[Ged]

I'm sure this is really an un-answerable question, but here goes.  I'm off to FOnt in october half term.  I've never been before, and want to do loads of amazing classic 7's.  I'm going with my girlfriend who climbs a bit.  So what are your top 5 best spots for a mixture of good 7's and good easy stuff, ideally that is a bit away from the crowds, and beautiful.

Cheers

GEd

[chris05]

A quick search brings up this for a start:

Top ten 7's in font:

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,1734.0.html

There's plenty of easy stuff all over font so should be some near the recommended 7's. I also seem to remember a thread on easy font circuits/recommendations. I'm sure someone will be along shortly with more specific recommendations.

[GCW]

Maybe you need a list of places not to go to?

[Jaspersharpe]

slackers would have replied to this by now but his head's exploded.

[GCW]

Nah, he's just copy and pasting LMGTFY links.  Give it time.

[slackline]

I'm abstaining.

[JamieG]

I would recommend getting the little 'Essential Fontainebleau' guide.

It covers all the main areas, highlights the best problems at each grade, is cheap, pocket size (actually does fit in your pocket) and generally has got pretty good pictures. Additionally the maps in it for both finding an area and finding specific problems are good.

My friends have other guides they take which are way more comprehensive, but i still find myself using my little guide the most. Especially if we have gone to a new area and i want to sample a few of the highlights.

Hope that helps.

 

[SA Chris]

Never been, where should you go? You should go sit on the naughty step and think about what you have done. Call yourself dedicated?

[Jim]

a good starting place would be sabots

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

I'm SO buying one of those guides, I never like the purple guide, find it rather confusing! Save yourself a quid on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Fontainebleau-Stone-Country-Bouldering/dp/0954877934/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285253980&sr=8-1

[Adam Lincoln]

slackers would have replied to this by now but his head's exploded.

Maybe he realised there is more to life?

[slackline]

slackers would have replied to this by now but his head's exploded.

Maybe he realised there is more to life?

No, see below.

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Anyone used the Jingo Wobbly guide? Any good?

[Norton Sharley]

I really don't think you should be buying a guide from someone who (a) owns a caravan, and (b) refers to their caravan as their "escargot of love".  I could mention several other reasons but had best not in public.

[GCW]

No, see below.

Are you referring to Obi-Wan's reply, or Short n Gnarly's?  Or are you currently typing the Definitive Answer^TM?

[slackline]

No, see below.

Are you referring to Obi-Wan's reply, or Short n Gnarly's?  Or are you currently typing the Definitive Answer^TM?

I forgot that I have forum settings such that posts in threads are in reverse chronological order (just as the sub-forum lists threads that have been posted to most recently at the top), so for some people my below will actually be above.  (It means I don't have to scroll to the bottom of a page to read a new post, 'cause I'm lazy!).

[GCW]

I forgot that I have a terrible OS, that is so backwards that posts in threads are in reverse chronological order

OK, cool.  Makes perfect sense to me now.

[slackline]

I forgot that I have a terrible OS, that is so backwards that posts in threads are in reverse chronological order

OK, cool.  Makes perfect sense to me now.

Its a forum setting rather than an OS (wouldn't be OS anyway, but browser, and even then as I use Firefox that functions the same across platforms).

Put recent posts at the top by changing settings under Profile -> Modify Profile -> Look & Layout -> Show most recent posts at the top. (tickbox).

Browse on my phone and things are in reverse too (although not the WAP2 version), use someone else's computer and login to the forums, posts are always in reverse with most recent at the top.

[GCW]

I see.  Thanks for clearing that up.   

[slackline]

You're welcome 

[JamieG]

Anyone used the Jingo Wobbly guide? Any good?

This is not a joke! The Jingo Wobbly guide for font is without a doubt the worst guide book i have ever had the displeasure of attempting to use. I think it has been designed without reference to any other guide book in existence. Therefore nothing is where you would hope/expect it to be. I would give it a huge swerve and buy the essential font one. Which is by no means complete, but certainly does what it says on the tin (i.e. give you the essentials).

[psychomansam]

Well the Jingo Wobbly guide is actually fairly amusing, but no, i wouldn't pay money for it. Get essential font.

[sidewinder]

I feel I have to defend the Jingo Wobbly book on at least some fronts.  Although it looks and reads somewhat like a motorway accident involving emoticons it has a very useful map on the back page and maps for most of the areas which both get you to the areas and also to things like supermarkets/campsites.  Also on my first trip, when I was an even lower grade climber than I am now, going in a busy time (Easter) it was reasonable at pointing out some quiet circuits and gives you more of an idea of the character of the areas than some others.

None seem to mention the horrific carnal state of Bas Cuvier, why isn't anything being done about this, can't they have a designated sex/condom dumping area that isn't next to some boulders.

I now find a combination of guides to be the key (jingo for the map/s, the blue off-piste guide and the purple)!  I went last week and a few people with only essential font complaining/asking to look at my guides due to the relatively small number of problems in it, though I haven't used it so can't comment personally.  Even better is finding someone who has been there before to just show you round!

