It struck me how small the ferns had stayed by this time of the year and how brown and dead most of them already looked. They barely were higher than one meter, whereas normally they are at least twice as high by now.
It must be the drought that is now already lasting for almost two months, besides the one day of rain last week. The forest already starts to look like as if it were Autumn.
Early Autumn colours on the way to Gorges du Houx.
Even though my mind was completely set on doing "Écaille de Lune", how much I tried, I just couldn't block long enough on the left crimp to comfortably reach the far small crimp right hand.
After almost an hour, I received my lesson in humbleness and admitted to myself that I had to let go of it, at least for today.
Walking back, I tried a few more problems on the way, but trying "Écaille de Lune" for an hour had gotten the best out of me so I needed a break.
My car was parked next to the Route Ronde, and across the street I could walk straight into Franchard, which I did and continued on to Franchard Raymond where I wanted to try "Étalonnage Physique".
A hard 7B along the blue path on the North side of the ridge that dries very slowly and can only be tried after a long period of dry weather. Ideal for now.
I had already spent a couple of short sessions on it, but the conditions were lacking. Last time however, I had been able to do and stick the morpho move to a bad sloper a couple of times, and I knew that I would be able to top out if the slopers on top of the boulder would be been completely dry.
Unfortunately, upon arrival at the boulder, I noticed that the key hold for the crux move had broken off. Despite that, I tried it anyway.
The crux move using the opening method has now become much harder and I wasn't able to stick it once, I didn't even get close.
I found a different method that seemed possible, but this got me into a position I couldn't move out of. Probably possible like that also, but I'm not sure what the hardest or easiest one is.
This will definitely still be upgraded.
The broken hold of "Étalonnage Physique".
I was getting tired, but decided to spend the last bits of energy in the nearby "Grain de Sable (assis)". Located along the same blue path, also facing North, so slow drying.
Because of the humid conditions on previous visits, I had never been able to give this one some real tries, but now there was no sign of humidity.
Quite a powerful problem that felt hard for the grade. Nevertheless, a little beauty.
Fontainebleau - Franchard Raymond - Grain de Sable (assis) 7A+
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