Yesterday, Saturday, I started at 8h to do some climbing before the rain.
The newly opened problems "Nuit Debout (gauche)" and "Nuit Debout (direct)" got some tries, but these are morpho, and not a little bit!
At 9h it started raining, so I took a break and took the kids with me shopping.
It had dried up again by noon and I set off to Coquibus Arcades where I wanted to try "Sinus-X".
I had seen it last year while scouting around and for some reason I had to think of it again.
Visually it's a beautiful boulder, asking to be climbed.
Sinus-X
The holds on it were dry, but the right sloper (not visible on the picture) was not in a good condition. It wasn't wet, but it just didn't stick.
Luckily it got better after 15 minutes and about 10 tries later, but I was loosing the skin on my fingertips fast.
Now that it finally started to hold, I could see the grey clouds coming closer, knowing that it will rain soon again.
My last 2 tries were when it started dripping already, and just on those 2 tries I fell off the last move after changing my method slightly.
The rain had won this time. I had to pack and leave. At least I had the complete sequence in my head and I was determined to come back tomorrow.
In a way I wasn't angry that the rain set in because I had already lost so much skin and power that it probably wouldn't have been possible anyway, but at least now I had an excuse. Yeah yeah, climbers and their excuses!
Today, Sunday, I left later, because it had rained a lot yesterday evening. I wanted to give it the time to dry.
I think it was about noon when I arrived at "Sinus-X". I had stopped to have a look at some other boulders on the way, and they were all wet.
It was a pleasant surprise to find "Sinus-X" dry and even the bad sloper right hand seemed to stick from the first try, on which I also fell off the last move again.
It's an exhausting problem, and even though I could do the sequence until last move every time now, it took some time to find the good method to stick the top sloper.
The problem is that it's the kind of problem where there is no easy way to get up to be able to try just the last move, forcing me to do the whole sequence over and over and each time trying to think of a better way to reach the top.
For me, the solution was to switch from a heel to a toehook at the end and then do the last move.
Big, big relief when I stood on top. It was totally worth the fight.
Really hard for the grade, and on 8a.nu I could see that most repeaters agree with me. Maybe it should be upgraded to 7A+?
The sitstart will have to wait for my next passage in the area.
Fontainebleau - Coquibus Arcades - Sinus-X 7A
My main goal for today was done, and I didn't immediately know what to do next, knowing that a lot of boulders will probably still be wet, so I went for a stroll.
I looked for "Yahtzee" but couldn't immediately find it. I had an idea where to look, but the whole area is covered in ferns and low bushes and I wanted to try to avoid getting a tick again. Little did I know where I would still end up that day ...
I walked my way through Montrouget and Montrouget Est and up to Côtes de Courances, wandering through the dense forest and catching countless cobwebs with my face on the way, and who knows how many ticks.
I tried many problems but most of them were either in bad conditions or hurt my fingers too much. I could feel that I had given a lot of my skin and energy to "Sinus-X".
"Grottesque", "Le Sale Bouleau (assis)", "La Raie Formée" and "Figure de Style" all passed the revue. I still looked for "Ras les Pâquerettes" but I couldn't find that one from where I was, so I decided to walk around Côtes de Courances to get to my way back to the car.
I had walked around in circles so many times and due to the sun being hidden by the clouds most of the time, I did get lost. I wasn't scared nor did I panic, I knew I simply had to walk in a straight line until I found a path, which I knew couldn't be that far away.
Soon, I found a path, but being unable to orientate by the sun due to the clouds, I started walking in one direction, hoping that I would reach a crossing quickly so I could find that crossing in the topo to determine where I was.
About 10 minutes of walking later, I reach the crossing of the Chemin de la Roche qui Tourne with the Chemin du Polissoir, meaning that I had been walking in the wrong direction.
I had to go back from where I came, but at least I knew now where I was.
It was no problem because those who know the Coquibus will probably confirm that it's a beautiful and huge part of the forest.
