January 28, 2023 - Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary.

It was my youngest son's, Noah, tenth birthday yesterday, so I didn't go for a long climb, and I didn't even bother writing a blogpost in the evening.
I met Pieter at the small parking of Gorge aux Châts early in the morning, and despite being 4°C, it felt much colder. We started with trying "Rififi" in the Eastern part of the area. Even though I was able to stick the first move a few times, my legs apparently aren't long enough for my right foot to remain on the foothold and I always cut loose after making the move. At least, it didn't seem impossible anymore for climbers of mine and Pieter's height. I was motivated to try more, but after cutting a split in my right index finger, we had to try something else. Not having much time left, we walked to the bottom of the hill to try "Arcenic" which I had tried once long ago, but didn't dare to do the topout, being alone by myself. With a spotter like Pieter, I knew that there would be better chance.
It didn't take Pieter long to get to the topout, but he chickened out a few times and jumped off. I had much more trouble than last time and couldn't even get to the part where Pieter got stuck several times. Then out of the blue Pieter came up with another method for the first part and topped all the way out. It was a beautiful method, totally my style and it allowed me to top out immediately after Pieter. It felt really cold and I was honestly glad that it was time for me to go back home.

Fontainebleau - Gorge aux Châts Est - Arcenic 7A

This morning, being only -3°C, it was even colder than yesterday, but this time the sky was clear and the sun was out. I had agreed to meet go with Pieter to Apremont Portes du Désert, mainly to try "Elementary", which we both tried about a year ago or something and we got quite close. Being with only really bad slopers, the cold temperature of today was more than welcome. 
Arriving on the parking, it was a very pleasant surprise to see that Paul (Van Daele) and his girlfriend were coming with us.
We warmed up in the low roof of "Dégazage" and all topped it out relatively quickly. 

Fontainebleau - Apremont Portes du Désert - Dégazage 7A+

Pieter quickly seemed to remember the method we used last time for "Elementary", but we were all stuck at the topout, no holds, nothing but really bad slopers. We spent a lot of time and many attempts, but all in vain, until I decided to try something slightly different at the end. This time, I got into reach of the final hold, touched it, but fell off after my foot slipped away. Many attempts followed, and when I had the impression that I couldn't even reach where I got the first time, I decided to make a small change in foot placement at the end. It seemed to have been the trick, because I suddenly topped out, making it even look quite easy. I had reached my goal of the day.
A little later, using the new beta, Paul was able to top out as well.
Pieter got closer and closer, but had spent so many attempts and had reached the point being out of energy and he decided to give up. It will be next time for him.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Portes du Désert - Elementary 7C

January 21, 2023 - My precious.

I met up with Pieter and Jan (Gorrebeeck) at Mont Pivot and we walked straight to the boulder of  "Erebor" to warm up in "Minas Tirith". After first having done "Aglarond", I sent "Minas Tirith" fast, doing it with a direct exit and then again with an exit slightly more right.

Fontainebleau - Mont Pivot - Minas Tirith 7A

The first part of the boulder fitting m style with a far left toehook, "The Battle of Minas Tirith" followed soon after.

Fontainebleau - Mont Pivot - The Battle of Minas Tirith 7A+

"Erebor" was a different story and I even though I didn't think being that we would be able to try it, it was dry and Pieter set the tone by quickly doing much better than when we tried it a long time ago. It motivated me, but the method that was shown in the few videos online didn't quite fit. I almost gave up on it, but when Pieter found a different beta using a kneebar, I got motivated again. To my big surprise, I was able to get the send of this nice problem that is quite hard for the grade.

Fontainebleau - Mont Pivot - Erebor 7B(7B+)

January 15, 2023 - Floating on the wind.

It rained very hard last evening and night, but contrary to what was forecasted a couple of day ago, there was a blue sky this morning and a heavy wind did a good job to dry the previously soaking wet surroundings outside. I was patient and gave it some more time to dry and left early afternoon to Justice de Noisy, knowing that it dries quickly, especially with the direction that the heavy wind was coming from. It was quite warm in the sun though and for a moment I feared condensation, but there was none. The boulders were nice and dry.
I don't have a lot of straight ups left to do in the area, but the nice looking "Virgule Flottante (assis)" was one of them and almost begging me to try it. I had done the standing start in March of last year, but wasn't able to figure out how to come up from the sit. Determined to solve the problem, I gave it time and looked for all possible options. I finally found a not so obvious method for the first two moves by coming up from the ground and reaching towards a small opening between the pedestal and the floating boulder on top of it, after which it becomes a hand jam and then take the very bad slopey undercling.
As soon as I got the hang it, it didn't take very long to come to a send, but even though the boulder was dry and I had checked the top, I hadn't noticed some wet moss that filled up the small better crack on the top. It made the mantle harder than I remembered from the standing start and way more sketchy. I could have still fallen off any moment until I finally rolled on to very top.

Fontainebleau - Justice de Noisy - Virgule Flottante (assis) 7B+(7B)

January 13, 2023 - The floor is lava.

According to the weather forecast, today was going to be the only dry day of the week, so I had taken the day off work, hoping to get a piece of the pie. I went back to Rocher des Demoiselles hoping to get away with "L'Eveil du Sphinx (assis)", in which I had fallen off the last move several times on my previous visit to the area. The conditions near the base of the hill weren't very good though, and when I couldn't even do the standing start, I wisely packed up and looked for another boulder in better conditions.
In the other part of the area, higher up the hill and more open, I was lucky to find "Eruption" in good condition. The fairly strong wind passed right through the small tunnel where the roof of the boulder is and had dried everything well.
Bart Van Raaij's method, reaching for a far sloper left hand looked like the most logic, but the hold seemed to have broken off and there was a small layer of sand on it that just kept coming back after wiping it off. I had no choice but to come up with another method, but it was one that required a huge swing coming from a completely stretched position under the roof. When I worked out that swing separately, I flew off multiple times, but after some tweaking, I came closer and closer to holding it.
I slightly dabbed the boulder behind me when I was able to hold it the first time, but decided to continue on to so I could do the end as well. I took a small break and sent it again, but this time without touching the small boulder.

Fontainebleau - Rocher des Demoiselles - Eruption 7C(7C+)

January 03, 2023 - The name revealed the method.

It was wet this morning, and there was a dense fog, so I didn't set any hopes for climbing. After doing some work around the house, I decided to go for a stroll in the forest and have a look at the recently published boulders in Bois Rond Auberge. The weather was quite good yesterday afternoon, so just in case I would bump into any dry boulders, I decided to take my climbing shoes and a crashpad.
Luck was with me and I was pleasantly surprised to find "La Magie du Genou" dry enough. The name of the problem immediately revealed that an obvious kneebar was used to be able to reach the slopey holds on the lip of the small roof. It only took me a few attempts.

Fontainebleau - Bois Rond Auberge - La Magie du Genou 7A

The other new problems on the North side of the hill were soaking wet, so I went back to the South side and walked to the boulder with "Incassable". It wasn't a surprise this time, that this problem was dry as well. Even though I had already spent a few sessions on it in the past, "Incassable (assis)" finally went down without giving me too much of a hassle.

Fontainebleau - Bois Rond Auberge - Incassable (assis) 7A+(7A)