October 08, 2016 - Sloperfest.

After having gone shopping with kids, I went off to Cuisinière.
Igor had sent me a message that they were going to Apremont (Portes de) Désert, but I rather felt like climbing on my own.

The air felt more humid than the previous days and the friction wasn't as perfect, but it was certainly good, so I set my mind on climbing on slopers.
I had  three problems in mind that I definitely wanted to try: "L'Ami Dal" (an old project that I started trying with Pieter), "Pensées Cachées" (tried it a couple of months ago, but it was over 30°C and couldn't hold on to the slopers) and "Mister Dynamite" (a dyno to 2 slopers that need to stick).

I started off with "L'Ami d'Al", the one that I started trying with Pieter a year and a half ago.
We actually had one session in bad conditions and one in quite good conditions. We could do the short traverse to the left up the arete, but never managed to get over it.
Even today with very good conditions, I still got stuck at the same point.

I ended up with doing it's little sister "L'Amie Six" that rocks over the arete directly up without going to the left first.
It is a lot easier, but still felt much harder than the given 6A.

Fontainebleau - Cuisinière - L'Amie Six 6A

To get into the right flow, I decided to repeat "Undertow" for the video.
It was my second 7th grade problem back in 2008.
The conditions were so good that I was able to repeat it on my first attempt.

Fontainebleau - Cuisinière - Undertow 7A(6C)

Also "Right Flow" went down on my first attempt.
It starts and climbs as for "Undertow", but continues going right to exit at the angle.
For me this felt easier than "Undertow", but both feel like 7A, on the soft side.

Fontainebleau - Cuisinière - Right Flow 7A

Now it was time for "Pensées Cachées".
I tried it first in mid August after I had done "L'Hipposarse", but it was so hot that the slopers were impossible to stick anymore.
Today it felt sticky, but still I wasn't able to pull enough with my left hand on the arete to keep me in balance.
It was only after seeing a different beta on some pictures on bleau.info that I changed my method accordingly and sent it straight away.

This is a beautiful climb!!

Fontainebleau - Cuisinière - Pensées Cachées 7B(7A+)

Last, but not least, I managed to pull off the jump of "Mister Dynamite".

When I sat under it the first time, I thought that I never would be able to jump to and hold on to those slopers. With both hand at the same time.
Immediately after my first try, I had to adjust my opinion. I came closer than I expected.
Not many tries later, almost unexpectedly, my hands stuck on the slopers and I mantled up.

Fontainebleau - Cuisinière - Mister Dynamite 7B

I still spent some time in "Le Bleurb", but for that, the conditions don't have to be good, they have to be perfect!

October 07, 2016 - Season change.

I stopped at Bas Cuvier after work today to if "Carnazina" would be free.
On my way I ran into Igor (Depoorter) and as the "Carnage" boulder was crowded, we went to Cuvier Rempart to try "Manolo".
After a short while, Lukas (Geukens) and Tijl (Smitz) had joined too.
Soon Lukas finished it after some good crux changing beta from Igor.
I could still Igor fall off the very last move before I had to leave, but I'm pretty sure he has done it by now.
Me, I can do every separate move, do the problem in 2 parts, but lacked that extra bit of strength that was needed to link it all together. This will be a nice Winter problem.

For the short evening session, I returned to the boulder of "Haute Trahison" at only 50m from the Croix St. Jérôme parking.
Tony (Fouchereau) and Gérald (Coste) have been having some fun and opened yet another couple of variations on the by now completely cleaned boulder.

One of them is "Le Référendum (par le nez)" which is actually more a bit of a short traverse.
The first move was the hardest. Then I kind of had to improvise because it was on my flash attempt and I hadn't taken the time yet to really study all the moves.
Not the the nicest problem on the boulder, but it was fun.

Fontainebleau - Rocher des Souris - Le Référendum (par le nez) 7A

October 06, 2016 - Travel is good for you.

When I have to travel a few days for work, I can't climb and my body uses the rest day(s) to recover.
After having been gone for 2 nights and a full day of no climbing I felt strong and the conditions were perfect.

I felt tired from driving but that didn't stop me from walking to Rocher de la Cathédrale and flash "Coup de Torchon (assis)".
Probably having repeated "Langouste Royale", a couple of days ago, was an advantage, because apart from the first move, it's in the exact same style, on an arete with bad slopers.
The good conditions surely helped too!

Fontainebleau - Rocher de la Cathédrale - Coup de Torchon (assis) 7A+

"Le Toit Tendu" in Rocher des Souris, has only been published a couple of days ago and as it is close to home, I checked it out.
It will probably never become really popular. I can't say exactly why, but it was my first thought when I found it.

Weird move at the start, but not weird enough to not flash it.
I flashed without even holding my breath. Soft for the grade. Tony must have been tired that day.

