UKC

Still looking like it's Font this weekend, but it's a bit overwhelming for the first time visitor so looking for some suggestions.

I'll be on my own and it's forecast to be a bit wet Friday so might need some fast drying options. Haven't climbed anything harder than f5+ in the UK (Crescent Groovelet (f6A) and not looking to spend ages on problems - looking for mileage and to get a general feel for the place.

Will have my car, and probably camping at Les Prés

Cheers,
Andrew.

In reply to planetmarshall:

The forecast is rather poor I'm afraid but you may manage to squeeze in a half day of climbing on Saturday and Sunday. The places that dry the quickest are Cul de Chien, Rocher Fin, 91.1 and 95.2 (all in the Trois pignons). All very popular. They all boast either orange or blue problems, which is what you'll be looking for if you climb 5+ max. Mostly low problems. Very sandy areas so make sure you have a doormat to clean your shoes before climbing. The upper part of Apremont also dries reasonably well as it is quite exposed, but finding your way there can be tricky as it's a rather complex area. The ridge at Rocher de la Reine is also quite open and faces south and boasts some yellows and blues so that's another option.

Please do wait until the rock is dry before climbing, it gets very brittle when wet and holds break easily.

In reply to planetmarshall:
Loads of stuff is quick drying just choose the south facing sides of the hills or the flat areas ... and look at the area intro pages. If you want mileage you should try the Franchard mountain orange or almost any yellow circuit and don't turn your nose up at the odd kids white (like the fun white at Rochet Sabot about 50m back towards the car park which in YMC grades averages out at about font 3). For climbing in light rain the Calvair roof is popular. My favourite intro area is Diplodocus as it as everything across the intro grades from yellow to blue and from mainly short problems to a scary big beast main event; and some fun tunnels. As a hint...Crescent Grovelet would be f4ish in local font grades.

Bas Cuvier Orange might put you off font for life ... dismal setting and sandbaggy and scary.

In reply to planetmarshall:
My favourite place to take beginners is Diplodocus - it's quick drying, easy to get to, not too busy and has loads of easy stuff with good yellow, orange and blue circuits. Go there and start on yellows and see how you get on.

Don't worry about grades - the lower end grades are often a little suspect anyway - just pick a circuit and you like and crack on. Other obvious fast drying choices in the lower grades would be Rocher Fin, 91.1, Canache aux Mercier and Rocher Canon. Don't feel like you have to go to Isatis, Elephant or Cuvier - they'll still be there and there's better places for a first timer.

Other tips are download the google map of the forest onto your phone and drop pins at the carparks - they're not all easy to find first time, don't get hung up on finding classics - just climb loads, focus on getting your footwork in early - it will pay massive dividends, visit the cheesemonger and charcuterie in Milly andhave an Amande from the boulangerie in Larchant.

In reply to Lemony:

Elephant kids white and Yellow are both realy good introductions for adults of Andrews grade looking for some fun mileage. The orange there is high in places but much less sandbaggy than most popular areas orange circuits.

In reply to Offwidth:
My memory of the yellow circuit at Elephant was of bad landings and poor problems but it's 5+ years since I climbed on it.


edit: it's also so soft that it needs double care after rain.

The mountain orange at Franchard is a terrible idea if it's wet, right now there's leaves and pine needles everywhere which combined with dampness will make climbing there anything but fun!

The yellow at Éléphant is a bit boring and very polished, not one I would recommend (apart from the last, high-ish problem).

(Cul de chien dismal??)

In reply to Lemony:

Hmmm - I seldom climb as hard as 5+ in the UK and I normally do orange circuits in Font, so I'd probably suggest that the OP gets straight on orange or blue.

As others have said, though, basically just go somewhere quick drying with an appropriate circuit and get on it (or at least the dry bits of it). I've yet to have a bad day on a Font circuit - as far as I can tell they're all worthwhile.

In reply to Ramblin dave:

I always tell people to start on yellows because there's a few orange and blue circuits around that would be pretty disheartening if you thought they were supposed to be easy for your grade. It's a fair point though.

In reply to Adrien:

The blue at Rochers de la Reine is another terror inducing circuit I'd advise first-time lower grade visitors to avoid.

In reply to Lemony:


I don't think it really counts as a Font trip unless you get shut down by a 3a.

