Week 1

Well, I've heard rumors that *some* people have gotten quite upset that we haven't been updating the blog every day. To tell you the truth, this is the first break I've had that was more than a few minutes. Coming to Fontainebleau this late in the year allows us to climb to past 9pm every night! After dinner (plus dessert), we crash out at about 2am and wake up to another crazy day full of climbing.

With luck, and with this post, hopefully Nora and others will get more psyched to update on a more regular basis. A brief recap:

We flew Air France for the first time, which was AWESOME. Not only was the direct flight to Paris a bonus, but I have to admit that the service was kilometers above what we have seen from the American carriers. The food was better, the prices were better, there were no hassles about checking in bouldering pads. Hopefully the American airlines can catch up in the service department, or else we'll be sticking to Air France from now on.


Day 1 - Isatis
The other crazy thing about this trip... no jetlag? I did an experiment and stayed up until 3am the night before our flight. In addition, on the advice of some other European travelers, we tried out the melatonin supplements. Truly amazing if you haven't done it.

We headed out to Isatis to meet up with Courtney, and to get reacquianted with the sandstone. After a bunch of circuit problems, and I had a smashing time on Buerre Marga. And by smashing I mean my face -- I don't really remember that problem being *that* slick.

Day 2 - Rocher aux Sabots
Tim and Patti were arriving in the afternoon, so we headed out to Sabot to kill time until they showed up. It was uncrowded, sticky rock, just like we like.


Orange, blue and red circuit problems were the basic menu for the afternoon, and Tim started his sendfest of the classics by easily dispatching with Graviton.


Day 3 - Tim's Day
In an attempt to avoid the crowds on the weekends, we again headed to a relatively popular area during mid-week, in the hopes that the crowds would be supressed. So far, there has been a distinct lack of Americans in the climbing areas, and from talking to Stef, the global economic crisis has definitely hit rural France. However, it makes for some nice climbing.



Tim's sendfest hit a high point at Bas Cuvier, with quick sends of Le Clé, Duroxmanie, Holey Moley, Corto Maltese, and of course, La Marie Rose.

Alain was out at Cuvier with us, it was educational, to say the least, to have him around. Who knew that Holey Moley didn't use heel hooks or the the huge hold that has all the chalk on it? Or that Biceps Mou doesn't use the intermediate on the way to the sidepull, or the jug that everyone goes to further out left? It was fun to try all the old classics with the original beta.

Other people were climbing today also.

Day 4 - Cuisiniere

For MK and Jasper's first day out, we hit the reliable Franchard Cuisiniere. Beautiful day, no crowds, what could be better...

There was a three-way Wrench Science T-shirt collision.

Of course, Jasper wanted to immediately get on Karma. He did really well; hopefully he'll get back on it and send.

Day 4 - Isatis

Sunday crowds greeted us at Isatis, but with our large group we were just as much a menace. Courtney started off the day by sending Surplomb Gauche with good style, followed by several other quick ascents, including Tim in his five-tennies. Courtney's day continued, with her very swift send of Iceberg Assis, despite the warm weather. She was so quick that we were too late to capture it on film.

The group deliberates on beta for Le Coup de Pompe


After the warm-up circuit, Jasper got to the serious climbing on Alta.

And at the end of the day, a return to the red-circuit problems produced the "send of the day"--8 year old Dylan's flash of the problem shown above (which was somewhat more difficult for the adults).

And with the sun setting, everyone cooled down with some slacklining, thanks to the Germans.