UKC

Some complain about the cold and some take advantage of it. Guillaume Glairon-Mondet did the latter and made the first repeat of Jan Hojer's Le marathon de Boissy, ~8C, at Boissy aux Cailles, Fontainebleau.

Le marathon de Boissy links a long traverse into and finishes in L'Arête de Boissy, ~7C+,...

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=69405

In reply to UKC News:

Dude just climbed 8C in madrocks. No more excuses.

In reply to dr_botnik:

... such marginal footholds too

In reply to dr_botnik: With footholds that big he could have done it in Boreals. Or flippers. Which are somewhat akin to Boreal....

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell:

I'm guessing the last time you actually tried Boreals was around 1993.

In reply to john arran:


Actually later than that. It was when they produced the IRS randed shoes, can't remember then name. And the new rubber. Which was terrible. I had a session falling of everything at Almscliffe. I was given a pair of Scarpa's to try, didn't fall off a thing, threw the Boreal away and never looked back.

How many people do you see wearing Boreal by choice? Pity, as they were amazing, around '93...

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell:

Well I've been wearing them by choice for a while, and climbed a few hardish things in them too. It's funny how reputations stick though if they're pedalled enough times afterwards.

In reply to john arran: I think the bad rap that Boreal suffers from is partly due to the rubber compound they used in the late 90's (fusion s2?). That and 5.10/Scarpa/La Sportive upping the game with shoe design and stickier/harder wearing rubbers.

Nowadays I've got to say its a rare occasion when you see anyone climbing in the 8's in York/The Peak/N. Wales in Boreal. Jordan excepted, but he is sponsored by them.

Andy F

In reply to andy farnell:


I don't doubt that. Not sure it says much about the shoes themselves though, since to be fair most shoes are pretty good nowadays and people will generally get swayed by what most others seem to be wearing.

In reply to Andy Farnell:
I am a little amused , At that time (early / middle 90's) W.Güllich climbed Action Directe in Boreal, Ben Moon and Jerry Moffat also climbed in Boreals (for example Superman, The Thing, etc..) Phillipe LeDenmat climbs the hardest slabs and walls in Fontainebleau with the old Ninja (with S2 Fusion and later), Jacky Godoffe today is wearing Boreal and so on - so what?
I agree with john arran most people see the other climbers are wearing Sportiva or Five Ten, or some Scarpa - also it's a challenge to get Boreal shoes, that was their pitty because of their not existing retail system at that time.

Best regards from Germany, and a happy new year
Hartwig