there would feel like only a formality. The sessions never lasted more than an hour, with long breaks in between attempts, trying to regain some power. On my third session, today, it finally all felt smooth and I was able to finish it on my second attempt.

Fontainebleau - Buthiers Tennis - La Fourmi Verte (assis) 7B+

July 14, 2026 - Man vs fire.

As most are probably already aware by now, on Sunday afternoon, several fires started along the A6 highway, near the Bois Rond and Vallée Chaude areas. Fires that quickly turned into a raging inferno, devouring the way too dry forest like the Cookie Monster in a pastry shop. It didn't take to become the biggest forest fire in the region for as long as I know. The days following Sunday, was a constant coming and going of Canadairs, two new DASH watering planes and three helicopters helping to try and get the situation under control. I have several pictures of the smoke and flying Canadairs, but I will not publish any of them here because there are many others already available online and it breaks my heart every time when I see them. Over 1200 hectares of forest has been burnt to the ground by now, but currently the situation seems to be more or less under control. 
After they manage to get the fires out, it will take another two weeks of keeping the soils wet to prevent fires from restarting and then it will take many many years for the forest to recover.
Despite all that, I do feel that life goes on and decided to go for a climb this morning in Buthiers Nord, one of the few areas where going into the forest was still allowed, according to the forest closures defined in the Arrêté Prefetorale published yesterday.
I managed to climb "Man vs Machine", even though "Man vs Fire" might be more fitting as a name now. Not the easiest of the grade for sure.

Fontainebleau - Buthiers Nord - Man vs Machine 7B

I did post the video also on Instagram, and as I expected quite quickly received comments hinting at it not being respectful towards the situation and firefighters in the current situation. It is my opinion however, that I didn't do anything against the defined regulations published yesterday and that it doesn't help anyone staying at home and not going for a climb where I was allowed to go. I am not disrespectful at all, but I'm a passionate climber and I just followed my passion despite the situation, but informed myself about where I was allowed to go. I don't feel sorry about having gone for a climb just because some might have a different opinion about good sense than I do. I will not necessarily do what others want because they feel it is their good sense.
I did have a phone call later with someone close to the ONF and was informed that the ONF, as a forest authority, had decided to close down the whole forest, including the areas that fall outside of the Arrêté Prefectorale. and they were going to the climbing areas still considered "open" to inform climbers about the extension of the closure. At the time of my climbing this morning, this was not yet public knowledge nor known to me.
It was therefor decided that instead of removing my post, which nobody would have noticed, I edited the description to inform about the new closures. At least that can be of a help to inform people instead of blatantly deleting a post without further ado.
To anyone reading this: it is not a good time to come to the forest, so please delay your visit as possible.

July 11, 2026 - As if nothing.

The Trois Pignons forest and all forests in the Essonne department are closed again due to fire risk during this heatwave. So I drove to Nemours to try "L'Air de Rien" in Les Mammouths. I had tried this once a few years ago with Pieter, but the dynamic move to the big sloper was giving me too much trouble with the bad conditions we had that day. I did manage to do it isolation, but it didn't feel easy at all. Therefor, I focused on that move first when I arrived. It again felt really hard, so I tried to find some minor details that would make the move consistent.
After some small tweaks in foot placement, I finally felt solid on the move and turned on the camera to try from the start.
Somehow, I cruised through it as if it was nothing. Not too early, because it was starting to get too hot again already.
Really longing for some rain to rinse the boulders and please nature.

Fontainebleau - Les Mammouths - L'Air de Rien 7B(7A+)

July 05, 2026 - Shame on you!

Those that climbed on the ultra classic beautiful boulder of "La Baleine" in Petit Bois before me, most likely yesterday, as I was early this morning, ought to be ashamed of themselves. Big fat tick marks and a thick layer of chalk on the holds showed that they hadn't clean the boulder at all when they left. They should go back to their indoor gyms and stay there until they learn to have some respect for the boulders they climb on and for those that come after them. It's such a small effort for a big positive result.
As one might have noticed by now, I went to Petit Bois morning to try the direct version of "La Baleine", the latter I did back in 2015, almost to the day already eleven years ago. Back then I had hesitated quite some time before I dared trying this beautiful and impressive problem just by myself.
The boulder is still impressive and quite intimidating, but I had more confidence than eleven years ago. The far move to the lip looked too far at first, but I made it there already on my first attempt and jumped off to setup the camera. I knew I would be able to get there every time, and that it was just a matter of getting to the high but good sloper. Not being tall enough, I had no other option but to jump and go for it. I had brought two crashpads for the occasion, but still needed some attempts to gain more confidence and really commit myself to it. 
All in all, it didn't take very long before I was able to top out, standing satisfied on top of this beautiful boulder.
I cleaned the boulder afterwards, of course, and I hope the ones that come after me will do too.

Fontainebleau - Petit Bois - La Baleine (direct) 7B(7A+)