January 15, 2017 - Love at first sight.

Everything was wet this morning, but the sky was clear and I wanted to quickly climb something before the return of the rain.
Gorge à Veron, next door, a short walk, only a handful of boulders, but in the open so quick drying.
It seemed like a fair choice.

I still remember the first time I went to Gorge à Véron, and it was love at first sight.
It's truly a unique part of the forest in the Coquibus area.
That's what Régis and Alexis Allayaud maybe thought too when they opened and named one of the two 7B's in this small area, "Coup de Foudre". The French saying for "Love at first sight".

The boulders were mostly too wet, but the roof with "Coup de Foudre" was dry and the slopers were only a bit humid here and there. Only completely on top it was completely wet, but that wouldn't really be a problem.

I tried it once about two years ago when I did "Zig-Zag Napalm", but even though the line is obvious, I couldn't see the moves in it, went away and kind of forgot about it.
It was Pete (Collins) who reminded me of it a couple of weeks ago and he showed me a video of him climbing the problem.
I didn't really use a lot of his beta as I completely forgot what he did, but I was confident and worked out the moves quite fast.
It was a matter of linking it all together now, but the sharp crimp on the edge of the roof had cut a chunk of skin out of my finger.
I was close and I didn't want to give up, knowing that this will most certainly be the only problem I will be able to climb today. Clouds were setting in again and it was predicted to rain.

If this problem would have been located in a popular area, it would be an instant classic for sure!
Truly a masterclass problem in my eyes. Love at first sight!

Fontainebleau - Gorge à Véron - Coup de Foudre 7B

January 14, 2017 - Finally!

I had barely climbed the last two weeks.
The first week of January, Maarten (Robays) stayed over, but the days were misty, grey and the conditions were always humid.
I was able to try some moves on several projects, but it was never more than just trying the moves on the only holds that were dry.
Topping out was never possible due to everything being wet.
Despite that, we spent each day, the whole day, in the forest, walking around, exploring and looking for dry boulders and being treated by nice Winter views sometimes.

This week had some dry moments with probably good conditions, but by the time I finished working it had rained again.

Until today, when I woke up with a blue sky and the rain was only announced to start just after noon.

I left early to profit as much as possible.

Apremont, catching the sun from the start of the day, seemed like a good idea and so it turned out to be.
Most boulders were still wet, but those who caught the sun early were drying fast.
"Particule Fine" already caught some sun and was dry, apart from the top but that I didn't see yet.
It was a perfect warmup.

Fontainebleau - Apremont - Particule Fine 6C(7A)

I tried "La Conque" on the left arete quite a few times, but I just couldn't find my balance to match both hands on the bad sloper.

I didn't plan anything before I left, so I had to improvise and made the very risky choice to walk over to Apremont Envers on the other side of the hill, the shady side.
Most was wet, but to my surprise, "Paul's Boutique" was not and I unpacked.
It seems that there are multiple versions, both given 7A+. Neither of them gave me any trouble and both went down really fast.

I started off with "Paul's Boutique (version originale)", a dyno.
Even though the position out of which you have to dyno feels really strange, I did it on my third attempt.
Felt soft for the grade.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Envers - Paul's Boutique (version originale) 7A+

After that came "Paul's Boutique" where it turned out that getting my second foot off the ground was the hardest.
I stopped my first attempt because the camera wasn't recording, but finished it right after.
Also easy for the grade if you ask me.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Envers - Paul's Boutique 7A+

After strolling around a bit, not finding any dry boulder of interest anymore, I decided to quickly go to Rocher Saint-Germain. It was becoming more and more clouded by now and it could start raining soon.
The drive is not far and I walked fast, thinking about what I could try depending on how dry it would be.
There were several options and "Mégalight (assis)" was the first one that I crossed. It was dry.

I had done the standing start a while ago and started trying the sitstart that same day.
It doesn't add much to the difficulty but I was too tired and knew that it would go down soon when I would be more fresh.

A week without climbing. How more fresh can you be?
The difficult dyno and the wet topout couldn't stop me and I topped out very unethically.

