September 29, 2021 - Forget about it.

The verdict of the dentist is that I have three broken molars that will have to be unnerved and then replaced by artificial ones. She wasn't able to treat anything yet because the quote now has to be approved by my health insurance. This means that I'm stuck with broken painful molars until then. Thanks to a disinfecting treatment though the pain has become bearable, annoying but bearable.
Monday and yesterday were stressful days though and I had to work until late in the evening. Due that, combined with the broken molars, I had a developed a bad headache this afternoon, but was luckily able to stop an hour early. I was in a desperate need of the forest and some climbing to forget about it all, even if it would be just for a little moment.
To take advantage of the most time possible, I stayed close and went to Justice de Noisy to try the crimpy "Stand Up". The original starts from a crouching position and didn't give me much trouble.

Fontainebleau - Justice de Noisy - Stand Up 7A+

The sitstart went from the first go immediately after.

Fontainebleau - Justice de Noisy - Stand Up (assis) 7A+(7B)

With the time I had left, I played around in the lowball "Compresse Toit" right across from "Stand Up". I had tried this a few months ago at the start of Summer, but the sandy slopers right hand required better conditions than the heat that I was trying it in.
The slopers were still sandy, but the friction was definitely better than last time. Despite a lot of swearing, I did manage to squeeze my way up within the time I had left.

Fontainebleau - Justice de Noisy - Compresse Toit 7B+

During the time of climbing, the pain had disappeared completely, and I finally felt relaxed. The best treatment ever.

September 26, 2021 - Hunting season.

I can almost see my house from the area of Oncy-sur-Ecole Sud, so it almost felt like being in lockdown again when I arrived at "La Déroule". A very small and quiet area of which some of the boulders can be seen on the left side of the road when driving through a piece of forest from Tousson towards Milly-la-Forêt.
It only took about fifteen minutes to unpack and climb "La Déroule", but I stuck around for a while to enjoy the beautiful wild scenery while listening to nearby wildlife that clearly sounded like boars. I forgot that we are already Autumn though, which means the start of the hunting season. The boulders are in the middle of hunting grounds, so I quickly gave up on my plan to walk back through the dense forest when I heard a couple of shots being fired not far away, pretty close even. I think it was not unwise to go back using the road instead.

Fontainebleau - Oncy-sur-Ecole Sud - La Déroule 7A

September 25, 2021 - Up to the lip.

Still suffering from a bad tooth pain, I did carry two crashpads back to Rocher de la Cathédrale to try the quite exposed "Bafana Bafana". 7C(7B+), when climbing to the top on the left side of the boulder, but only 7B(7B+) until the lip after the dyno, and that's the version I was going for today. I tried this very crimpy roof several years ago with Pieter, and got real close, but being very powerful on the fingers, I got too tired after too many tries and had to let it go.
Today however, I did manage to stick the dyno from the start and stopped at the lip, but not without getting a deep cut in my right middle finger. Very fun problem, despite the cut.

Fontainebleau - Rocher de la Cathédrale - Bafana Bafana (up to the lip) 7B(7B+)

September 23, 2021 - Looking for mood.

It was a very busy work week and as I was having a bad tooth pain for three days in a row already, giving me a headache on top of it, I wasn't in a very good mood. As a form of therapy, I took the afternoon off today and went to the quiet area of Apremont Vallon de la Solitude. I knew that solitude in the forest and some climbing would make it better.
I walked straight towards "Bulhead", opened some years ago by good Belgian friend Jan (Gorrebeeck). I had tried it once a few years ago, but the conditions were not in favor for this problem that only consists of bad slopers from start to the very end. Still having tooth pain and a headache, I didn't have much expectations, but being out there on my own, trying a nice boulder made me soon forget about the pain up to the point that it was all gone for the time that I was climbing. The adrenalin and endorphins that were flowing through my veins were the best natural pain killers.
I spent about an hour an a half trying only "Bullhead" and managed to struggle my way onto the top in the end. I was exhausted and out of breath, but feeling relieved.
By the time I got back into the car, the tooth pain and headache were back again, so I called the dentist first thing when I arrived back home. Unfortunately I can only go see her on Tuesday morning. Another couple of heavy days to come, trying to find a good mood.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Vallon de la Solitude - Bullhead 7B+

September 18, 2021 - Secret formula.