Fontainebleau - Rocher des Souris - Le Toit Tendu (assis) 7A

At only 100m from there, in Jean des Vignes, lies a not so old 7A+ dyno opened by Nicolas Gensollen.
I had tried it already a couple of short sessions, came close, but stopped progressing in it.
Now maybe after the travel I could jump harder ?

Immediately after my first attempt of today, I felt that it was possible.
I do have quite new shoes and pushing off on the small foothold went much better.
It still took me quite some tries, had the jump once but didn't expect such a swing and still let go.
Luckily I made the attempt after that.

It's name most certainly comes from the infamous dyno "52 Gérard" in Franchard Ermitage, but besides having the dyno in common, I see no other relationship to it at all.

Fontainebleau - Jean des Vignes - 53 Gertrude 7A+

October 04, 2016 - The die is cast.

There are WIFI problems in the hotel and no coverage in my room, even my phone doesn't even capture 3G there.

So I'm sitting in the lobby where I can have WIFI.

I had to travel South today for work, but first I stopped at Roche aux Oiseaux to try "L'Architecte Trismègiste", the recently opened 7C by Grégoire Thibault. (Update - it has just now been adjusted to 7B on bleau.info)
Pictures had revealed that someone cut down the 1m high tree stump right under the line. This makes the problem barely expo anymore.
According to me, it must have played a big role, preventing you doing the moves relaxed.

It will certainly still be downgraded, I flashed it quite easily.
Saying soft 7B is still generous.

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Oiseaux - L'Architecte Trismégiste 7C

That was done quickly, so I still had some time for something else.
"Alea Jacta Est", "The die is cast", was a logical option, even though I hadn't planned on it at all.
The conditions were perfect, 17°C, dry air, cold sandstone, and I felt motivated.

I already spent several short sessions on it, just trying to stick that first superhard move, and the more I tried, the more my back started to hurt.
The very first time that I tried it, a couple of years ago, the first move seemed impossible to make.

Today it was like "veni, vidi, vici".
The first try wasn't too bad and on my second try I felt the crimp. Almost statically.
Now it was just a matter of taking it on my deadpoint and holding on.
I had it quicker than expected.

Very hard first move, afterwards it's a matter of not making a stupid mistake.
Happy about this one!

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Oiseaux - Alea Jacta Est 7C

October 03, 2016 - Seafood anyone ?

I wanted to try "Carnazina", but of course the whole boulder was taken and it seemed crowded in the whole area.
Off to try something on the "Duroxmanie" boulder and there it looked like people were camping, so I turned to "Festin de Pierre".
I had never taken the chance to try it, so why not.
It turned out to be much nicer than I had expected.

As Jacky Godoffe once said: "If you can jump, you jump".

Fontainebleau - Cuvier Est - Festin de Pierre 7A

I went back to take another look at the "Carnage" boulder, but it was still taken by the same group, so on my way to the car I stopped at "Langouste Royale" at 20m from the parking.
When I did it in 2011, it was Winter and the conditions were perfect, but I remember that it felt hard.
It would be a good test piece to check out my improvement.

This time it went much easier and still it felt quite hard on those bad friction dependant slopers.
Makes you fancy seafood.

Fontainebleau - Cuvier - Langouste Royale 7A

October 02, 2016 - Le Brexit.

"Le Brexit" has only been published just today.
It's a variation on "Haute Trahison", the dug out roof at only 50m from the parking of Rocher des Souris.

The first moves are the same as for "Haute Trahison", but you are not allowed to use the high big jug. Then, using a pinch right hand you have to traverse under the roof and exit at the right side of the prow, with the crack left hand.
I still had the moves of "Haute Trahison" memorised, so I only had to look at how to traverse under the roof.
There seemed to be different possibilities, and they all are not that difficult.
It's all about pulling on good holds with one small crux under the roof into good holds again. You just have to execute them one after the other to not loose time.
I would say the same grade as for "Haute Trahison", but for me that also felt like a 7A+.

Fontainebleau - Rocher des Souris - Le Brexit 7A+

October 01, 2016 - It was the atmosphere.

Not much time to write, so here's a quick overview from my short visit in Cuvier Est yesterday after work.

"Atmosphère" felt a bit scary, hanging right above that small boulder, but even though it didn't feel easy, it went on my second attempt.

Fontainebleau - Cuvier Est - Atmosphère 7A

"Echoes (debout)" right next to it went down flash and felt soft.
I tried the original sitstart, but the first move is really hard!

Fontainebleau - Cuvier Est - Echoes (debout) 7A

Finally at 20m from there, I did "Le Bivouac (direct" but this took me much longer.
The first too moves felt way harder than I had expected. It was really hard to hold on to the first hold left hand and make the move far right.
Nicer than I expected. The sitstart in the middle of the roof looks really hard.

Fontainebleau - Cuvier Est - Le Bivouac (direct) 7A+

Short update, but not much time.

Did I just hear myself standing in a bivouac ? Nah, it must have been be the atmosphere.