Trip Report: Fountainebleau Part Two

Week two in Font started off with sunny weather and a well needed rest day.  Brent and Tim came down with the cold that Marek had the week before and everyone's skin was thinning because of all the wet weather and the sandpaper slopers.  Despite all the dirty looks from Gord, I put myself in quarantine from the rest of the group. This proved difficult while sharing a van with five guys but it had to be done.  I couldn't risk getting a cold on my vacation. However, I think Gord was secretly still licking my cutlery and spitting in my water.

Would you want this guy licking your cutlery?

After growing new skin, I thought it necessary to make another trip back to the Franchards.  TD wanted to have a couple goes on Karma and I wanted to try my luck on El Poussay and a few of the sweet problems in the back of Isatis including L'Aroche Coeur and El Poussif.   I ended up going back to Isatis two more times because of all the rad problems (and because it rained on me the first time).  I think Isatis is one of my favorite areas in Font.  It's got a great red circuit and the holds on the boulders are different than other areas.  To end our time here, we went to check out the Rainbow Rocket dyno.  This thing is huge.  No one made the catch this time around but both Peter and Neil came close.

Neil making knee bars look easy on L'Aroche Coeur

In Font, its all paparazzi and big crowds when your climbing the big stuff. Neil getting celebrity on L'Aroche Coeur

Peter standing in front of Rainbow Rocket.

Peter going cross over crazy on Rainbow Rocket.

Neil on a full stretch coming just short of the lip

TD fighting sickness to wrestle with Karma

A trip to Font would not be complete without going into Paris at least one time.  I ended up heading to Paris on a rest day with Peter and his girlfriend Veronica.  We ended up trying to get in the Louve but a lot of it was closed because of the strike so we hit up some classic tourists spots like Notre Dame and Le Sacre Coeur.  walking around the streets of Paris is pretty rad because of all the crazy styles and the cool buildings.  Parisians are pretty crazy with their styles and they certainly put North Americans to shame.  I think the trick is in a good pair of shoes and big collar jackets.  

Clean guy in the city.

So that it is for week two.  A bunch of climbing in the main areas with great temps and the sun shining down on the forest canopy.  At the end of week one I thought to myself 'Font is a little hard!" and at the end of week two I thought 'Do I even know how to climb anymore?'.  Font was handing my ass to me over and over again and despite the constant ego beatings I was loving every minute of the climbing.  This is a place where it feels absolutely wrong to have a rest day. Stay tuned for week three!