UKC

Hi there,

Will be heading to Font in early August with some mates, went last year but the guide we used was terrible so firstly looking for better guide and map!!
Also where are the best places to go, we all climb around 5-6c!

Will be staying at Camping Les Prez

Any advice and tips welcome!!

Cheers

In reply to BossHog:

What guide did you have last year?

In reply to BossHog: How about the 5+6 book then?
http://www.rockrun.com/products/5%252b6-Fontainebleau.html

In reply to BossHog:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fontainebleau-Fun-Bloc-Bouldering-Photo-guide/dp/18...

In reply to Bob kate bob:

>"How about the 5+6 book then?"

As piece of fine art great! But it's not the most user friendly guide book - too minamalist.

In reply to JLS:

+1....best all round guide in my opinion.

In reply to craig1983: It was purple called Fontainebleau climbs, and it was utter shat

In reply to BossHog:

Yeah I had that the first time I went to font....I wasn't overly cut up about it when I accidentally left it in the forest somewhere.

In reply to craig1983:

Just ordered this one by pure coincidence and now looking forward to it hugely!

In reply to BossHog:

The 5+6 guide is excellent but it does only cover half the forest and so, I wouldn't advise it to someone without some knowledge of the spots.

I'll be in Le Prez from the 25th July for 2 weeks, If you need any help I'll be in the big field of the bivouac on the right as you go under the bridge, just to the right of the water tap, there'll be six of us, including 2 kids, we won't look like climbers. You might get a glass of pastis!

In reply to BossHog: Yeah I was there for a month recently so got chance to use a few guides and visit many areas. The purple guide would've been acceptable for 1999 but was poor and innacurate in some instances. 5+6 is arty but impractical (misses loads of the good 5+6 problems/areas out.

The Jingo Wobbly photo guide was brill and I ended up buying one and using it lovingly for everything from guidebook (it's best use) to seat/chopping board/shoe-keeper cleaner (when I lost my doormat).

Anything in the Trois Pignon area is great for the 5-6 climber and all withing walking distance of the Musardiere campsite.

In reply to craig1983: Haha dont blame you!

In reply to fried: Cool! Cheers for that! Catch you there!

Does anyone know if you can camp for free anywhere or just crash on the side of the road?

In reply to BossHog: hey there, how long are you hanging around there for? I'll be there around 9th of Aug and looking for climbing mates

In reply to TradRat:

I love Trois Pignon but have found it all a bit hot in summer. Franchard is the business on summer visits. But really, don't get too hung up looking for "best" areas. I reckon it takes about five or six visits to go to most of the best places, so look upon it as a long term project...

I use the purple guide, it seems fine to me, plus an old OTE guide that is pretty good too. Get a map too, very helpful.

In reply to hardouthyndzy: We are thinking of going in the first 2 weeks of August but only have a van and there is at least 3 of who want to go and wont fit in the van, if anyone is heading over then and have a space in there car it would be awesome to hear from you. Also does anyone know the cheapest way to font from Dorset? We have searched hard and it looks like going to the Eurostar, any advice?

In reply to samparsons: Oh yer we can also swap your gear for people in your car, as the van has lots of space.

In reply to BossHog:

Anyone want a lift out on the 10th?
I'm driving to Chamonix but may spend a few nights in Font at I've never been.

In reply to seankenny: Yeah a forest map is very handy. (I was walking and hitching everywhere).

In reply to BossHog:

There is no perfect guide, we end up taking all of them! The jingo one is fairly extensive, and there is an updated version of the purple guide (now white) that is better than the old one.

The real classic areas are Bas Cuvier, Isatis, Trois Pignons, Elephant, Aprement, plus others. Some nice places we have found are Canche au Merciers, Beauvais, Gros Sablons, Rocher Canon. Sounds like a cop out but check the guidebook for areas that have recommended circuits at the grade you want, so 5-6c means blues, reds, blacks. That way you'll end up with loads of problems at the right grade. Black ciruit at l'elephant sticks in my mind as a good un, I'm sure others will have a favourite.

It might be hot so take your trunks - swimming lake at Bois le Roi. Also 40min train to Paris centre for a bit of tourism.