May 15, 2026 - Hiding in Guichot.

The long weekend of the first of May, I was on a business trip for a project and had to work through the weekend, spending long days at work. I was gone for a week and when I got back home, I was truly exhausted. I wanted to climb last weekend, tried for three days in a row (Friday the 8th of May being a public holiday), but I felt like rubbish. Nothing went as I wanted it to be and I felt weak without much motivation. Luckily, I felt the motivation and strength coming back earlier this week and I was eager to climb again, for the even longer weekend. Yet, the weather isn't great and it feels like Autumn. Lots of wind with sun and rain constantly back and forth.
This morning there was a good sunny window though and I decided to climb not too hard hoping to make some tops and boost my morale. There are a few new problems opened by David Evrard in an isolated part of Rocher Guichot and they seemed like ideal contenders.
"Pince à Sucre" is very well hidden and much my style. After I warmed up trying the moves separately and finding a working sequence, I was able to finish it on my first attempt from the start. Even though it had felt like I could have fallen off at any moment after taking the slightly slopey pocket near the top. I wrongly though it would have been over when I got there, and didn't expect the sketchy topout. Nevertheless, again a very nice find from David.

Fontainebleau - Rocher Guichot - Pince à Sucre 7A

The other one that I definitely wanted to try, was "La Conque à Bras (direct)". Yesterday evening, when the rain had stopped for a short while, I did go out to find the boulder, hoping to try it, but by time I got there, it had started raining again. The overhang offered shelter from the rain and the holds in it stayed dry, so I could at least try the moves until the crimp. The topout being soaking wet and still dripping from the rain, was going to be impossible, so hadn't even tried the move after the crimp. It did feel like a first class boulder though, so I was eager to try the whole line.
I made it to the lip of the overhang on my first attempt, but due to a foot slip, I still came off. It went smoothly on my second attempt though. Indeed truly a first class line and well worth five stars in my opinion.

Fontainebleau - Rocher Guichot - La Conque à Bras (direct) 7A

April 25-26, 2026 - Listen to the signs.

I wasn't 100% for climbing yesterday for some reason, but I did want to go to a nice spot in the forest to get away from the house and from all the work. It didn't have to be long, but I just needed some peace and quiet and I had to listen to signs of my mind and body. Coquibus is a great place for hiding, so I went to Montrouget Est, to the isolated boulder of "High Liner".
My skin wasn't great and I had a hard time finding good friction, but was able to going not too bad after all. I hadn't planned and wasn't very attracted by "Crack Liner" right next to, sharing the same start and first couple of moves, but after I dry fired out of the small vertical crack right hand near the end of "High Liner", I took a pretty sketchy fall. It turned out okay, but given that it could have been pretty bad, I took it as a sign and decided to switch to "Crack Liner" after all. Having worked out "High Liner", I knew the first part already and was able to send "Crack Liner" on my first attempt. It turned out to be much nicer than I expected.

Fontainebleau - Montrouget Est - Crack Liner 7A(7A+)

This morning, I felt tired and wanted to a lot more work around the house and in my barn, but went to Apremont Bizons to try "Les L de Lilou" in an isolated sector of the area. It was unfortunately much more in the sun than I remembered from a previous visit there many years ago, and with my skin not being in the best condition, I didn't think I was going to be able to hold on the bad slopers for long enough to be able to finish it. Somehow after a handful of attempts, I did manage to struggle my way through and to the top of this very nice problem.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Bizons - Les L de Lilou 7B

April 18-19, 2026 - Everything goes.

The more aesthetical climbers will always try to avoid using knees and elbows, but I'm definitely not one of them. The point is to follow the line of the problem and get to the end. I'm one those climbers that is of the opinion that everything goes, as long as you get to the end. That includes elbows, knees, and whatever part of the body can help to reach the goal.
Yesterday morning I went back to Le Pendu d'Huison again, to try "Boule de Feu" on a big and very attractive boulder a bit below "Psycho Tropical". It was one of the other boulders that I wanted to try when coming here for the first time, but due my priorities being with the two other lines, I hadn't taken an opportunity yet to try it, despite having looked at a few times and already imagining the moves. 
Starting in a steep overhang with an undercling, it immediately starts with a lot of body tension, making the first couple of moves quite powerful. The moves seemed to fir me pretty well though and I soon had a good working sequence to get through the overhang. There was one move afterwards that gave me a bit of trouble at first, but all in all, I managed to send it quite fast. Another beauty from Olivier (Lebreton) that deserves five stars in my personal and humble opinion.

Fontainebleau - Le Pendu d'Huison - Boule de Feu 7B+

Due to unexpected work in the house with my oldest son in the afternoon, which kept us busy until the evening and going to bed quite late for my usual habits, I felt quite exhausted this morning and as I wanted to finish what we started the day before, it was already around noon when I was able to go for a quick climb. Still wanting to do work in my barn, I stayed close to home and went to Rocher de la Cathédrale to try "J'aime tes G'noux", opened by Manuel (Marques). A small low roof with compression moves and where even Manuel, one of the most aesthetic climbers I know, used his knees for topping out. Hence the name of the problem. I felt in my element on it and didn't need much time to finish it off. It's not because of the knees, but I liked it.

Fontainebleau - Rocher de la Cathédrale - J'aime tes G'noux 7B

April 12, 2026 - Paul Bismuth.

