UKC

Red Bull Font & Bleau

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 harrison 28 Jun 2017
I saw this video, which I thought was quite odd youtube.com/watch?v=wBRskvvgLCI&

Basically, as part of a competition, they did 11 laps of the 3 routes on le toit de cul de chien, with people brushing the holds for them inbetween.

Google translate of the article in l'equipe - https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&pre...

original in fr - https://www.lequipe.fr/Adrenaline/Escalade/Actualites/Red-bull-font-bleau-u...

And its happening again this year:
https://www.redbull.com/fr-fr/events/red-bull-fontandbleau-2017

I'm surprised at the whole thing; first at turning a classic outdoor place into an indoor style competition (with the crowd, mats, spotters and brushers), and more so at the choice of running laps on classic problems.

Seems a bit at odds with the well touted promotion of conservation/preservation https://respectonsbleau.wordpress.com/appeal-english/

Maybe its just because I can't imagine it happening in the UK, but I can't imagine old bleausards being really supportive of it. Perhaps its not a bad thing and good publicity for fontainebleau.

Obviously many of the climbers who were there are very good, and also veterans of the forest, so they must consider it ok in order to participate.

What do people reckon?
 Adrien 28 Jun 2017
In reply to harrison:

Here's an old bleausard's take on it: https://translate.google.fr/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&...

Tl;dr: the comp was well organized and there were virtually no signs that a comp had taken place at Cul de chien. But if this event gets bigger problems will arise.

Now, that's just one opinion among many, and I would venture that most locals weren't too keen on this. I wasn't as I don't think Bleau needs any more publicity, it's already overrun. Sure, it seems this particular event didn't do much damage to the forest, but Redbull certainly intends to make profit from it, which means making the comp and the audience bigger and bigger every year, which is not sustainable.

But it seems that at 26 I'm already a grumpy old git who doesn't understand the subtle art of enjoying city-like crowds in a forest
 Chris the Tall 28 Jun 2017
In reply to harrison:

This campaign gets a mention in the latest Summit

https://www.wedrinkwater.com/pages/reason
 alx 28 Jun 2017
In reply to harrison:

Keeps the riffraff off the grit
1
Removed User 29 Jun 2017
In reply to alx:
I can see merit in the argument that it's better for climbers to take control ,if this sort of thing is going to happen anyway.
On the other hand there doesn't seem to be much attempt to follow the , for want of a better word, "ethics" detailed in https://respectonsbleau.wordpress.com/appeal-english/
If this is a success, from Red-Bulls point of view, I would imagine there'll be one at Stanage shortly.
Post edited at 11:16
 teapot 30 Jun 2017
In reply to harrison:

Very wierd comp- pretty much what happens any dry day in Font. Lap after lap of these problems. Ok attempt after attempt! Shame with all those pads no one did the 7C (?) to the right of Cul de Chien. Also there is that other problem between the crack and the right arete.

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