Fontainebleau - Rocher Saint-Germain - Mégalight (assis) 7B+

It was right on time, because five minutes later the rain came back. 

What started with some tiny drops had become a small mix of snow and rain storm by the time I arrived at the car.

I was wet and it was cold, but I didn't care. I had climbed again. Finally!!

January 01, 2017 - It starts again.

Happy new year to all!!!

In 2016, according to my 8a.nu scorecard, I have done:

- 201 x 7A
- 99 x 7A+
- 50 x 7B
- 17 x 7B+
- 4 x 7C

Not bad, if I may say so myself !!

Maarten (Robays) celebrated new years eve at our place and will stay over for a week.
We didn't make it late last night and this morning we were up on time, rising and shining to go to the forest.
Climbing is not that important for Maarten, but he's always happy to be in the forest and enjoy the surroundings.

On our way to Rocher du Général, it was only -3°C and a dense freezing fog had made the whole forest white. It was beautiful and the air tasted healthy.
The ground was frozen and it was nice to hear and feel the crispy leaves crack with every step.
Despite the dense fog, it was too cold to be wet and the conditions seemed perfect.

I had only two goals. "Un Ouvreur Peut en Cacher un Autre" and "Boule et Bill".
Two friction dependent problems and today was perfect to try them.
Even though I had already been to "Un Ouvreur Peut en Cacher un Autre" twice, with everything being white and looking the same, we walked around in circles a few times before we found the boulder again.

Pete (Collins) had given me some new beta, but in the end I didn't use it. The perfect conditions made the rock sticky and coming out of the roof went easier than the times when I tried it in Summer.
It only took me three tries to send it and it all went smooth.
It's a beautiful problem!

Fontainebleau - Rocher du Général - Un Ouvreur Peut en Cacher un Autre 7A(7A+)

Maarten didn't feel like climbing, but gladly joined me to try "Boule et Bill" now.
The topout on only slopers requires a good friction and other than last time when I tried it it was sticky.
It didn't take long before I had worked out the moves and I started believing that today it will be ticked off.

I admit, the topout is far from stylish, but I didn't care. I made it. The second 7th grade problem of 2017 was done.

Fontainebleau - Rocher du Général - Boule et Bill 7A+

My main goals for today were done, and we decided to head to Boissy-aux-Cailles for a nice walk in a magnificent part of the forest.

We got treated with some nice views and ended up at the area Boissy Le Goulot.

I took the chance and Maarten agreed to have a look for the roof of "Into the Wild". A 7B+(7B) roof in a remote part of the area that I hadn't found before despite having looked for it twice.

Thanks to Maarten's kind help I finally had the chance to see the problem in real life and went back to the car to get the crashpad.

It's a really hard fingery problem and even though I thought at first that it was going to be too hard, I was able to work out my own sequence and execute all the moves separately, but wasn't strong enough to link them all together.

At least I know where it is now. It truly is into the wild and you can literally stand on the top of the boulder without knowing it.

Tomorrow there is a chance of rain and snow, so doing (a part of) the "25 bosses" is on the schedule.

One of the beautiful panorama views in Boissy-aux-Cailles.

December 30, 2016 - Back to business.

Being alone again, it felt like 'back to business' this morning.
I left early because I had to drive to Belgium to pick up my son Anthony, but first I drove to Rocher de Bouligny to try "Le Plat Pays".
On Monday I had a look at it, but everything was soaking wet and I didn't get further than just looking at it.
This morning it though, was freezing -4°C, there was dense fog, but it it didn't make everything wet. It was too cold.

The boulder with "Gecko" looked dry when I passed it on my way to "Le Plat Pays". It looked promising.
"Le Plat Pays" seemed to be in pristine conditions and despite the freezing cold, I was eager to put on my climbing shoes and start trying.
The dyno is small, weird to do, but it didn't take long before I was able to do it.
The mantle on those bad slopers was harder than I had imagined with these conditions and even though I could do it fairly easy when trying it from the ground, it was a hard struggle to do the complete problem in one go.
A true gem, this one!

