February 25, 2018 - From South to East and back.

I was back from Belgium around 14h30 and after a small break, as I didn't want to drive a lot anymore, I decided to go the nearby quiet sectors of Roche aux Sabots. The fairly recently developed South sector close to the cemetery and the one in the East towards the 91.1 area.
The skin on my fingers had suffered some bleeding cracks, torn from the day before, so those small boulders with mostly slopers and hard mantles wouldn't be too hard on it.

After failing to jump high enough in "Fanny Chipie", a classic for the South sector, I turned to "La Libido (gauche assis)".
I had done the direct version not long ago and couldn't really try the left exit because it was too humid.
Now, with this dry air, the conditions were perfect, the slopers were sticky and it went down on my first attempt.

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots Sud - La Libido (gauche assis) 7B

Keeping some other problems in the back of my head for maybe on the way back, I moved to the Eastern sector of the area, the newly developed area of Roche aux Sabots Est.
I did "Le Belier" there, also not long ago, and I had noticed on the topo that on the backside of that boulder, there was a 7B, "Balance" that looked like fun.

The problem was smaller than it looked like on the picture, but it turned out to be quite fun.
Not as straight forward as it looks and definitely harder than it looks!

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots Est - Balance 7B

Time to test my mantle skills in "Paraplégie (direct)". An easy start on good crimps, but a mantle on a flat surface at the end. Not a single tiny crimp or uneven sloper to pull on, nothing!
The mantle makes the whole grade.

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots Est - Paraplégie (direct) 7A

On the same boulder, a small problem on a nice looking prow, but it climbs like its name.
Desperate topout at the end, but in the end I had fun.

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots Est - Titi Caca 7A

Back to Roche aux Sabots Sud, where I wanted to spend the last of my time left in "Namasté", yet another problem with a desperate mantle on non existing holds at the end.
It feels a bit strange climbing out of that pit, but knowing that the crashpad is only about a meter below you when doing the mantle feels comforting.

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots Sud - Namasté 7B+(7B)

As "Namasté" was done on my second attempt already, I still had some time left to try the nearby "Call of j'te Dis".
A wall with a crack, totally my anti-style, but it looked so, why not.
It took a couple of tries to figure out how to start and position myself correctly, but all in all it took me at most ten minutes.
Yet again, I had fun with it!

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots Sud - Call of j'te Dis 7A+(7A)

It was time to go home.

February 24, 2018 - Quick update.

Yesterday evening after work, I finally made it through the start of "Vandale" and made some really close attempts!
Just before my body shut down, I even made it up to the last move, but fell off there.
Could be something for soon. I hope!

Today, before having to drive to Belgium late afternoon, I went to Mont Aigu to spend some time in the very hard 7B, "Cosmos", that I tried about two years ago.
Bram (Honorez), who was taking a rest day, joined me.

Just like yesterday with "Vandale", "Cosmos" was a 'close-but-no-cigar'.
I came so close, but somehow managed to fall off the mantle at the end, leaving me without enough energy left for yet another attempt.
I had to let it to go for another time, again.

I contented myself with climbing the nearby "L'Oeuf Cosmique" in the Long Boyau part of the sector.
Visually, the boulder is very nice, but I expected more of the problem itself.
Still some options though on this boulder.

Fontainebleau - Long Boyau - L'Oeuf Cosmique 7A(6C+)

Soon after, we joined Stef (Jacobs) in the main area of Mont Aigu where I did a relatively quick video repeat of the classic "Magma".
A beautiful pillar asking to be climbed!
Back in April 2009, it was my fifth 7A in the forest and I remember it as if it was yesterday.
Strangely enough, I had never taken the time or used an occasion to repeat it for the video.
Until today.

A great, very subtle problem!

Fontainebleau - Mont Aigu - Magma 7A

February 21, 2018 - Quite a surprise!

The sky has finally cleared up and it's forecasted to be sunny but up to extremely cold for at least a week.
With about 6°C today, it wasn't that cold yet, but it was dry and I could almost smell that the conditions would be good.
I had to work though, so it was already close to 17h30 when I parked at Franchard Isatis. Not much, but still enough time of daylight left with this clear sky to be able to work a bit in "Sur-Prises".
At only 50m from the parking and the first boulder on the path when entering the Isatis area, it's probably the most known or most seen boulder of Franchard. Sometimes unnoticed, but seen for sure.

I really can't count for sure how many short sessions I had already spent on it without sticking the move to the second sloper, but it must be a lot.
For some reason, most likely the good conditions, this evening, after barely fifteen minutes of trying, I suddenly stuck it!
Surprised as I was, I tried not to panic when I realised that I didn't really know what to do next, but I remained focussed and topped it out.

Very glad and quite surprised with having done this classic!

Fontainebleau - Franchard Isatis - Sur-Prises 7C(7B+)

February 18, 2018 - Finishing some business.

Last weekend I had to let go of "Atome Crochu" because I started feeling ill and weak.
It was a shame, because I had fallen off the last move twice and an ascent was imminent, but the flue had decided differently.

Yesterday I had to go to Belgium, but being able to leave back home already early this morning, allowed me about half a day of time for climbing.
Upon arrival back home, I was surprised by the dense fog that was still lingering low above the ground and for a moment I worried that maybe nothing would dry up despite the predictions of a sunny day.

When I parked at Canche aux Merciers, determined to finish "Atome Crochu", I took precautions and went to have a look at the state of the boulders without crashpad first.
To my pleasant surprise, the boulder was dry, but the conditions needed to get a bit better.
I decided to get the crashpad and wait it out for a while.
By the time I arrived back, the sun had started peaking through the fog, which dissipated fast.
The boulder was catching some sun and the conditions were becoming very good.

