April 17, 2018 - Cross the line.

Last Friday evening, when I met Bram (Honorez), Jan (De Smit) and their respective girlfriends Ruuth and Nataleigh, I joined them to the boulder of "Cross-Fit" in Rocher du Télégraphe.
A boulder with plenty of variations that I had never quite understood what goes where when looking at the maze of lines.
Looking at the picture with all the lines drawn on them, it reminds of this game I liked as a kid, where there's for example a cat that has to find the way to the milk through tangled lines.

All the possible lines (up to now) on the "Cross-Fit" boulder.

Nataleigh wanted to try "Cross-Fit (prolongé)", but the weather then was grey and humid with an occasional shower and the slopers at the end felt humid.

The weather was that bad that I didn't even bother bringing a crashpad, but as I did have a pair of shoes with me, I worked out the first part and was able to do the topout separately.

The conditions were too bad to go for a real attempt, so I decided to come back for it another time.

Nataleigh however, used all the dry time there was up to when the first drops fell while Jan and Bram desperately tried to keep the slopers at the end dry.

She almost made it, but fell at the end.

Nataleigh on her ultimate last attempt, Jan and Bram try to keep it dry.

For the second day in a row, it stayed dry today. The sky was blue and temperature rose up to 24°C.

I couldn't stop thinking about being in the forest so I asked and received approval to pick up some overtime.

It allowed me to leave work two hours earlier, which gave me plenty of time to go and try "Cross-Fit (prolongé)".

I was able to finish it on my second attempt, but I have to admit that I needed a long break to catch my breath in between the two tries.

Maybe I should have started with something easier, but knowing that this would be my 900th video on YouTube, I wanted it to be something special.

Fontainebleau - Rocher du Télégraphe - Cross-Fit (prolongé) 7C

After another long break, I was surprised to stick the first move of "Burpees" on my first attempt, but I kept calm and topped out. The fact that it has the same exit as for "Cross-Fit (prolongé)" definitely helped.

Fontainebleau - Rocher du Télégraphe - Burpees 7A(7A+)

Last, but not least, I ended with "Cross-Fit (direct)".
Too bad for the camera position, but otherwise the sun had started to shine directly into the lens, making it impossible to see.
Anyway, "Cross-Fit (direct)" starts off easy, but the topout is quite much harder than it seems at first!

Fontainebleau - Rocher du Télégraphe - Cross-Fit (direct) 7A+(7B)

There are still a lot of lines left to do on that boulder, so reason enough to back again one day.

April 16, 2018 - Bring on the wine.

As my wife and kids are not at home, there was no need for me to drive straight home after work today, so I decided to stop by Rocher de Corne-Biche.
I wanted to check some new problems and try "32 Millièmes", a boulder that I had never seen before, until some new problems were opened on it.
Every time, I seem to forget how long the walk up to there actually is, but it didn't bother me this time.
There was no hurry, the sun was out and it was a beautiful Spring evening.

It was thanks to Jan (de Smit) that I was able to find the boulder so quickly. By coincidence, he had told me about this boulder past Friday.
By the way, my deepest respect and huge congratulations to Jan who managed to climb the 8B+ "Mécanique Élémentaire" on Saturday, after doing the 8A "Magnéton" the day before. Strong!

I had fun in the beautiful 7A "32 Millièmes", which took me only two attempts. Very nice prow!

Fontainebleau - Rocher de Corne-Biche - 32 Millièmes 7A

Now that I was in the area, I thought I'ld try finish my business with the nearby "Le Vin du Dimanche (direct)", even though I don't drink alcohol.
A problem in my style, opened as 7A, and still I hadn't been able to finish it on at least two sessions.
Surprisingly, I managed to stick the dynamic move on my second attempt this time, stayed calm and topped out.
It has been correctly upgraded to 7A+ now. Very nice problem, the best wine I ever had!