Fontainebleau - Rocher de Bouligny - Le Plat Pays 7B+(7B)

On my way back to the car, I wanted to stop at "Le Presse-Purée" which was also soaking wet when I passed by last Monday.

I did it easily and only realised why when I saw a video of it later, that I started with a too high hold right hand.
The correct start is with the right hand on a much lower hold, adding an extra move to it.

Fontainebleau - Rocher de Bouligny - Le Presse-Purée 7A+ (wrong start)

Right next to it, the beautiful wall with "Obstiné" was dry and in perfect conditions too.
The sitstart, "Obstiné (assis)", had originally been graded 7A, but got rightfully downgraded to 6C+.
Even for 6C+ it felt soft, because I flashed it with ease.

Fontainebleau - Rocher de Bouligny - Obstiné (assis) 6C+

I briefly watched Jan Hojer and Juliane Wurm working in "Gecko (assis)" and walked on to the car. They seemed to be 'in business' too.

December 29, 2016 - Collegiality.

My colleague and friend, Harco (De Man) stayed over for two days. No work, just climbing.
He arrived yesterday around noon and after a coffee we went to La Ségognole to warm up and make Harco get used to the rock again.
After cruising up every orange problem he tried, it was time for some blues in Cul de Chien.

Stef (Jacobs) and Matthias were climbing in Roche aux Sabots and they gladly joined us to climb in the sun. It was cold.
We ended up spending the rest of the day there, doing mostly red ones.
I was surprised how much confidence Harco had on the sandstone and watched him top out some quite difficult reds. He has it in him and it's great to see him do it with so much motivation.

This morning we arrived early in Cuvier and by 10h we both had done "La Marie-Rose".
Hats off for Harco who did it on his fifth attempt ever, being only his first real time climbing.
The first time was a quick hour after work when he was here for a company project.
The second time was a short afternoon when he was visiting with his girlfriend.
Now was the first time he was here only for climbing.

We moved to "Cortomaltèse" that I repeated on my second attempt again and in which Harco was able to make some good moves. It's one of his projects for next time.
By that time Stef and Matthias had arrived too, and we decided to go to Cuvier Est where we wanted to try the classic "Duroxmanie".
I have been trying this a couple of times now and never found it in really good conditions.
Today the conditions seemed perfect, because while Stef and Matthias were still warming up, I climbed "Duroxmanie" on my first attempt of the day.
It felt great climbing such a beautiful and classic line!

Fontainebleau - Cuvier Est - Duroxmanie 6C

Harco made some really nice attempts, knows what he has to do, but still lacks some technique and he was already getting tired after yesterday's climbing and doing "La Marie-Rose" a second time for taking pictures.
Stef made a lot of progress and is getting very close to a send, but the many tries had started to wear him off.

Back to "La Marie-Rose".
Matthias still wanted to try it, and I convinced Harco to try and repeat it for the video.
They both weren't able to finish it anymore, but got close. The tiredness had gotten the better of them.

In the meantime, Stef and I had started working in "Super Bouze", the conditions were good.
I had done it already in 2011 but completely forgot about how I did it so it was puzzle for bot of us.
It didn't take a very long time before I figured it out again and profited from the good conditions to repeat it.

Fontainebleau - Cuvier - Super Bouze 7A+

Harco still climbed the not so easy bleu 43, "Le Bidule" to the right of "La Marie-Rose".

He's got some mantle skils!

We still had some fun trying to repeat "Big Crotte" but we were all tired and Harco and I decided to call it a day. He still had a five hour drive ahead of him and I really pushed him to the limit.

December 27, 2016 - Got wood ?

Yesterday was an extremely wet day.
I drove from here to there, walked around a lot, touched wet holds but didn't get to climb anything.
Last night however, the skies cleared up and the day started with sunshine and a clear blue sky.
The streets were mostly dry so must be dry rock around somewhere already.

I drove to Rocher Saint-Germain Est, knowing that the area catches sun from the morning on, even in Winter.
There are a few new 7th grade problems opened recently and besides "Magic Three (debout)", I didn't try any of them yet.