I took my time in between tries but suddenly, about twenty minutes later, I made it up to the last move, prepared for the dynamic move, mumbled to myself to stick it this time, went for it and stuck without hesitation.
I had finally done "Atome Crochu".

Great problem, but quite morpho though!

Fontainebleau - Canche aux Merciers - Atome Crochu 7B+

I spent the remainder of the afternoon in Apremont Ouest and Apremont Butte aux Dames and I was able to climb the relatively new "Le Capitaine de l'Espace (assis)" relatively quickly.
Some nice moves, but I have my doubts about the proposed grade.
It felt more like a soft, but nice 7B.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Ouest - Le Capitaine de l'Espace (assis) 7B+

February 16, 2018 - It was worth it.

Just like I expected, I had to pay for the effort I made on Sunday to climb "Roche Métamorphique".
That same evening and night the flue really kicked in and I was unable to go to work the day after.
The doc wanted to write me home all week, but as I didn't feel that extremely bad at that moment thanks to the Paracetamol I took, I negotiated two days less, until Wednesday.
However, I had to promise that I would work from home if I wasn't 100% yet on Thursday.
Little did I know that the worst was yet to come.
On Wednesday I even felt that bad that I started doubting if it had been all worth it to have climbed on Sunday.

Thursday, after a bad night with high fever, it suddenly started fading and by noon I finally had no fever anymore.
As I had promised the doc, I worked from home yesterday and today to strengthen up.
Late this afternoon, after work, I had enough energy to go check out the recently published "Veuve Noire" in Roche aux Sabots Est, opened by, of course, Tony (Fouchereau).

Even though I wasn't ill anymore, I was out of breath after that short walk to the boulder, which was smaller than I expected.
It's a bit eliminate, so it took me a while before I found a method to get up, but in the end it wasn't as hard as I thought it would.
On the other hand, my heart was racing through my chest when I mantled up. It reminded me that I'm still recovering from the flue.

Walking back, I felt quite good again, thought about the past week and decided that it was worth it.

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots Est - Veuve Noire 7C(7B+)

February 11, 2018 - Do what it takes.

This week we had more snow here than the past four years altogether.
As long as the boulders are dry underneath the snow, it can create excellent conditions, but with the humidity from the weeks before, it was all wet.
It did create a beautiful white scenery in the forest though, however, I saw more trees that had fallen down under the weight of the snow than there were during the storms a while ago.

Yesterday, the sky finally cleared up and the sun started melting the thick layer of snow.
Hearing the constant sound of packs of melting snow falling from the trees, I had to look for a boulder that wasn't overshadowed by trees, and came up with "Atome Crochu" in Canche aux Merciers.
I spent some time in the morning wiping the snow off the boulder and drying it with my a towel that quickly became soaking wet.
When I returned a couple of hours later, it was in almost perfect conditions. The only boulder that was free from snow and dry.
The session lasted almost an hour and a half, twice I fell off the last move but I started feeling weak and had to give up.
At least, I had been able to climb on real rock!

Snow in Canche aux Merciers.

I had a bad night and woke up with a fever this morning.

My son who was struck with flue earlier this week, most likely passed it on to me.

The weather, however, was beautiful and a similar story like yesterday unfolded itself.

In the morning, I drove to Rocher de la Salamandre Est, knowing that the boulder of "Roche Métamorphique" is exposed to the sun and dries very quickly.

The boulder was indeed dry, but unfortunately, due to the rising air temperature, the small roof and the starting hold under it were condensed and very wet.

I dried the starting hold under the roof as much as I could with some toilet paper that I carried in my bag. Looking at the sun at that moment, it was only a matter of minutes before that hold would be exposed to it too.

The Paracetamol that I took after getting out of bed, was wearing out, and I could feel the fever coming back.

I decided to let the sun do its work and returned home for an new dose of anti-fever pills and put on some dry socks.

When I arrived at "Roche Métamorphique" again, a couple of hours later, it was perfectly dry. Even the starting hold under the roof.

I was delighted and started my session, hoping that I wouldn't be too weak because of the fever.

It took me a while and a lot of trying different methods, but in the end I found the one that suited me most and finished the problem.

Despite the flue that made me feel miserable, it felt great!

Fontainebleau - Rocher de la Salamandre Est - Roche Métamorphique 7B+(7C)

I'm already paying for having climbed today.

My body weakened and gave the flue the occasion to attack even more, but hey, when you really want to climb, sometimes you have to do what it takes and suffer the consequences.

February 02, 2018 - The ivory tower.

Every day since last Saturday was dominated by rain again, but today finally we had some sunny periods until late afternoon.
There was a 40% chance of rain and some of that had passed over the town of Montereau where I work, so everything was wet when I finished at 16h.
In the distance, I could see that the sky over the forest looked more clear and looking at the direction the clouds were going, I knew that the rain had passed there already. But there was still time to dry.
I calculated that the time needed to get to Gorge aux Châts would leave me with about 45 minutes of daylight left for climbing. At least, if it was dry enough already.

Arriving at "La Tour d'Ivoire", I was delighted to see that the overhanging boulder kept the holds underneath it perfectly dry.
The topout looked slippery but knowing that I was at least going to be able to practice the first part felt great on itself. I was finally going to move on rock again.
As a warmup, I tried the 6B standing start and discovered a method to do the dynamic move almost statically.
It motivated me, because I knew at that moment that a send could follow any time soon.

"La Tour d'Ivoire" has a really hard start with a small and painful undercling crimp and I remember that I once looked at it for the first time years ago, wondering how it was even possible.
It felt like a real victory standing on top of the boulder about half an hour later.

Fontainebleau - Gorge aux Châts - La Tour d'Ivoire 7C