July 31, 2019 - Air time.

My body felt somewhat tired this morning, but I wanted to get some air, so why not go to 95.2 and try some dyno-ing.
"Air", next to "L'Ange Naïf", seemed like a good one to start with, even though I had never dared to really go for it in the past. I was doubting to take a second crashpad, but didn't after all. When I arrived at the boulder, I again was spooked by how high it is and why I maybe should have taken that extra pad anyway.
So be it, I was there, and decided to slowly build up the confidence. Still, that big boulder in the back was worrying me.

Surprisingly, it didn't take me as long as I expected and finished it after a handful attempts.

Fontainebleau - 95.2 - Air 7B+(7B)

I knew that the dyno to the right was even more scary and even closer to that boulder in the back, but decided to give it some tries anyway.
After a few times not making the jump and falling really close to the boulder behind me, I was scared off and started packing. For some reason I changed my mind and decided to try a few times more, trying not to think about that boulder behind me and really jump.

It was a huge relief when it suddenly stuck and I mantled up. Very scary and quite hard dyno this one.

Fontainebleau - 95.2 - Air (droite) 7A+

I hadn't planned on trying "Jafesse Connexion Airline" again, as I sort of had already given up on that one. I just didn't see myself doing that huge dyno, covering about two metres from the starting hold to the next.
My curiosity took over though and after the first try this morning, I immediately had the feeling that this could work. Which it did in the end.

This huge dyno to compression on slopers is much nicer than it looks. I wonder why I never bothered trying it more before.

Fontainebleau - 95.2 - Jafesse Connexion Airline 7B(7B+)

I had collected enough air miles for the day and headed back home. There was still a lot of work in the garden to finish, so at least I would still be getting some air.

July 30, 2019 - Shapes and formes.

Boulders come in all kind of shapes, formes and colours. Especially in Bleau.
The small but widespread area of Cassepot Roches Roses is a good example.
It's quite a long walk up to the last boulder in the far end of the area, but it's the most interesting one with many problems, all definitely worth it.
The shapes on that boulder offer many possibilities but I was able to finish two of them today.

First one was "Mik Mak", which looked like an easy warmup, but required much more effort than expected. Beautiful line with a quite scary topout.

Fontainebleau - Cassepot Roches Roses - Mik Mak 7A

Soon after, it was followed by the even more beautiful "Coeur de Flamme".
Truly a stunning line on a very special boulder with a scary uncertain finger lock at the end.

Fontainebleau - Cassepot Roches Roses - Coeur de Flamme 7A+(7A)

I lacked on energy for finishing any of the other problems, but spent quite some time trying and working out moves. This boulder hasn't seen the last of me yet.

July 29, 2019 - Skull & Bones.

I like the far end of Franchard Sablons. The Franchard region can be very crowded, but it's quite rare to see other climbers or hikers in that part of it.
I wanted to try quite some problems, but it was already hot quite early and my hands were sweaty for some reason and I couldn't find good friction anywhere. It didn't bother me very much though, because even though I couldn't top out, I was climbing and enjoying the deafening silence of the forest.

Deer skull at "L'Arête de l'Abri-Bivouac".

The only problem that I managed to top out this morning, was the very nice line "Matagot (sortie droite)". A problem that I had never dared trying due to the exposed factor created by the boulder just below you when doing the last moves.
Somehow it didn't scare me away this time, but practiced the last moves and finished it on my first attempt from the sitstart.

Fontainebleau - Franchard Sablons Ouest - Matagot (sortie droite) 7A+

July 28, 2019 - Tanned.

Me and my family have spent the past week in the Var department, enjoying a nice relaxing, but also tiring vacation. Even though I'm not a fan of sun bathing or tanning, and the only times you will see me in the direct sun is when walking from one shade spot to the next, I did seem to have gotten a tan. You be the judge, I have been so already.
Anyway, after a smooth eight hour drive, we arrived back home yesterday afternoon, but I still have a whole week of holiday in front of me. One that will be spent at home, in the always so beautiful forest.

This morning I went back to what is now called the Mont Blanc Ouest area. During my vacation, where I didn't climb at all, Olivier Joanon had been busy in the area and had opened quite some new problems, out of which a handful in the seventh grade.
I warmed up in "Nom d'un Menhir", on the backside of the boulder across "Rasta Roquette". Nice little prow where it's mostly about foot placement. Not hard for the grade, but I did have fun with this one.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc Ouest - Nom d'un Menhir 7A+

As I was there and still had plenty of battery left in my camera, I decided to repeat "Rasta Roquette (assis)", which I opened just before leaving on vacation, but wasn't able to get a video of it.
This morning I got it on video, but not without losing some skin off the back of my hand.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc Ouest - Rasta Roquette (assis) 7B+(7C)

At about 80m from there, I noticed someone between some boulders, and it turned out to be Laurent Darlot who was working in "Mont Suribachi", one of the boulders that I still wanted try this morning.
I watched him send it and remembered some of his beta, but as we don't quite have the same morphology, nor the same strengths, I had to use a different one. One that turned out to be a good one for me in the end.
I really enjoyed this boulder. Very nice one.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc Ouest - Mont Suribachi 7B(7B+)

July 18, 2019 - The real moquette.

