UKC

Looking for advice and suggestions for Font please.

Staying in a gite in Noisy-sur-École from 20th Aug for a week with the family (kids aged 12 & 10).

I'll be driving but don't think I'll have space for pads. Any pad hire recommendations? Is one enough?

Any favourite areas/circuits I should head to? Guess we'll be focussing on 3-5s. I've got Jingo Wobbly vol 1.

All tips and suggestions gratefully received.

Hey so the campsite Musardiere rents pads, not too far from you, or the Karma gym in Font itself

https://fontainebleau-crashpads.com/ Or this rather helpful website!!

One might be enough if you're lowballing with the kids, careful spotting etc. Maybe do 1 day with one pad and then asses, choose sandy landings.

I love  La Canche aux Merciers loads of fun problems to go at across the grade range.  Le Cul de Chien is like a giant beach with boulders so definitely worth a look as it's really quite unique in its setting. If you have a super busy weekend day  Drei Zinnen I've always found never attracts the hordes and has some lovely boulders.

Most important place you can visit though is any delightful pastry shop really!

The public swimming pool in Milly is good for a change of scene as well, I'm yet to find any other offerings of rivers etc to swim in though.

Hope that helps,

Get the Boolder mobile app if you don't have it yet, it will make choosing, finding and following the circuits much easier and links to the bleau.info database on specific problems

https://www.boolder.com/en/app

It could be very hot so pick sectors with plenty of shade. Best to climb early or late depending on how that fits in the family holiday.

I hired pads from Padadise once and thought they were good.

https://www.padadise.com/

I would always go for one large pad (eg BD Mondo) or two medium pads (1m x 1.2-1.4m) as a minimum. A single medium pad is too restrictive. In your case probably two medium pads is best so you can be flexible with four people, especially if you are doing circuits. Large pads usually need the back seats putting down too, which would be impractical.

At age 10-12 I guess they might be happy on some adult problems in which case any of the major areas with lots of yellow/orange/blue circuit problems should be good. The Boolder app referred to above is really helpful for getting around. If the kids would prefer some shorter problems or have done very little outside, there is a good kids circuit (as well as all the adult problems) at Roche aux Sabots and a place particularly good for kids is Rocher du Telegraphe / Feuardilliere (https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/rocher_du_telegraphe-25134/#overvi...). It has several close-together kids circuits starting at one aimed at 3-4 yos, yours will probably want the biggest but it gives flexibility. If you are climbing low grades there is enough there for an adult to spend a couple of hours too. Harder problems are all off in the woods, spread around.

Noisy is a good base, you can get everything you need in Milly.

We hired pads from climbfontainebleau in Arbonne, and that worked out well enough. If you figure out a way of getting La Musardiere to answer the phone then let us know.

Roche aux Sabots is great, but isn't the kids circuit there is a bit on the small side? IIRC our 4 year-old more or less cruised the first half, I'd expect that a ten year-old would pretty much be able to step over half of the blocs...

Watching with interest!

Just arrived for a short break on the way home from the Alps.  My first time in about 25 years, with my 12 year old who climbs about V4/5 indoors and is about to get a hard lesson in technique! (as am I!).

I've brought a pad. Last time I was here we just had beer towels and optimism.

It's hot right now, about 30/31 so we'll be avoiding 95.2, Trois Pignon etc and hunting shade where possible before heading to the patisserie.

Roche aux Oiseaux stays as cool as anywhere.

To the OP: As said above, you definitely want the boolder app.

Last time we were out in May we hired from Fontainebleau Crashpads. Nice bunch and a good selection of sizes. Will be going back and hiring again when we go next month. One mat is ok, we hired a huge Snap pad which covered all the bases.

Loads to go at, currently just finishing up two weeks with 8 year old (who climbs) and wife and two friends.

Canche, Rocher Sobots, Apremont Bizons all have kids circuits beside or near as well as loads of shade. If you have a hammock and a cool box, bring them and make a picnic/chill area for kids.

we bring pads, but friends rent from some of the above. Climb early for cool and then hit the pool at Buthiers  if the kids want a nice wash . Beware it can be human soup sometimes… so go late (after 1600)

Elephant is great with kids. But, the yellow circuit is exceptionally polished in places and you’d want to be comfortable high above whatever you’ve hired on the blue and red. Be aware pads will have had a lot of use, so check foam before you take them.

