Fontainebleau. A name you must have heard. It is one of the most famous bouldering areas in the world - and for a good reason. More than 34,000 boulders cover an area of over 25,000 hectares with over 100 individual areas.
More than 100 years ago, people were already climbing on the countless boulders in the Fontainebleau forest. In 1946, the first 6A boulder worldwide was first climbed here. "La Marie-Rose." Only a few years later, the first 7A was added with "La Joker". The FB scale (Fontaine Blue scale) is used internationally as a rating system for bouldering. This is another reason why people from all over the world come to "Bleau".
The area is certainly no longer an insider tip, but a trip here is always worth it.
The Rock
The boulders in Fontainebleau are made of sandstone. These are - not like other bouldering areas - the result of rock falls, but were simply preserved from erosion and now stand freely. The rock is softer than granite, but also more delicate, which requires certain behaviors on the boulder!
Once the slightly harder surface is removed, there is no stopping its erosion. Therefore, brushing should always be done carefully. It should also always be made sure to brush the chalk from the holds and remove tick marks after bouldering.
The Style
Typical for Bleau are the slopery tops on the boulders. You rarely get a pleasant edge, but often only slopers. The only way to get to the top is to use the famous whale, seal or crab technique.
Fontainebleau is the best place to improve your technique. But be warned. Quite a few boulders are rated very, very hard. There is almost no boulderer who has not already failed on a slab grated 3 or 4A. Only one thing helps here - trust in the rubber of the shoe. Of course, there are also boulder that you could almost compare with the indoor climbing gym. Far moves in the overhang, maybe a dynamic move or even a jump. Basically you can say, that in Bleau you can find everything. Overhangs, roofs, slabs, etc.
Season
The best time to arrive in Bleau is in spring, or in autumn. If you have no problem with temperatures around 0 degrees, you can have a lot of fun there even in winter. This also allows for the best grip. In summer it is definitely more difficult to hold the slopery tops. For a relaxing trip, however, the area is always up for grabs.
If you don't have Fontainebleau on your next travel plan yet, you should change that as soon as possible. Here is a summary of the most important facts of the boulder mecca:
- 34,000 boulders
- sandstone
- overhangs, slabs, roofs, crimps, slopers
- Difficulty levels between 2a - 8c
- Best arrival time is in spring or autumn