In reply to Offwidth:

That wouldn't be my first choice to be honest, I'd focus on the other areas mentioned, but if it's the only dry one (unlikely though I'll admit). Terror-inducing is a bit harsh though, I don't remember there being anything high (the blue circuit at Gros Sablons, on the other hand...). The yellow circuit however is worthwile.

In reply to Lemony:
I did the Elephant yellow again last year and only a few problems were bad landings and they were mainly easier and you can get a mat round it without a gargantuan effort unlike some yellow circuits... all the rock needs to be dry, not just Elephant. After rain a small door mat or similar is essential to keep sand off the feet.

In reply to Adrien:
I'm talking first time visitors... you are acclimatised. Its not the worst: I remember thinking on a mauve at Damme Jouanne (pulling onto an undercut hanging wall from the top of a 5m block) this would be E1 with some pro at home and I'm a VS punter soloing it above that shit landing.

Note the Bas Cuvier edit.. Cul de Chien is lovely.

We did the mountain orange at Easter between rain the previous evening and getting rained off at the very end. We took our time, used several small towels and a small door mat and it was fine on dry rock (until we were stopped by the weather change).

In reply to Offwidth:
The mauve at Dame Jouanne is something, I'll grant you that... I heard they're going to repaint it soon, I'm not sure I'll have the guts to try to link that one.

Ah yes didn't see the Bas Cul de chien edit - agree, I barely ever go to Cuvier, I just find it... gloomy. And grades are all over the place (La Prestat is a must-do however, though hard for orange!).

In reply to Offwidth:

Other ones I'd avoid:
Bois Rond - very slow drying and the circuits are tired and fairly stiff
Petit Bois - Unless things have changed the lower grade stuff doesn't see enough traffic to keep it clean and it's very slow drying
Apremont - Easy to waste a lot of time the first time you go, the easy stuff it's pretty polished and there's some sketchy landings
Damme Jouanne - scary!
Buthiers Piscine - The black and red circuits are awesome but the blue and yellows are a bit worn out
Rocher Guichot - stiff, busy, disappointing
JA Martin - Not sure if we've just not found the good bits but this has always seemed crap unless you're into highball cracks...

Ones to consider if the weather's better than expected:
Mont Aigu - brilliant beginner's venue with superb blues and oranges and pretty good yellows in a great spot. Dries a bit slow though.
Haute Plains - Great yellow and orange, lovely place
Gorge Aux Chats - Good blue and orange
Potala - Good blue and orange
Isatis - great blue

In reply to Ramblin dave:
Are you sure you are not climbing 5+ at home because you are not trying or are just 'pick and mixing' at font??. I'm struggling to think of a blue circuit that hasn't got UK 5+ stuff on it. I've climbed numerous low 6s in the UK and struggle to complete almost any popular orange circuit I try and have failed on several yellow variants and even had to try really hard on the white kids circuit at Buthier Canard this September (the one starting at the sandy parking bay on the bend half way between the Auberge and the main Malsherbes road crossroads... the tricky problems are on an ace long 'wave' feature that's well worth a visit.).

In reply to Offwidth:
Hmmm, might have phrased that badly. I'll normally get on an orange circuit and do most of it - for me they tend to be a good mix of volume and difficulty. I won't just cruise round the circuit onsighting everything for a warmup, and I'll probably skip a few problems that are particularly hard, scary or polished. Blues are good for picking odd problems - probably the easy ones - and I wouldn't even try to do a whole circuit.

In the Peak I generally have a few goes on things but don't do full-on projecting or anything, and normally climb threes and fours.

In reply to planetmarshall:

Hi Andrew,

Sandy areas in the Trois Pignons forest will dry quickly indeed.

I boulder around the same difficulty, I recently climbed crescent arete and crescent groovelet at Stanage. These problems would get a 4c grade in French grading system, which is the middle grade of blue circuits in Bleau, and the top end of orange circuits. So you should be fine completing most of an orange circuit (still a challenge if a >30 routes circuit) and picking easier blues.

Have a good trip
Francois

In reply to Francois R:

Thanks everyone for your advice. I'm fully expecting to get my arse handed to me, so no worries on that front.

Weather permitting, I'll report back on how it turns out.

In reply to planetmarshall:

You get one of the best things in the world handed to you.. don't worry about the grades and enjoy where the rock takes you.