UKC

I realise that font is renowned for its bouldering, but i was just wondering if there were any routes there.
I'm going this summer with some mates and I'm not that into bouldering.

Thanks for the help, Alex

In reply to climb the peak:

If you have only ever experienced bouldering in the UK, then you may not be "into" bouldering, however, my partner and I didn't like bouldering and just popped to Font on the way back from a bolt clipping in the South of France that was washed out for the week, after an evening and a morning bouldering, we came home, bought a bouldering mat and have been back every year since for almost 2 week holidays.

Don't worry about not liking bouldering, I think your opinion may change. Just relax with the cheese, baguettes and wine in mind, it's a great place to be and wish I was going too!

Stacey x

In reply to staceyjg: Ok, thanks

In reply to climb the peak: no routes (at least I've never found one) but some of the boulders are of similar height to some gritstone crags

In reply to climb the peak:

no routes over here, sorry.

And even worse, font is so good that you might even "get into bouldering" while you're there.

anyway if you're really desperate for rope climbs and you manage to convince one of your mates, you have the following options:
Base de loisirs de Buthiers - indoor wall
Viaduc des Fauvettes, @Bures-sur-Yvette - ancient railway bridge converted into chipped crag
Le Nautil, @Pontault Combault - good indoor wall
Saussois - mirror-polished limestone
La Roque @Les Andelys - sport climbing on chalk

In reply to ghisino: Thank's for the info, hopefully i will get into bouldering

In reply to climb the peak:

If you keep going South for a bit, past the Saussois, you will find loads of limestone crags, and even a couple of granite ones in Burgundy (Jingo Wobbly Burgundy Guide). It's easily doable for the day if you are camping near Fontainebleau and some of you want to boulder.. that's all there is at Fontainebleau - loads of boulders, no crags.

The highest are at the Dame Joanne near Larchant to the South of the main climbing areas but a lot of this is now wired off because there is said to be danger of the cliff collapsing. Some climb with top ropes there but normally it is rather high bouldering. From here Burgundy is even closer, you pick up the Autoroute at Nemours - nice town to visit, restaurants on the river and a castle/museum, old church and so on.

In reply to climb the peak:

If you go to Font and don't enjoy it, there is something wrong with you.

In reply to climb the peak: A good number of problems there are routes (ie solos) some are over 10m high above bad landings (try Dame Jouanne). Also the easier circuits there were designed as alpine training. As someone above said if you don't like Font there is something wrong with you.

In reply to Offwidth:


Must be something wrong with me then I used to go a lot but I yearned for proper cliffs, ropes and such like. I've always found bouldering a bit anal, a lot of fuss for not much result.

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

I think we all know there is something wrong with you

In terms of being scared of falling off it happens more to me at font than anywhere else I can think of. Plenty high enough in the higher bits.

In reply to Offwidth:


Try the mauve circuit at the Dame Joanne.

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

Done it and when climbing well! the mauve problem off the top of the big block onto the high undercut wall, above pointy rocks, nearly made me have a different sort of accident. Felt like E2 5a to me at the time.

In reply to Offwidth:

And it's only supposed to be a training circuit for the Alps! The climbers who put up these circuits decades ago weren't just pretty faces

In reply to climb the peak: Thanks for the help