September 19, 2026 - Getting back slowly.

I'm still not a 100% after being sick, but I'm starting to raise in percentage slowly. 
In the mornings I usually feel fine, but it doesn't take a lot to start winding down again, mainly because of being too active and not allowing my body to properly have a rest. I realize that being busy all the time slows down the healing process, but I'm not someone who can sit still and do nothing. There's just too much to do and so little free time. My heel is getting much better and even though I still have to walk slow, I at least managed to walk all the way to Apremont Bizons without feeling pain. 
When I sat down in "La Couille Lisse", the first move seemed impossible at first, but after some tweaks in body position and foot placement, I started getting closer and closer to sticking it. It wasn't a very quick process, but when I felt really close and turned on the camera, I suddenly stuck the move and topped out. This one is all about that first move and in my humble opinion rather felt like 7B at most.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Bizons - La Couille Lisse 7B+

I had tried "Malfrat" only once, and that was more than fourteen years ago, because I hadn't moved to Noisy-sur-Ecole yet. I can't remember why I wasn't able to do it back then, but now it went quite okay. I could have done it sooner if I wouldn't have dabbed the crashpad on a few attempts, but I liked the process,  changing small things to avoid the dab.
It was only on my way back that my heel started bothering me again, so I turned down the pace. I'll get there slowly, but steadily.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Bizons - Malfrat 7A+

September 12, 2026 - Finger licking good.

Besides a few mild colds, I hadn't been sick for at least ten good years, but on Wednesday evening, I suddenly felt feverish. After an almost sleepless night, I got up on Thursday morning with a high fever. Working full-time from home, I didn't skip work, but continued as usual, suffering from the fever. It wore me down completely. It started getting better on Friday, but I felt extremely weak. This morning, no more fever, but still very weak. Despite feeling exhausted, I did go for a climb anyway. Still suffering from my left heel injury and not looking forward to a long walk, I chose "Finger Food" in Apremont Buvette, opened by Nataleigh and Jan (de Smit). 
Being in not so good shape due to beforementioned circumstances, I didn't set myself any expectations. My main goal was to be in the forest and have some fresh air. I therefor wasn't disappointed about the thought that I would not be able to do "Finger Food" when I touched the small crimps. However, the fact that it only has three hard moves, motivated me to push on. Surprisingly, it didn't take much time before I was able to stick the first move, and the second followed soon after. Knowing that the dynamic move to the lip of the overhang wasn't going to give any trouble, I turned on the camera and was able to finish "Finger Food" soon after.
I'm not a so called board climber and don't even really know what it exactly entails, but for for some reason I was thinking that this felt like a perfect short board climb, or maybe it was because I didn't expect to be able to do it that I found this short with only three moves, just beautiful. I liked it that much that I wanted to repeat it over and over, but I refrained myself from doing so, realizing I needed to preserve some energy for the much gardenwork I had waiting for me.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Buvette - Finger Food 7B

Just want to add that today, Jan (de Smit) was able to do "Elephunk" (8B!!). Being in his early 50's, this is extremely impressive!
Congrats and big up to Jan!!

September 03, 2026 - Not the last.

It was a last minute decision this evening to go and try the new "Le Dernier Problème (droite direct)" in Buthiers Piscine. Just like a few days ago, I felt the sudden urge to go for a climb, especially knowing that I won't have a lot of chances to go climbing this weekend, as I will be spending it with my sisters in the Belgian Ardennes, where we rented a big gite.
Back in 2017 I had done "Le Dernier Problème (droite)" on my second attempt, just failing once on the big right hand move to the right. This time however, even though I immediately did that move, I fell off a few times when releasing the feet or left hand. Nevertheless, quite a quick ascent after all, but just as fun.
And no, this will definitely not be the last problem that I'm climbing.

Fontainebleau - Buthiers Piscine - Le Dernier Problème (droite direct) 7A+(7B)

August 31, 2026 - Stay low.

This evening just before dinner, I suddenly felt a big urge to go for a climb after dinner. With my injured heel I had to keep it low though, so I figured that the new "La P'tite Arche (retour)" could be something as the boulder is about as high as I am tall. Upon arrival at the boulder and after briefly inspecting the holds, I honestly thought that it would be a quick deal and possibly even flash it, but the opposite couldn't be more true. It became a 40 minute battle with one attempt after the other, and here and there maybe about a minute rest in between. After half an hour of non-stop attempts and falling at the same move over and over, I almost gave up and already made peace with it being a for another day, but then I had an idea and decided to try something different, using a high toehook and a very far but quite good hold deep under the roof.
The first couple of attempts I could barely reach and grab the far hold, making the swing after releasing the toehook, impossible to hold, but I stayed with, stretching myself out more and more until I got it where I wanted and stuck the swing. The topout after was only a formality.
Despite the many failures trying this problem, I really enjoyed the process, the attempts and finally doing it after thinking out of the box.

Fontainebleau - Buthiers Piscine - La P'tite Arche (retour) 7B

August 28-30, 2026 - Heeljury.