Check your ego over grades and most of all, have fun, it’s a great place.

Currently 28 degrees at 20:30 after a day up to 34…. So don’t expect to get great friction later in August

Petit Bois near Nemours. About as cool as you can get, ace crag.

https://www.padadise.com/

Another vote for these, used them in June,  hired 2 mats, great service/communication, mats were exactly where they said they would be, no waiting around, dropped off at same place, very easy to book, pick up and drop off.

My son aged 5 did about half, the other half were a bit big for him. There are plenty of adult problems there too, just depends on the 10yo I think.

We chose Apremont today and it was a good starter for my boy. Lots of parking on the Allee des Vache just outside Barbizon. The cabin in the woods does food and drinks with shaded tables to eat at.

A few minutes into the woods you'll find Butte Aux Dames. The yellow and orange circuits were great to put the lad to work learning Font beta and friction. The low grades were accessible with some tricky moves (given the grade) and top outs but good landings. Red hot so the heat limited friction as well as our aspirations! I was shut down by a few 3s - no idea how I used to send 7's here!

My lad loved the climbing almost as much as the frites / crepe and seeing lizards everywhere.

Several groups with matching, presumably hired, pads so hopefully the tips above work for you.

Boolder app is brilliant.

The woods can be very disorientating so keep in touch with your group!

Thanks, keep the updates coming! Especially food related tips!!

Chalet Jobert near Damme Jounne is excellent - not cheap, but the food is great. 

That cabin is like a vision of paradise when you come walking out the forest, hot, bothered  and tired and there’s shady tables with glasses of cold beer.  We stayed for a couple!

Don Camillo for a quick takeaway pizza.

Intermarche in oncy is the least faff shopping trip. 

And, we argue over this every time, but Le pavé de la halle is the best patisserie. Yes it is.

Good to hear as we've just got cakes for pudding from there! Will confirm or deny in an hour or so!

Isatis today after a morning strolling round the grounds of the chateau. Family holiday innit.

Isatis has decent parking and wasn't too busy on a hot Sunday. First boulders are about 50m from the car park with yellow and orange circuits starting there.  They spread away uphill for some distance so if it's warm and/or busy, head higher to avoid the crowd and gain any breeze. Lots of tree cover and well shaded.

My lad loved it and said he preferred it to Apremont. Sans nuggets from the cabin, obvs.

We topped one boulder and were sat together amd he leant against me and whispered "I love Font!". Job done.

10 min drive to get patisserie from Milly la Foret.

I like  Rocher des Potets as a starter... easy, low and flat landings... also quieter than many other places. Enjoy 🤩

Another top tip nobody's said yet is if you're going to follow the circuits do them backwards. You'll typically only get halfway before you're knackered or out of skin, and so does everyone else. So enjoy the quiet, less polished half.

That's a great tip! Makes sense, unless it's hard to follow the arrows but Boolder mostly takes care of that! 

Nice to know I'm in good company only getting half way round a circuit.

Also tending to concur on the patisserie, but think I need some more research.

Another tip, comfy shoes for circuits. Save the tight fitting ones for single problem/ projects.

Beauvais area often a bit quieter than others

It's usually no more or less intractable than the normal way to be honest.

Well you'll be forced to as the trip goes on; they all have random days off so you'll get whichever is open.

In August heat, save the tight shoes for the send go on the project.

My kids are a little younger but some time at the pool in Buthiers was a hit after a few nice easy / shady boulders in the woods adjacent.

Roche aux Sabots in the Trois Pignon area today. 6 minutes from Milly.

The famous Font polish was a lot more evident than the other areas we visited so far.

Despite that the technique is improving and got some (relatively) harder stuff done. A great location with dappled shade and a nice sandy base. 

Be careful with some of the bigger blocks. There's not always an obvious way down! Guess how I know. Check before you send.

Popped in to Cuvier for a nostalgic trip. Incredible place but boulders are polished and a lot bigger than the other areas we visited. A good boulangerie on the main road two minutes out of the car park.

Too hot to do much, hotter tomorrow which makes heading home a bit less painful. 

I hope you have a great time!

It's #2 honeypot. But... Go 200m away to the Sud sector (Zen etc) and you wouldn't know it.

One more tip. Take a hammock or pick up the Decathlon cheapy. Excellent if you are setting up in one area for a bit. You won't be short of trees!