Knowing where I was, I saw that I was going to pass near the boulder of "Djoumba" and I read on bleau.info that "Ras les Pâquerettes" was at 100m to the West from there, also on my way back. The search wasn't over yet.
After a long walk again, thanks to my, if I may say so, already well trained eye for spotting boulders, I could make out a brushed tip of a boulder between the dense trees. Looking at the topo it looked like it must be the one of "Djoumba" and I left the path again, making my way through the ferns to find "Djoumba". I opened my compass app on my phone and followed West. Luckily I had 4G connection so after looking at a picture, I finally had found "Ras les Pâquerettes", but now I still had to climb it.
The skin on my fingers was burning with pain, but I didn't want to give up after all that searching.
It was a hard fight, but in the end I was able to struggle my way up.
I was exhausted!!
I looked for "Yahtzee" but couldn't immediately find it. I had an idea where to look, but the whole area is covered in ferns and low bushes and I wanted to try to avoid getting a tick again. Little did I know where I would still end up that day ...
I walked my way through Montrouget and Montrouget Est and up to Côtes de Courances, wandering through the dense forest and catching countless cobwebs with my face on the way, and who knows how many ticks.
I tried many problems but most of them were either in bad conditions or hurt my fingers too much. I could feel that I had given a lot of my skin and energy to "Sinus-X".
"Grottesque", "Le Sale Bouleau (assis)", "La Raie Formée" and "Figure de Style" all passed the revue. I still looked for "Ras les Pâquerettes" but I couldn't find that one from where I was, so I decided to walk around Côtes de Courances to get to my way back to the car.
I had walked around in circles so many times and due to the sun being hidden by the clouds most of the time, I did get lost. I wasn't scared nor did I panic, I knew I simply had to walk in a straight line until I found a path, which I knew couldn't be that far away.
Soon, I found a path, but being unable to orientate by the sun due to the clouds, I started walking in one direction, hoping that I would reach a crossing quickly so I could find that crossing in the topo to determine where I was.
About 10 minutes of walking later, I reach the crossing of the Chemin de la Roche qui Tourne with the Chemin du Polissoir, meaning that I had been walking in the wrong direction.
I had to go back from where I came, but at least I knew now where I was.
It was no problem because those who know the Coquibus will probably confirm that it's a beautiful and huge part of the forest.
Knowing where I was, I saw that I was going to pass near the boulder of "Djoumba" and I read on bleau.info that "Ras les Pâquerettes" was at 100m to the West from there, also on my way back. The search wasn't over yet.
After a long walk again, thanks to my, if I may say so, already well trained eye for spotting boulders, I could make out a brushed tip of a boulder between the dense trees. Looking at the topo it looked like it must be the one of "Djoumba" and I left the path again, making my way through the ferns to find "Djoumba". I opened my compass app on my phone and followed West. Luckily I had 4G connection so after looking at a picture, I finally had found "Ras les Pâquerettes", but now I still had to climb it.
The skin on my fingers was burning with pain, but I didn't want to give up after all that searching.
It was a hard fight, but in the end I was able to struggle my way up.
I was exhausted!!
Fontainebleau - Côtes de Courances - Ras les Pâquerettes 7A+
Note to those with a Black Bible, "Ras les Pâquerettes" is written in the area of Montrouget Est, but it actually fits more to Côtes de Courances and it is easier to find when start walking about 100m to the West from "Djoumba", and still then it is not easy to spot. Check bleau.info for more info.
Bart Van Raaij will soon release a new version of the "7+8" topo, I suggest you buy that too, about 1000 problems will be added compared to his previous version.
I still had a long walk to go but made my way back to car without problems and enjoyed the beauty of the Coquibus once more!
The big path towards the small parking.
On the other hand I was glad to get out of dense forest and out in the open again, but there also I was again treated with a wonderful view!
Coming out of the forest into the open again.
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