The Magic Forest

 I spent many time of my climbing life to travel around Europe but one of the most amazing bouldering place that missed me was Fontainebleau. I planned this trip with my brother Marco, Francesco ,Valerio from november  the 9^th to novembre the 17^th so we left  Italy the early morning with a full car. Valerio joined  us by plane from Rome so we met in Font.  For us was the first time in the magic forest  in fact we were super sycked to see the fenomenal  environment that surround it but actually to test the famous sandstone.

  

Day 1

 We visited two of the classiest sectors called Cuvier Rempart and Bas Cuvier

In the first one we climbed some amazing lines  like  Duroxmanie 6c, Angle Allain 5+ a funny edge in the high part of the sector and a nice 7a called Big Mama just on the right of Gourmadise!

This style of climbing suits me quite well so after this great warm up, my brother and I went to check the “Big Four”

The “Big Four” are: Big Boss 7c, Fourmis Rouge 7c, Tristesse 7c and Big Golden 7c+ so we decided to try one of these , the famous Big Boss. On my  flash attempt I fell in the last hard move just over the overhang when you have to get the final pocket with the right hand so I felt it really possible.I was closer and closer  but some tries  I dabbed the big stone on the back. I  took a bit time of rest to brush the holds and to get ready my mind for  the last move, because It is a weird  and scary dyno to stick a big sloper with the right foot quite high. I put my climbing shoes, I took some chalk and I started climbing; I did the first part without dabbing the stone and finally I got the last sloper, so I was able to to take this thing down.WHAT A JOY! I was super satisfied to have climbed this historical boulder in my first day in the forest.

In the afternoon we moved to Bas cuvier and I was breathless seeing  the amazing environment  and I had not words to describe it. White sand covered  the ground  a lot of sandstone boulders were in front of me and I  just  desired climbing, climbing, climbing!

I sent Cortomaltese 6c+ then I moved the to try Helicopter 7a that it is feature by a fantastic dyno to a jug, so it took me some tries to figure out the beta and to get this move.

Day 2

 Today we opted for Isatis centre sector that is  characterizes from a different environment because it is completly surrounded by an amazing forest, really different from Bas Cuvier.

I warmed up on some easy boulder climbing an awesome line called La Statique 6a+ feature by an impressive big pinch. In the same boulder there are two other lines: Surplomb Gauche 7a  and Divine Decadance 7b+ but the second one  I wasn’t able to climb. A few steps farther there is Little Karma a really hard  6c  that its moves seemed like the real Karma, as the name suggests.

Then we moved to the upper part of the sector where I was able to send  two crazy lines: El Poussah 7a and El Poussif 7a+.

The first one is characterized by a fenomenal  toe hook with right foot that was essential  to do the problem.  Instead the second one is more technical with strange moves  on slippery feet but the hardest one was pushing with the left hand in order to put your left foot where you have the hand. Crazy! 

 

El Poussah 7a Flash  Ph: Marco Zanone

Day 3

We came back to Bas Cuvier and  we warmed up on an amazing 6a called Le trou du Simon  just on the right of L’Aerodynamite. Just for funning my brother and I tried Aerodynamite 7c that is reference point of jump start. On the flash go I grabbed the lower big hole that was really slippery but on the second try I got the right one and like a warm I crawled to the top of boulder. HELL YEAH!

Then we moved to try the world’s first 6a, La Marie Rose, I was fascinated by this line for his story and surely it was a pleasure climbed this famous slab. Then we came back because I wanted to climb La Berenzina 7c,  that probably was the “Biggest Fight” of the trip, because it was the third day of climbing in a row, the climbing day was basically over and I had not skin anymore.  I got my first tries but I felt pretty tired so i decided to take a big rest  in order to recover the energies. When I fell okay i did two tries falling two times to reach the good sloper before the top out. I was sycked so  I took another rest and just after I sent my second 7c in a day!! J SOOOO SATISFIED.

 

Aerodynamite 7c 2nd go  Ph: Francesco Longhini

Day 4:

Today we decided to check a new sector for us called Cusinier sector because it looked so beautiful from the guide book. It is situated on a fantastic hill composed by big trees, small ferns and a big quantity of musk, one of the best environment I ever seen.

I climbed some awesome lines like Bizarre Bizarre 7a+ that is a great edge just on the right of Karma, Battle Juice 7a+, a fantastic egg composed by big holes and a weird top out. The best line I climbed today was Excalibur 7a+, a difficult and technical edge with small and slopy feet. The key to solve the boulder is to push so much with the left foot in order to be in balance to get a far sloper . The lengend of this line is the same of the famous sword Excalibur, it said that just the “chosen” can climb it! 

 

La Berenzina 7c  Ph: Francesco Longhini

Day 5

Rest day because It rained for the big part of the day but when stopped it we went to visit some sectors like Elephant and Petit Bois

Day 6

Elephant was our destination for the morning and when I arrived dowthere I felt like I was in a fairy tale because a crazy quantity of boulders covers this increadible spot and a white sand trasform the woods in a true and amazing beach!

The quantity of easy boulders is impressive and It’s a real pleasure climb on it, I climbed a super good line ,but a bit polished, composed just from pockets called La Barre Fixe 7b+.

Then I sent Le Coeur 7a, an impressive feature characterizes it because the nature drew a real stone heart on the boulder that gives the name to the line.

In the afternoon we moved to Le Cul du Chein sector and I was able to flash the line that gives  name of the sector Le Cul du Chein 7a, that is an amazing high roof with a two fingers pocket in the middle and a big hole just over the roof and from these one you have to do a campus move to reached the last hold before the top out. Then I took my crash pad heading toward one of the most amazing line I climbed in Font, Eclipse 7c.

The whole line follow a roof for the first moves  then goes to left into an amazing vertical crack with a fenomenal weird dyno to grab a crimp. The stand start(7c) starts in the middle of the roof with a good crimp with the right hand and a small one with the left hand.  After having up your feet from the ground you get a bad sloper  and with a strange toe hook  you have to take the slopy crack with the left hand. From this position you have to get more three times with the left to reach the crack in the best way doing then  the dyno.  After 40 minutes of work I climbed Eclipes, having no words to discribe this epic moment, so happy for the beautiful of the line and for the crazy moves! Some minutes later I also climbed Arabesque 7b+ the line on the right of Eclipes composed by long moves on big holes and a difficult mantle with slopers and small pockets.

 

Eclipse 7c  Ph: Marco Zanone

Day 7( last day)

The last day as always came really quickly and we decided to climb in Rocher aux Sabots sector but it was a freaking cold morning  and it was so difficult to warm up very well. I got some attempts on  Sale Gosse being at each try closer but it is still a project for next time! Then we went to check the last sector of the trip Petit Bois where I climbed three must-do linea as: Big Jim 6c an high and vertical wall with lots of pockets, La Baleine 7a and L’Oeuf 7b that probably is the boulder that rappresent most the font style.  There aren’t  holds that give you confidence but just open hand holds with so slippery feet and an hard top out! Just three words for this line…
This is Font! 

Surely I want to came back to Font as soon as possible to climb again in this increabile spot but also to stay in contact with the nature and the fantastic environment that surrounded all this boulders.

 

Big Jim 6c  Ph: Marco Zanone

Merry christmas to everybody! ENJOY YOUR TIME