Fontainebleau - Rocher de Corne-Biche - Le Vin du Dimanche (direct) 7A+

April 15, 2018 - Gravitational force.

Yesterday I left home early, drove over 800km to Belgium and back, cleaned the bathroom and mowed the lawn. No wonder I still felt exhausted when I woke up this morning.
The sun was already shining though and knowing that it wouldn't be like this all day, I left immediately after my morning coffee.

The walk to "Cosmos" sector in the back part of Mont Aigu always feels long and boring, but this time I enjoyed it and filled up my lungs with clean oxygen each time I took a breath.
I embraced the moment while it lasted.

To warm up and loosen my body, I made a first stop at the recently opened "Snout".
One mantle and that's it, but it turned out to be not the easiest one.
Perfect lowball boulder to practice your mantle skills on!

Fontainebleau - Mont Aigu - Snout 7A

Immediately after that, I was able to flash "Beau Bi la Pointe" on the boulder at 5m to the left of "Snout".
Opened with an original method of 7A+, but adjusted to 7A+(7A) until the repetitions decide.
To me it felt like 7A at most.

Fontainebleau - Mont Aigu - Beau Bi la Pointe 7A+(7A)

Now that I was warmed up, I was a bit disappointed to discover that "Cosmos" itself was still too wet. At least, so were the starting hold and the topout.
It felt like a pity because it was my main reason to come this sector.

Luckily there's still some more to do, but the only problem that I hadn't done yet and was in climbable condition, was "La Force de la Gravitation".
It needed some cleaning, but I managed to top it out.
Looks like that small pine tree suffered from a severed case of being unable to resist the gravitational force.

Fontainebleau - Mont Aigu - La Force de la Gravitation 7A+

Wandering around a bit more, trying to avoid other people in the main area, I made a quick video repetition of "Tante Pollewop (assis)". Never understood where that name comes from.
If anyone knows, feel free to comment.

Fontainebleau - Mont Aigu - Tante Pollewop (assis) 7A

On my way back to the car, I was thinking about gravitation and how cool it must be to do 4m far dyno's on the moon.
On the other hand if it would all be too easy, it wouldn't be fun anymore after a while.
So I decided that I love gravitation and went to Apremont Bizons to maybe finally try "Dominum".

Previous times I was in Apremont Bizons, "Dominum" had come to my attention, but either the rain prevented me from trying it or too many people were trying "Sarkopabo" right next to it.
Now, finally, neither of both and I could start.
It took me a while before finding a good method, which was still for me at the edge of my morphology.
It might look easy on the video, but in reality it didn't feel that way.
Maybe there was more gravity on that spot.

Fontainebleau - Apremont Bizons - Dominum 7B

April 11, 2018 - Seconds count.

I met C and his wife Giorgia at Gorge aux Châts this evening, but the rock felt quite warm and the conditions didn't feel good.
Despite that, while C was working the moves of "Le Pare Dessus", I was able to repeat first attempt as a warmup climb.

Playing around a little bit, I discovered that the first moves of "L'Ami Sanglier (du fond)" were more fun than I expected and decided to give it some real tries.
It only took me two, but all the moves combined together, this was more than enough.

A very atypic, special, but fun line!
We believe that the grade depends on how many seconds one rests while being tucked in the small "cave".

Fontainebleau - Gorge aux Châts - L'Ami Sanglier (du fond) 6C+(7A)

C was able to do all the moves separately but finishing "Le Pare Dessus" will be for a next visit.

April 10, 2018 - I come in peace.

What a difference compared to a few days when the forest was crowded with people on vacation.
I expected it to be the same this evening at Roche aux Sabots, but the place was almost completely deserted.
The forest is coming to peace again and besides a couple of quick climbs, I was going to leave it that way.

I started with a quick ascent of "Achille Talon".

