Again, I had worked enough overtime hours this week to be able to take the afternoon off, which I really needed.
Even though the forest still looked humid, this afternoon was the only moment this week for me to be able to climb, so I had to make the best out of it.
For some reason, I felt like going to the Franchard area, up the hill above Hautes Plaines and Sablons. Knowing that I would most likely be alone up there probably was one those reasons.
I started off with the recently published "Donation", slightly above the boulder of "Le Solitaire" and next to "Bossanovabrasil".
"Donation" has a very bad landing though, and after coming down badly with my heel on one the boulders below me a couple of times, I wisely decided to let that one go and continued my way up the hill.
The more I moved up the hill, the dryer the boulders felt and I decided to walk on towards the beautiful strange looking boulder of "Les Précieuses".
One rainy, when I was doing a walk with Pieter and Alberto, we passed by that boulder and the features looked so nice that I had never forgotten about it. It didn't matter what I was going to try on that boulder.
When placing down the camera, it looked like the view was better, but it turned out not to, so unfortunately the start can barely be seen.
Basically all you do is squeeze your body between the boulder and those stalactite like features until I come back into view. It looked nicer than the problem actually was. It was fun for sure, but I was glad that I flashed it, so I didn't have to squeeze me through that again.
Fontainebleau - Franchard Hauts Sablons - Les Précieuses (par le haut) 7A
My interest in the boulder got a bit lost after "Les Précieuses (par le haut)" and I looked in the topo for whatever was nearby.
One of the nearby boulders, at barely 50m or so, "Assiette Bleausarde", was next.
A small, but nice looking roof where you follow the edge on slopers and exit around the corner.
Not a give-away, but not hard for its grade.
One of the nearby boulders, at barely 50m or so, "Assiette Bleausarde", was next.
A small, but nice looking roof where you follow the edge on slopers and exit around the corner.
Not a give-away, but not hard for its grade.
Fontainebleau - Franchard Hauts Sablons - Assiette Bleausarde 7A+
On my way back down the hill, I stopped at the nearby area of Franchard Sablons. I had seen "Hippocampus" from the path I was walking on, and felt like giving it a try again.
Despite it being quite my style of climbing, I had never been able to reach and hold on to the right arete.
This time it went down on my first attempt of the day, and the conditions weren't even that good.
Still, I would say this is hard for the grade.
Despite it being quite my style of climbing, I had never been able to reach and hold on to the right arete.
This time it went down on my first attempt of the day, and the conditions weren't even that good.
Still, I would say this is hard for the grade.
Fontainebleau - Franchard Sablons - Hippocampus 7A
Before leaving, I had another look at the nearby beautiful arete of "Talons Aiguilles". A line that doesn't look hard, but it is. At least for me.
It took me a while, had to change my method a few times, but in the end, I finally was able to tick this beauty off.
Definitely not an easy one!
It took me a while, had to change my method a few times, but in the end, I finally was able to tick this beauty off.
Definitely not an easy one!
Fontainebleau - Franchard Sablons - Talons Aiguilles 7B(7A+)
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