Travel: Magical Bouldering in France’s Fontainebleau

April 14th, 2015 • BY Zofia Reych

Imagine a peaceful pine forest, with thousands and thousands of rocks and flat, sandy landings. Welcome to Fontainebleau, the world’s premiere bouldering crag located less than forty miles from Paris city centre.

There’s no other place with such a concentration of top-quality problems. French alpinists started exploring the area as early as the nineteenth century, and the long period of development combined with an abundance of rock resulted in an absolutely unique venue.

Climbing

Fontainebleau rock is sandstone and for the ambitious boulderer the best time of the year to visit is winter. Low temperatures mean better friction, and ‘Font’ is famous for its friction dependent slabs and slopers.

 

However, fun is to be had all year round. Color-coded circuits offer amusement for everybody, and in many areas there are even circuits of tiny boulders for toddlers.

On both the kiddies’ and adults’ circuits every problem is marked with a small number, and arrows guide you from one rock to another. Off-circuit climbs go all the way up to V15, so you won’t get bored. The grading system in use is a scale from 2A to 8B+, which originated here.

On a rest day

Visit Chateau of Fontainebleau, a royal palace said to surpass even Versailles.

 

Go horse riding. Stroll and take in the beauty of the forest.

Don’t miss the Thursday market in Milly-la-Foret. And on a bad weather a day trip to Paris is always a good option.

Practicalities

The best way to get to Font is by car from Paris. There are regular trains in operation but travel between sectors is difficult without a vehicle.

The town of Fontainebleau itself feels like the suburbs of Paris and climbers stay in the villages located in the area. Self-catering cottages called gites are not expensive to rent, especially for bigger groups of four or more.

For the hardy dirtbags there are free camping areas near Bas Cuvier and Sabots. A few commercial campsites are also located in the forest, with Les Pres being always popular among climbers.

An excellent boulangerie (bakery) is only a ten-minute walk away. Amazing pastries and coffee can be bought in any of the villages.

Etiquette

Sandstone is delicate. Restrain from climbing on damp rock.

Always wipe your shoes clean with a cloth, or on a piece of doormat. Don’t leave excessive chalk marks.

Some locals, especially old-timers, use pof, a type of raisin increasing friction. Over time pof creates glassy residue and is, therefore, becoming less popular.

It goes without saying that chipping or other damage to the rock is prohibited.

Guidebooks

The Jingo Wobbly photo guide offers an excellent introduction to the forest, while the 7+8 Straight Ups book targets climbers able to tackle, well, sevens and eights.

Useful links

Tourist office in Font, Tourist office in Milly, Camping Les Pres, 30 best gites, Jingo Wobbly guide, 7+8 guide

 

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