"Magic Three" has been opened by the Belgians, Jan de Smit and Wolff Braeckman, and is one of the nicest if you like compression on slopers.
I tried the standing start a couple days after it was published in mid Summer, but I couldn't do anything on those slopers in the heat. Hats off for Jan and Wolff opening it in such conditions.

This morning it was only about 5°C and it made all the difference. I made it on my second attempt, but not without a struggle.

Fontainebleau - Rocher Saint-Germain Est - Magic Three (debout) 7A

The sitstart looks very nice, but I didn't want to spend too much energy yet. I still have 10 days of holiday and today I wanted to take it easy.

There was another new 7A nearby, "Le Casse Tête", a conventional sitstart of what is now 6 red.
I once did a sitstart on the right, but that was at most 6C.
Sitstart with a small crimp left hand and the undercling for the right, changes the whole story.
It looked really easy at first, but it took time to find my correct method. Not to be underestimated.

Fontainebleau - Rocher Saint-Germain Est - Le Casse-Tête 7A

I had some trouble to find "L'Arête des Comiques", only to find it no good enough conditions to give it some real tries, so I packed up to join Jean-Pierre (Roudneff) in Apremont.
He was trying and testing some by then still unpublished traverses opened by Tony (Fouchereau).

I watched him climb the very long 7A(6C+) traverse "Les Thunderbirds". I could only do it with a rest halfway. I just don't have the continuity.
Jean-Pierre had to go and he left me behind with soar muscles from trying "Les Thunderbirds".

Late afternoon someone is delivering 5 cubic metres (stères) of firewood and I had to be home for it. I still had about an hour of time though.
"Happy Boulder" got we down in the 6B+ slab again. I just can't seem to figure how to move up in that slab!

Not long ago, I thought I did "Ablation du Téton", but it appeared that I did an exit further right, which is conveniently called "Ablation du Téton (droite)". I remember that it felt harder than 7A and I was curious if the original dynamic exit would be as hard.

For me, the original version I did today, was easier than the right exit. Probably because I still remembered the first moves very well.
Two very distinctive lines. Gotta try both versions while at it.

Fontainebleau - Apremont - Ablation du Téton 7A

Not even 5 minutes after I came home, the woodman arrived, left again with my money, and I could start hauling and stapling 5 stères of firewood.

I will feel that tomorrow!

December 25, 2016 - What goes up must go down.

Merry Christmas to all who cares!!

Only two small climbs today, most of the time was spent looking for dry boulders and especially walking uphill.
I started at Gros Sablons Nord where it dries quickly and walked straight to "Nymphe des Bois" on the top of the hill, opened by Bart (Van Raaij) not long ago.
It's on the arete to the left "L'Enfer des Zombies", a 7C(7C+) which is definitely on my want-to-try-list. But not today.
The boulder was mostly wet, but the holds of "Nymphe des Bois" looked quite okay.

In the conditions like today it felt like a soft 7A+, but when it's completely dry it will be more like soft 7A.

Fontainebleau - Gros Sablons Nord - Nymphe des Bois 7A+(7A)

My next stop was at Gros Sablons, which meant walking steep downhill followed by another steep uphill.
All that to find the whole sector too wet to try anything.
I had a long walk around looking for something dry, but it was no use.
Again downhill to try my chances on the neighbouring hill of 95.2, but there it was just the same. Wet.

As a last resort, I decided to have a look at "Petit Brigand" on the top of the hill of Roche au Four.
It's an even steeper and longer hill, but it was right next to the parking. A small detour, but the steep uphill exhausted me by the time I arrived at the top.
All that for just one problem, but at least it was dry and I got treated with a beautiful view over Les Trois Pignons.

Panorama from the top of Roche au Four.

On bleau.info there's only a vague picture and description, so I followed the most logical that would fit he grade.
Maybe I did something wrong, because it felt soft for a problem opened by Olivier Lebreton and David Evrard.
Nice problem. Worth the detour? I would say no, unless everything else is wet.

Fontainebleau - Roche au Four - Petit Brigand 7A

I took a long break before going back down the steep downhill towards the car.

What goes up must go down.