Fontainebleau, France

We disembarked from the ferry at 04:30 in Dieppe and drove to Gisors - I had got the timings wrong , assuming woe would arrive in time for breakfast, but we were very early .. so the three cars in convoy parked up outside the cafe and we had a snooze ..  After Jean had opened up and we all partaken of coffee and croissants we left for Paris and the perierique ... scary at the best of times, but in convoy with people who had not been before was worse.

We all survived and got around tot the A6 exit heading for Fontainebleau. Stopping for lunch to put up the tents and check into the campsite then we all drove around to one of the nearby areas - Canache aux merciers, and parked in the nearby sandy car park.

I had a guidebook ..  albeit in french, which made reading it difficult for most of the party, but it had some topos of some of the best routes, and at Canache aux Merciers the Yellow was a good starting point.

Climbing at Fontainebleau is a mixture of problems and following a trail. Each problem has a number and you move around the boulders following coloured markers, from a start point (Depart) to a finish point (arrivee).

The problems vary in degree and type .. but as it is sandstone there are lots of mantelshelf moves. The routes are all designed to keep the interest going.

The yellow took us 3 hours to get around

Then before heading back for tea we tried some of the next level up problems - blue .. and came to the conclusion this was a large step up .. these problems needed much more thought and several attempts.

1988 Fontainbleau Trip, France

I had been doing some research into a place near Paris where there were a lot of Sandstone boulders ...  and there was a clear selection of routes, all documented in a French guidebook.

Fontainbleau was only well know to the French and a few Brits ... so we tried to find out what and where etc...  there was only one camp site in the area at a town called Milly la foret.

We - Dave and Jane int heMR2, Byron, Alana and Lynn in the Datsun, and xxx, Christine, and myself in my Peugeot  - set off on the late night ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe ..  the ferry was crowded with students off on exchange trips, and very noisy. We all managed to fid places to crash .. Dave settled into the luggage racks out of the way - I wish I had a photo.

Once on the other side set off in convoy for Gisors and my friends parents cafe.

Stanage Edge, Gritstone meet

Today was a little better (less damp), and Trevor had persuaded a group of us to go and try out his new flexible friend - bought specifically as it fitted the ledge on Flying Buttress direct.

We all took turns in failing to make it over the overhang and stay in one piece. ...  My best attempt saw me get over, but with the ropes tangled around my legs I could not stand up properly and ended up lowering myself back to sort them out.

Trevor finally overcame it by using a heel hook, and then we all followed on a top rope...

to finish the day I completed Great Flakes, then headed back to the tea room before the journey home again.

Stanage edge, Gritstone meet

we had driven up to the usual campsite last night and settled in aware that the forecast was not brilliant.

We woke up to rain coming down heavily so after breakfast we all headed for the Hathersage tea shop, and some retail therapy

After lunch things brightened up so a group of us headed for Stanage edge and climbing in the clouds we managed a few traditional lines...
Flying Buttress
Black hawk traverse
Cave crack

Calling time early we all dropped back tot eh campsite ..  where after tea and heading for the pub Dave announced that his mate Adrian was running a BBQ in Robin Hoods cave. Bundling into Bryon's car (several trips) we all finished the night with several too many beers and far too many 1lb beefburgers.

Chuddleigh Rocks, Easter Meet

To get ahead of the rush out of the Cornish peninisular, this afternoon we packed up early with a view to stopp off at Chuddleigh Rocks on the way home.

We had read this would be very "polished" and it was not wrong .. especially after the roughness of the Cornish granite we had been climbing on.

The climbs done were ...  Sarcophagus, Wogs, Reefer

Bosigran, Easter Trip

We headed off to a  third area today for a change - Bosigran.


Routes completed .. Doorpost, little brown jug, anvil corner, ding /dong.

And to finish off the day a mass assault on the neighboring Commando ridge

Chair Ladder, Easter trip

Chair ladder provides a very atmospheric location with the closeness to the waves lapping below all the time.

The routes complete yesterday and today here were ..
Terriers tooth,
Pendulum Chiminey
Pegasus
Flannel avenue
Bishop's rib

Sennan, Easter trip

We travelled down last night, fighting the Easter traffic doing the same thing, and arrived at the campsite just above Sennan cove late.


Today and tomorrow we split the time between Chair Ladder are and the ledges at Sennan cove. Chair Ladder is tidal, but Sennan (provided the sea is not too rough) can be reached over a much longer period.

The routes completed at Sennan
Vertical Crack
Original route
Demo route
Africa
Dolphin