My left heel has been hurting a lot after I fell from high up in "La Distinction" earlier this week and I have been limping since then. I will have to avoid trying higher and harder problems for some time as I can't fall on it again. 
Friday evening after work, I went to Buthiers Canard to try "L'Âme Indienne" but as it was too humid, I had to quickly come up with something else and figured that "Ours Boudeur" could be something. Just one move, a big dyno. The boulder not being high, I only took my thin gap-stopper pad, but I regretted that soon. On one of my attempts, I landed with my left heel on a root hidden under the pad, making my heel feel even worse. I limped back to the car to get a thicker pad to avoid even worse. A few attempts later I suddenly stuck the dyno and topped out.

Fontainebleau - Buthiers Canard - Ours Boudeur 7A

Yesterday, Saturday, was quite rainy and humid, so I didn't even go looking for something dry, but instead used the time to continue working on my barn project.
This morning, figuring it would be quite calm, I decided to pay a visit to Franchard Isatis. I wanted to try "Burn to Shine (gauche)", but my heel was hurting too much so I quickly gave up on that one. On my way back to the car, I stopped at "Entre Toit et Moi" and decided to give it a try. I had already done the second part of the boulder, "Entre Toit", back in 2017, so I can't really call it a flash, but I was able to do it on my first attempt, after which I repeated the second part for the video, as I couldn't place the camera to capture the whole boulder.

Fontainebleau - Franchard Isatis - Entre Toit et Moi 7A+

August 26, 2026 - Not seeing many spiders.

Last week I had visitors from Thursday evening until Sunday morning, and even though I always like it when friends visit, it also wears me out completely due to the change in daily rhythm and routine. I did go for a short climb on Sunday afternoon after they left, but I was so exhausted and couldn't finish anything. When I came back home and told my oldest son how tired I was after being out of my own rhythm for a few days, he jokingly remarked that I probably don't see a lot of spiders, upon which I laughed and confirmed. We both knew why.
The thing is that he happened to mention a day or two earlier, that he once read or saw or heard , that spiders apparently keep a schedule of your doings in their heads to make sure that they hide already before you actually enter the room. People without a strict routine therefor have more chances of busting a spider, than people who do. I indeed don't see many spiders. Anyway, so far the biology lesson.

On Monday evening I felt better and went to Buthiers Canard after dinner to try "La Distinction". It had been on my radar for quite a while, but I was either waiting for someone else to be able to spot, or just too scared. I decided I was done waiting and just try the problem without any rush, slowly building up confidence. Eeven though I didn't finish it that evening, I was happy with finally having tried it and had gained quite some confidence.
Not wanting to let the muscle memory and confidence fade away, I went back this evening, determined. I wasn't in a rush or anything, just confident that I had a good chance of topping it out. 
The confidence was still there and pretty quickly I was able to reach my previous highpoint and went beyond, this time making it to the high sloper and thought it was as good as over. Not having done my homework for the topout, I struggled to get up and couldn't see the vague crack that should be there, but was covered with pine needles. I slapped, but missed and fell down from quite high, landing with both feet on my brushes that I had put on the small boulder behind the crashpad. This could have ended quite bad, but luckily it didn't.
The attempt that followed, I didn't make the same mistake and arrived prepared at the same point where I had fallen. This time, I slapped in the right spot, kept my calm and topped out. 
Really such a nice problem!

Fontainebleau - Buthiers Canard - La Distinction 7B

August 15-16, 2026 - One without the other.

The forest closures keep being extended everywhere except for the Buthiers areas that never were closed in the first place. It again limits the choice of what to climb where substantially, but luckily even in Buthiers there are some quiet spots with some isolated boulders. This time, yesterday morning, my eye fell on "X sans Y", opened by Manuel (Marques) last year I think. The boulder is well isolated in the Buthiers Ouest area, but I found it pretty quickly. A bit surprised by the bad landing, I knew I had to take this one slowly to build up confidence and determine where the crux is and how I would fall out of it. Being set on the wrong foot by trying Manuel's method, I lost a lot of time trying what he did, which didn't seem to suit me well and I felt stuck. After almost an hour I had almost accepted the fact that I might have to come back for this one, I decided to try my own method by making a dynamic move right hand instead of the always so controlled fashion of Manuel. Immediately I felt that this was more my thing and turned on the camera. I only needed two more attempts to stick the crux and make my way to the top.
I left the boulder pleased with the long session and didn't really consider the time as lost, but rather a training.

Fontainebleau - Buthiers Ouest - X sans Y 7B

This morning I went back to Buthiers Ouest to try "Jaspe", even more isolated than the other, but after almost an hour of looking for it, I was saved by David (Evrard) who was running in the area and came over to say hi. After so many years in the forest it was the first time that I actually met him in person. He was so kind to take me to the boulder of "Jaspe", where I discovered that I had stood at about two meters from the boulder two times while looking for it.
I was already tired and sweating like crazy when I finally got to try it, but wasn't able to finish it. It does come high up on my list though.