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.