After having done "Psycho Tropical", I had wanted to try "Paul Bismuth", but as it started raining only minutes after "Psycho Tropical", I went back for "Paul Bismuth" this morning. It shares the same first part as "Psycho Tropical", but goes exits on the right after the big hole in the overhang.
I had the first part dialed very well, so I first focused on the moves and a possible sequence starting from the big hole. From the big hole, it goes to a very bad sloper on the right where you have to match with both hands in order to be able to reach for a slightly better hold far right, one that can not be seen from the position being in. It are a couple of quite hard moves, but I was able to do them quite quickly and felt fairly confident on them.
I then was able to finish the whole problem on my second attempt from the start.

Fontainebleau - Le Pendu d'Huison - Paul Bismuth 7B+

April 11, 2026 - The rain detector.

Last weekend, the day after I did "Revue de Presse", I went to the relatively unknown small area of Le Pendu d'Huison. I had never been there before, and I figured it would be a perfect spot to hide from the big crowds during the Easter weekend. And indeed, I was completely alone. There were a few problems that I wanted to try, but my priority went to the overhang of "Psycho Tropical".
The first part of the overhang is with quite good pockets, but it's at the lip of the overhang that it starts to be really hard, and even harder than I expected. Even though I was able to do all the separate moves quite quickly, linking them all when coming from the bottom proved to be very physical and I got humbled. I figured that my body was still tired after "Revue de Presse", but went back the day after to work on some details, trying to make them count. In vain. I got shut down by it.
Yesterday I had taken the day off and went back thinking that after a week of rest it would be better, but no, I still kept falling off at the same point and the physical aspect was taking its toll on my power levels. I stopped trying from the start and decided to work only on small details, trying to find a more confident sequence. Even though I did find a much more confident sequence after tweaking some minor details, I didn't have the energy anymore to finish it off but I was determined to come back the day after, being today.
When looking at the cloud radar this morning, I noticed that it could start raining any moment, so left early, immediately after having some breakfast, kind of expecting that the rain would beat me to it. 
Luckily it wasn't raining yet when I arrived, but I could feel some rain drops now and then on the bald spot on my head. The 'rain detector' as Alberto likes to call it. I decided to skip warming up, turned on the camera and immediately went for a full attempt. It paid off. I got passed the point where I always fell, and got to the good hold. From there, I had to use a small very bad slopey crimp, but I knew what to do. I crimped the hell out of it, feeling that I could slip off any moment, but I didn't and was able to top out.
A real beauty, very hard for the grade, and in a very beautiful spot. Barely a couple minutes after topping out, it started to rain. I had beaten the rain as well this time.

Fontainebleau - Le Pendu d'Huison - Psycho Tropical 7B(7B+)

April 04, 2026 - Battle for the move.

I had briefly tried "Revue de Presse" during my first visit of that sector in Moigny-sur-Ecole back in 2023 and even though I wasn't able to figure out a sequence, let alone do any move, it had intrigued me and I had put on my backburner list. It took three years before I decided to go back for it, which was about a month and a half ago.
On my first session this year, I ended up figuring out a sequence and do all the moves separately. I was tired, but put it on my priority list, thinking that it would be a quick deal when I came back feeling fresh. This turned out to be far from the truth. I could do the separate moves again, but linking them together proved to be a different business. Three very hard moves in a row, and it almost every time I fell at the second one. As soon as I my right toehook moves just a slight bit, I would fall off, and the right toehook sticking where it is is really key.
Several more sessions followed, and each time it was the same. I fell countless times on that second move. I knew it was possible and that I could physically do it, so it became a mental battle. I knew that if it I would stick that move, I would be able to finish it, I just didn't know when.
I had taken the day off yesterday and set off in the morning for my sixth (!) session, almost expecting that it would just be the same like all the previous ones. I think that if the spot wouldn't be so nice and isolated, I would have probably already given up and turned to something else. My first attempt felt promising, I got closer to doing the second move, but still not close enough, it became quite frustrating. 
Immediately from the first move it starts taking a toll on the core power, but this time, I took longer breaks to recover. During one of my breaks, I thought about trying to find another method, but I knew I had to stick with what I had in mind. But then I did add a slight change. Before starting the second move, I decided to match a left toehook next to my right, allowing me to slightly correct my right toehook and finding the sweet spot where it had the most chance to stick. It was an eye opener. Even though still very hard and difficult, it got me closer. And then, suddenly, it all flowed, everything stuck just right, I made the second move, took the swing, hung on and topped out. What a great relief it was and what a battle, both physically and mentally. This one must have taken me at least fifty attempts from the start.

Fontainebleau - Moigny-sur-Ecole - Revue de Presse 7C(7C+)

March 28, 2026 - Switched habit.

I always prefer climbing in the morning until about 14h, after which I spend the rest of the day working on my barn project. Usually, this is how it goes, but after a rainy night and a few more rain showers yesterday morning, I had to switch my habit, work in my barn in the morning, with a short climbing session later in the afternoon after the sun had come out and a fierce wind blew everything dry. 
The work in my barn is pretty exhaustive so I didn't want to go to my priority project, but went to Roche aux Oiseaux instead to try a newly opened 7B, "L'Oeuf de Poule (assis)". A sitstart to "L'Oeuf de Poule", which is only a 5+ on its own, so the hardest moves were definitely going to be the first ones. With a cold breeze from the North, it was felt quite cold, but that was an advantage on the first move, featuring a very bad sloper for the right hand. Doing the first two moves didn't take me very long, but I was surprised about how difficult it felt to throw the right foot for a toehook. Once I was able to it though, I was able to top out.

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Oiseaux - L'Oeuf de Poule (assis) 7B

This morning, I could return to my usual habit and went to my priority project. The work from yesterday had taken its toll though and I lacked the power to even repeat the crux move separately. Nevertheless, it felt like a good training session and I don't mind going back there next weekend. I will be in a quiet isolated spot during the infamous extremely crowded Easter weekend.