I went to Rocher du Potala this morning, carrying two crashpads, with the intention to try "Pierre Ponce" and the determination to go for it and do it. Unfortunately, the big hole in the rock in front of the start, was taken by a big hornets nest. I was able to make a few attempts, but it was hard to concentrate with big hornets flying in and out of the nest, and being curious about what this big moving thing was just in front of their nest. Even though the motivation was high, it simply was impossible to keep concentrated on the moves. I will have to back during Winter time.
I moved over to the recently opened "Distorsion (assis)", one that I tried not very long after having wrestled with "The Wrestler" in Boissy aux Cailles and I couldn't even lift my butt from off the ground due to already wrecked skin and a tired body. This time, I could stand but the arete on the right didn't feel very good. Then I remembered that I had received a sample of the new liquid chalk from Chalk Rebels, consisting of a new secret formula. It looks exactly the same as almost any other liquid chalk, but when applying it to my hands, I immediately felt and smelled that this one is different. It not only has a better cooling effect, but there is something to it that I can't describe. I sent "Distorsion (assis)" on my first try after having applied the new secret formula. This time the arete stuck.
Thanks Chalk Rebels, test sample approved!
More info about Chalk Rebels, their products and online shop can be found by clicking on the Chalk Rebels logo on the right.

Fontainebleau - Rocher du Potala - Distorsion (assis) 7B

September 11, 2021 - French pie.

"Love les Tartes" in Rocher de la Cathédrale had been on my want-list for at least five years already, but the few times that I took or had the occasion to try it, I was either too weak or the conditions weren't good enough.
Good conditions are key on this steep overhanging prow, where nearly every move slaps onto a sloper. That's why I didn't feel very confident when I was walking with two crashpads towards the boulder. It had rained yesterday evening, and the boulders that I passed looked humid. 
I was almost in despair when I arrived at the boulder and saw water dripping off the left side of the prow. Upon closer inspection though, it turned out that I was very lucky, the spots that were used for the hands were dry.
The slopers did need some attempts before the friction was there, and a little hour later, Pieter arrived just in time to see me topping out this beautiful steep overhanging prow. Gotta love those "tartes"!

Fontainebleau - Rocher de la Cathédrale - Love les Tartes 7B(7B+)

September 05, 2021 - Fun with a bunch.

A bunch of friends from Belgium were around, but as they had no hurry, I first went alone to Rocher de la Cathédrale before joining them in La Ségognole.
I wasn't very early neither and the parking in Le Vaudoué was already packed. Where I was going though, I was alone besides the occasional hikers and walkers passing by on the nearby well know 25 Bosses path.
I flashed "L'Abri du Randonneur" with relative ease. "Le Réta du Randonneur" just left of it though, didn't go well at all. The 7B+ mantle, opened by mantle specialist Laurent Darlot, felt extremely hard.
I didn't spend too much time on it, but still had a fun time doing some nice red slabs in La Ségognole with the Belgian bunch.

Fontainebleau - Rocher de la Cathédrale - L'Abri du Randonneur 7A(6C+)

September 04, 2021 - When it clicks.

I had quite some boulders written down for my visit to Rocher du Mauvais Passage, and "Peter Pan (assis)" was on top of it. Being one of the first boulders in the area, it was also the first stop that I made. 
Having done the standing start already more than five years ago, I started with trying those moves again first, but the high sloper right hand felt slippery. We did have a huge amount of rain yesterday evening, but as the soil was very dry, it didn't look like it had been that bad here. The air pressure felt high and humid, and it was already very warm at 10h30, so that could have been the cause too. Persistence paid off though and when the sloper finally stuck, I was quickly able to the next dynamic move to the left too. My confidence was back, but working out the moves from the sitstart into the stand wasn't a giveaway. 
After some time, everything just clicked and I finished my main goal of the day.

Fontainebleau - Rocher du Mauvais Passage - Peter Pan (assis) 7C(7B+)

As I didn't feel like wading too much through the high ferns that covered the ways to other boulders that I had on my list, I decided to leave those for later in the year when the ferns are almost gone, so continued on to what must be the furthest boulder of the area, "Equinox", just below the top of the hill and high above the boulder with "L'Afrique".
I tried "Equinox" once over five years ago, but remembered that I couldn't do much on it. Probable because I had only one crashpad with me then. Today though, I did do the effort to bring two crashpads, which boosted my confidence.
It was getting hot by then, so I took my time to work out move by move and when I felt that it clicked, I only needed a handful of attempts from the start to also tick this beauty off.

Fontainebleau - Rocher du Mauvais Passage - Equinox 7B+

Being very confident, I had a look at the lower start, which adds about three to four moves on good holds into the start of the former. I cleaned the holds, but as I sweating a lot, I took a longer brake. It was during the brake that I was reminded of turning off the camera in between climbs when I heard it making a muffled click. It was the click of turning itself off due to empty battery.
In most circumstances, I would have probably left with the intention to come back for the lower start of "Equinox", but as I had put a lot of effort in carrying both crashpads all the way up the hill in this heat, it wasn't something that I felt like doing again soon.
The low start, followed soon after my brake, but unfortunately no video. I will probably not come back for this alone again, but I'm sure that when Pieter is back in shape, he would like to give this a try too. I will use that occasion to capture the low start on video.