Saturday 19 February 2011

Fontainebleau Part 1

So,

We've been in Font for two weeks now and conditions have been ok-ish. A little warm for my liking and some rain, but not too much (although the 10 day forecast looks awful).
To what we've been up to then.

I've been trying a few different problems at once and not really getting anything done. I'm putting this down to having a couple of weeks off climbing before I came out, not brilliant conditions and a sore wrist. Excuses excuses ey.

Anyway, First off I had a go at Eclipse (below). "A friction problem" - J. Godoff. I found I couldn't reach the starting holds, so not to be outdone I decided the locals were wrong and it should actually start from a few moves back along Total Eclipse (where Arabesque starts). It's a few extra moves and one of them is hard. Maybe it deserves a plus to the 7c. I got all the moves sorted on my first session but noticed the "moon" hold was hurting my wrist a bit but didn't think anything of it.


Next session I met Mina, Kook and Scott up there as Kook was trying Total Eclipse as well. Unfortunately this roof does have a bit of a habit of staying wet and your feet keep dragging through wet patches. I felt rubbish anyway, and even with a strapped up wrist it still hurt so I decided to leave it for a bit. This one will have to wait.

Next up was a super cool arête called Appartenance (right) at Buthiers. I've wanted to try this for sooo long after first seeing it in the film "Tour de Blocs", where the first ascentionist Christian Roumégoux pisses up it only to fall off really high up where it looks like all the hard climbing has been done. In fairness after trying it I can see how he falls.


My first session went really well. I got up on to the sloper at the top of the arête on something like 4th go. The upper holds were wet so I jumped off and went round the back to brush some chalk onto them.

Unfortunately I could only get there one more time after tiring myself out with all that brushing! My lower foot popped just as I was about to rock on a high heel. Which was slightly unnerving.

Next time I went the lower feet were wet but I tried anyway (and predictably failed).

I then had another session after 2 days of no rain and it went 3rd go. Really chuffed with this one. Tres Beau.

Haute Tension (below) is another one I've had a few sessions on, but not done yet. I spent a session sorting out my beta and thought it would go slapping left hand to the top hold. After a session trying this and failing, I decided right hand was the way and have had a couple good goes but  it just feels a bit hot on those tiny crimps every time I go up to try it. Hopefully with some colder conditions it will go. It feels like it.

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 To relieve a bit of project pressure Rosie and I went to Mare a Piat, a rather less popular area than most. It was nice to go somewhere new and it is home to this gem; Orgasme Cosmique (below). Rosie demonstrated she is a bit of a pro with the camera and snapped this beauty. It's well worth trying if you fancy something fun and different. Don't try the 7a wall round the corner though, I couldn't get off the floor on it!



Other things I've tried and not done are:
L'Apparemment (hard toe hooks, harder hand movements)
Mandarine (not sure about this one)
Charcuterie (TOTAL sandbag, easily 8c)

There are plenty of other things on the list to go at. I'm psyched.