As the name "Rasta Moquette" apparently was already chosen, I changed mine to "Rasta Coquette". The good thing about that, was that I was reminded of the first "Rasta Moquette" that was opened not very long ago in the back of the 91.1 area.
I had already seen it, but as the boulders in that part of the area dry quite slowly, I didn't have the chance to try it and had forgotten about it.

We are having a long dry period already, so I knew that it would definitely be dry now and went to 91.1.
"Rasta Moquette" looks and is quite small and short, but the moves make it a really fun line to climb.
I really enjoyed this one.

Fontainebleau - 91.1 - Rasta Moquette 7A+

July 17, 2019 - Some new stuff.

Being in holiday, I had time to climb and set off to the Ouest of the Mont Blanc area behind Éléphant.
I went with the idea of trying the new "Slippery Joe" at about 200m to the Ouest of the main Mont Blanc area.
Unfortunately, "Slippery Joe" wasn't really what I expected and still suffering from pain on my fairy tail, I didn't feel like trying something that didn't fit my style.
Strangely enough, I hadn't thought of a backup plan, but I hard my hard brush with me, and as there were quite some more bigger and smaller boulders in the immediate vicinity, I decided to have a look around and see if something would be worth brushing.
On the way, at about 30m to the East of "Slippery Joe", I had passed a boulder that had drawn my attention, so it was a good place to start.

I had already visited this small unknown sector with Neil (Hart) about six years ago, even before the Mont Blanc area was made public, so many of the boulders around had already been cleaned before six years ago and then again forgotten about. The boulder I cleaned could be one of them, but time at least had taken its toll and I can assure you that I had to clean off a lot.

"Rasta Coquette" is the right line and "Rasta Roquette" the left.

Did four problems on the same piece of the boulder, but unfortunately only two videos.

"Rasta Coquette", the right line on the picture, is about 6C(6B+) depending on your height.
Standing start with both hands on low small undercut crimps and exit directly or slightly left, using two big oblique slopey crimps.
I didn't bother making a video of the standstart, as I did the sitstart soon after. The sitstart start with two hand on the same two small undercut crimps, but getting off the ground requires a very hard pull on them. Maybe enough to make it a little 7A. Grade to be confirmed.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc - Rasta Coquette (assis) 7A

"Rasta Roquette"'left line on the picture, starts the same as "Rasta Coquette", but make a dyno to a good sandy hold on the left, without using the big slopey crimps of "Rasta Coquette". Exit slightly left.
Even though it might look not that hard at first, this took me quite some time. The position to dyno from makes it a very strange and hard move.

Fontainebleau - Mont Blanc - Rasta Roquette 7B+(7B)

Finally, now that I had gotten the hang of that move, it didn't take me many attempts anymore to do its sitstart too, "Rasta Roquette (assis)". I estimate that grade to be about 7B+(7C). Of course, also to be confirmed.
Unfortunately, while taking a longer break before attempting the sitstart, I had forgotten to turn off the camera and the battery didn't want to wait until I was finished to give up on me. Something that will not happen soon again.

Anyway, it probably will not take too long before I go back and make a video, as the static version of "Rasta Roquette" is still a project and there are more boulders with potential.

July 14, 2019 - Hide & seek.

Bois Rond Le Moine is a relatively new sector near the Auberge, consisting of only a handful of mostly isolated boulders spread over the hill on the South.
When I went looking for the boulder of "Mon Cochon" a few weeks ago, the description to get there, still mentioned taking the Chemin d'Arbonne à Achères for about 1000m and then go right for about 110m. I ended up at the boulder of "Lithothérapie", but wasn't able to find "Mon Cochon" afterwards.
I wasn't able to find the boulder of "La Maison du Sanglier" neither, even though that description said to the Chemin d'Arbonne à Achères for only 250m and then go right and the that boulder can be seen from the path. I walked to every small boulder that I could see from the path, but nothing.

This morning started cloudy and a bit colder, so I thought it would be a good occasion to look for those boulders again. Especially after seeing that the description to find "Mon Cochon" was updated and mentioned to take the Chemin d'Arbonne à Achères for only 400m instead of the 1000m written before.
Using the updated description, I did manage to find "Mon Cochon" this time, even though not without a bit of luck. To future possible repeaters, it helps to know that it's near the top of the hill. Still well hidden.

Hiding under the snout of "Mon Cochon".

Standing in front of the boulder and sitting under that nose, clearly revealed the obvious name of the line I was about to try.
Still suffering from severe pain on my fairy tail, I was afraid to fall and getting hurt even more, so maybe that's why it only took me three attempts. Still it was well worth having played that hide & seek for. A very nice line!

Fontainebleau - Bois Rond Le Moine - Mon Cochon 7A+

I tried to find "La Maison du Sanglier" again following its description, but again nowhere to be found. Until I noticed another path on another side of the hill and deviated from the area I was supposed to look according to the description. There it was clearly, clearly visible from the path below, yet that path is the Chemin Descamps.
Anyway, again only three attempts after having worked out the moves, but not without getting hurt first.

Fontainebleau - Bois Rond Le Moine - La Maison du Sanglier 7A+

So to get there, on the parking standing at the barrier of the Chemin d'Arbonne à Achères, immediately turn right and follow the obvious Chemin Descamps for about 250m where you can see the backside of the boulder, about 50m up the slope on the left side.

Now compare that with the original description and you will understand why hide & seek can take a long time that way.