Well the Jingo Wobbly guide is actually fairly amusing, but no, i wouldn't pay money for it. Get essential font.

[lagerstarfish]

Anyone used the Jingo Wobbly guide? Any good?

I have.

The paper scratched a bit and made my piles bleed. Also it was a bit slippery and didn't clean as well as, for instance, Andrex. For the price a little disappointing. The used pages did, however, burn quite well, so no trace of my evacuations were left once the main evidence had been buried (at least 50m from the nearest path/problem of course).

[SA Chris]

I feel I have to defend the Jingo Wobbly book on at least some fronts.  Although it looks and reads somewhat like a motorway accident involving emoticons it has a very useful map on the back page and maps for most of the areas which both get you to the areas and also to things like supermarkets/campsites. 

Agree on that bit. Quite good in that respect, pish otherwise.

[JamieG]

I may have been a bit too harsh on the Jingo Wobbly guide. I just remember almost having an emotional break down trying to use it to find problems and in the end it just got dumped at the bottom of someone's bag, where it stayed for the remainder of the trip.

I would also agree that the essential font guide doesn't cover a huge amount. But then it doesn't pretend to either and for a first trip it is pretty much the best guide to get. If you want to return on a regular basis then i think other guides would be better.

Also Bas Cuvier is truely horrible, especially when you compare to the rampart about 10 minutes walk away and one of my favourite areas.

[jonjon]

Spend a week trying something or other at Cuvier. Job Done.

[erm, sam]

I think the jiggo wobbly guide is the best one for giving an idea of what areas are like in regards to aspect, picnic friendlyness, good for kids etc.  Also quite like it because it is good for circuiting, that oft disregarded Font joy.
I wouldn't use it to find actual problems though, and I do not like the icons.

[slackline]

Guides for circuits?  WTF!!!  Part of the joy of doing circuits is after having done one problem trying to find the tiny arrow pointing you to the next problem on the circuit!!!

[Paul B]

If you don't know where to go can I suggest you watch:

The real thing
Bleau
HTTP Bloc
L'Etranger
Between the Trees

By the end of this, you'll have a tick list. Don't buy that tiny little guide either, buy a proper one (after all you'll be back) preferably written by someone French and ginger or if not a bald man from the Netherlands will suffice.

[SA Chris]

I also think nipping into Decathlon at the Carrefour Centre in Villiers (I think that's where it is) and getting the OS Type map for the area is worthwhile.

[neil h]

Guides for circuits?  WTF!!!  Part of the joy of doing circuits is after having done one problem trying to find the tiny arrow pointing you to the next problem on the circuit!!!

you could always buy the new ap for our fav phone only 4 euros

http://www.facebook.com/#!/album.php?aid=1010&id=100001144541125

its has gps that points you to the next boulder even with little videos on how to climb them 

[GCW]

Yeah, 4 Euros for the app and then 4 Euros a second to use it abroad!

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

When is someone going to get around to writing a '5&6s' guide in the style of the '7&8's? I'm sure it would sell by the shed load.

On that note, what's with the £29 price tag of the second edition? TOO much!

[slackline]

Not the same style but there is Bleau de grès 6...



....which has sold by the shed load and is currently sold out (at least on bleau.info, might be able to get one from a local shop).

[Jaspersharpe]

The "Off Piste" guide is really good.

[SA Chris]

Oui

[Paul B]

The "Off Piste" guide is really good.

No its not, the maps aren't great and it'll point you at some unclimbed deathball offwidth.

[RASTATA]

 

topos are wrong, grades are wrong, boulders are missing its very disappointing guide, especially compred to the purple one

just get a 7+8 its the only guide book for font which is worth to buy

[Paul B]

(could be a slight issue if you don't make the cut).

As someone pointed out if you did an equivalent guide at the lower grades it'd be a hit, would it be massive though? I'd expect so.

[SA Chris]

The "Off Piste" guide is really good.

No its not, the maps aren't great and it'll point you at some unclimbed deathball offwidth.

Must have missed that one. Never had a problem with it.

[Paul B]

Its good as a compliment to the Pink and when you've been to Font a fair few times IMO. (I can point you to it, if I remember correctly its part of the light blue circuit somewhere like apremont?)

[fatdoc]

I really don't think you should be buying a guide from someone who (a) owns a caravan, and (b) refers to their caravan as their "escargot of love".  I could mention several other reasons but had best not in public.

shit... twice in one year...

" I agree with Nik"


damn... that hurt...

[lagerstarfish]

If the I-Fern is using GPS to tell users which problem they are on, shirley someone must have an accurate map which shows where the boulders are relative to each other (and the rest of the world) 

[erm, sam]

Guides for circuits?  WTF!!!

You know what I mean. A guide that describes circuits as an entity is a useful thing. I don't see what is so wrong with that. Of course it is all about finding and following the arrows etc, I don't really see why a guide that describes circuits is so different from a guide that describes problems.

Not the same style but there is Bleau de grès 6...

I have this one but tend to leave it at home. Seems 3 guides is the most I can fit in my bag on a given day...