*EDIT*
Apparently, I did a direct dyno version of "Le Porte à Faux" without the arete.
The description of "Achille Talon" has been adapted accordingly to avoid confusion.
I would say the grade would be around 6C+, or low end 7A.
*EDIT*

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots - Le Porte à Faux (direct) 6C+(7A)

Followed by a video repetition of "Élucubration / Le Quark".

Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots - Élucubration / Le Quark 7A

I ended with some good attempts in the 7B(7B+) "Beau Travail", but the only success there was having fun and enjoying the attempts.

I too came to peace.

April 06, 2018 - Free for all.

It's my oldest son's 15th birthday today, and I had taken the day off for the occasion.
Of course, he had to go to school, so I was able to profit from a beautiful warm and sunny Spring day.
Blue sky, sun, the warmth that comes with it, singing birds, flourishing trees and plants, ... it was all for free at Rocher Canon this morning. Even the hugs were.
Even though I'm not a real hugging type, but when it's a boulder and for free, I'm all for it.

"Free Hug" needs a lot of hugging.
Beautiful pillar with hard compression moves on very bad slopers from start to end.

Fontainebleau - Rocher Canon - Free Hug 7B

Despite it being a regular Friday, the area was quite crowded.
From all the other problems around that I still want to do or try, only "Babaobab" was free, as usual.
The lowball does indeed seem to be lost a bit in between all the bigger boulders nearby.
It looks like something small and easy, but reality proved the contrary, about the easy part at least.
Maybe it felt hard because of the higher temperature, but nevertheless, a fun boulder, definitely worth the effort!

Fontainebleau - Rocher Canon - Babaobab 7B

April 02, 2018 - Chasing solitude.

The sky looked grey at first this morning, but a quick look at my weather app confirmed that it was going to clear up soon and that temperatures of 17°C to 18°C can be expected.
Good weather on Easter Monday always equals huge crowds in the forest, but when I parked at the buvette of Apremont this morning at 9h30, the place was still deserted.
It stained when I had to let go of "P'tit Oeuf" on Saturday, but my mind was set on finishing it today, so I set off to Apremont Vallon de la Solitude.
I wanted to be there early already, because on Easter weekend, even there, solitude is far from guaranteed.

Already on my first attempt, I felt that my chances were much higher now.
The slopers felt stickier and I definitely felt stronger as opposed to last Saturday.
I stuck the crux move to the arete faster than I expected but felt great relief when I did.
Very nice, but though problem!

Fontainebleau - Apremont Vallon de la Solitude - P'tit Oeuf 7B(7B+)

In the meantime I could hear distant voices coming closer.
Many people had reached the far end of Apremont by now and it probably wouldn't take long before some of them would continue on to here.
Before leaving the area, I spent a short but nice time doing the sitstart of "Deltaroc".
Some beautiful delicate climbing!

Fontainebleau - Apremont Vallon de la Solitude - Deltaroc (assis) 7A

With the first groups of climbing having arrived in Apremont Vallon de la Solitude also by now, I fled deeper into Apremont towards Apremont Mare aux Biches.
Only a handful of boulders, but solitude for sure and a couple of problems I still wanted to try.
The only one I was able to finish there though was the fun but daring jump "Made in Januel" which I flashed with relative ease.
It's a matter of daring to go for it. But very fun the least!

Fontainebleau - Apremont Mare aux Biches - Made in Januel 7A+

Even on a sunny and warm Easter Monday, I managed to spend a few hours of climbing in complete solitude.
Walking past the popular sectors on my way back, it was a bit ironic to see the crowds almost standing in line, waiting for their turn.

Driving home, I stopped at Bois Rond to try "Spider Bloc".
No solitude at all, but I have this problem quite a few times and it was only after seeing a video of Maxime Baroud climbing it, that I knew what I did wrong.
Using his method, I managed to finally tick this very nice problem off, but still it felt hard.
Quite a different atmosphere also, compared to the one I was in before.

Fontainebleau - Bois Rond - Spider Bloc 7A+