[Will Hunt]

Select your destination depending on the conditions not a list of problems.
Look at the weather, wind direction then choose accordingly. If it's cold then somewhere that catches the sun if it's hot the somewhere with lots of trees exposed to a breeze.

Tattoo this onto your body somewhere. Do not disobey.

[Bonjoy]

Take a pair of broken in shoes for most stuff, and a nearly new pair with crisp edges for tiny gratton footholds.

The Dame Joan (at said crag)restaurant is good for group meals in a climber friendly setting, if you can catch it open.

Definitely make a pilgrimage to the big Carrefour, no trip is complete without one.

Chocolate and almond croissants are the ultimate pastry, hands down.

Try out some lesser known crags/areas, almost all have amazing climbs, many in beautifully unspoiled woodland.

Consider doing a new problem. It's not hard to find unclimbed lines if you like exploring the darker mossier side of the hill.

Consider bring a short rope (20m) and harness for cleaning higher lines, if you're not too high minded about doing everything ground up. It can really open up what you're willing to try and save skin falling off high up stuff. There are many many classic highballs which rarely see ascents and benefit from a brush and a quick look.

Don't let your satnav drag you into Paris on the way down.

[Johnny Brown]

Pointless technical slabs is my church.

I can recommend Calamity Jane and L'Artificier (direct).

[edshakey]

Skin's been mentioned a few times here, which surprised me.

My skin is usually terrible - it's so soft that I can barely get through a day of bouldering on grit, in any conditions, without the tips becoming super thin, and it takes a lot of attention to not ruin it for future days. Recovery is also nothing special, so I can't afford to wear it down much if I hope to climb the next day.
However, last time I was in font, I climbed for 9/10 days straight, sometimes morning and evenings, and that was in August/September, so very sweaty. By the end of it, my skin was a bit worse for wear, but it only started to change in the last day or so. I don't climb any big grades, but I'm pretty over-ambitious so spend a lot of time falling off stuff, which is where lots of wear comes from. This led me to believe that the rock in font is extremely forgiving on the tips - i'm pretty sure there's an Ondra quote about coming back from font with better skin than when he arrived!?

Does this hold any truth for other people? Does the skin advice refer specifically to avoiding spending too long on sharp ratty crimps - because if it refers to slopers/most holds, I'm struggling to understand it myself 

[BID]

Pointless technical slabs is my church.

I can recommend Calamity Jane and L'Artificier (direct).

JB, I knew, before I looked them up that they were going to be mid to high 7s nightmares :D
They can go on the long term ticklist. With a tail wind and 5 sessions my max is about 7B.

Saying that, walk on by is on the list so I have to step it up sooner or later.

[Bradders]

Skin's been mentioned a few times here, which surprised me.

Yeah I'm with you tbh, Font is basically as kind to the skin as rock climbing gets! Perhaps the main issue is you often just climb more days in a row there (because you can).

Pointless technical slabs is my church.

This is a wonderfully confident statement, let us know how you get on!

[Will Hunt]

If you want your skin to last a week then walk away from anything sharp. Beware les gratons.

Even my skin can go a week in Font without splitting (it got so thin last time that it went a weird white colour - like bone!) if I stay on the slopes. First day of my first trip to Font I split on the gratons of La Super Prestat. Lesson learned.

[cheque]

Skin's been mentioned a few times here, which surprised me.

Yeah I'm with you tbh, Font is basically as kind to the skin as rock climbing gets! Perhaps the main issue is you often just climb more days in a row there (because you can).

Same with “Font elbow” innit? A consequence of doing a lot of bouldering in a short space of time rather than anything particular to the rock or style of climbing.

[Fultonius]

I'm with you on the skin, not the font elbows.

I think it's to do with a lot of sloper and compression. Maybe for those who've spent a fair time on grit or other sandstones it's not so bad, but if volcanic is your bread and butter Font is an elbow killer.

[SA Chris]

Skin strategy is critical. I'd have a couple of good days in a row about a week before the trip and wear it right down, then give it about 5 days to recover.

People have mentioned grattons - these are the big quartzy "pancakes" you see stuck on the rock. These are often brutally sharp, and there is so much else to do that you are best just walking on by.

I'd also say beware of projecting something that is skin intensive, failing on the same move again and again will strip it away in no time. Know when to walk away, there is so much to do there.

Another note on weather - if it's at all warm, consider early (first light) starts to get the cool of the day, then have a long siesta (I recommend a string hammock you can roll in a ball and stick in your pack) then have a late evening session.

[teestub]

I'm with you on the skin, not the font elbows.

I think it's to do with a lot of sloper and compression. Maybe for those who've spent a fair time on grit or other sandstones it's not so bad, but if volcanic is your bread and butter Font is an elbow killer.

I agree with this, I’ve had plenty of trips not to font where I’ve climbed a similar volume without any elbow issues.  The nature of the climbing in font often means you’re doing a lot of compressing with your elbows in weird positions. Would assume ‘Font elbow’ is as likely to be a referred shoulder issue as directly an elbow tendon problem.

[spidermonkey09]

I'd also say beware of projecting something that is skin intensive, failing on the same move again and again will strip it away in no time. Know when to walk away, there is so much to do there.

This. I blew a whole trip's skin on day 1 a few years ago falling off the hard move on L'Ange at 95.2. Never did it, skin was shit for the remaining days 

[BrutusTheBear]

An alternative view.  On your first visit....   all this advice will go out the window when you walk into your first area and observe the sea of boulders around you enticing you to climb them.  You'll try to resist but you won't be able to.  Be the child in a sweet shop, soak it all in and try everything.  Patience and self preservation strategies can wait for future visits (you will go back).  Get stuck in you will learn so much!

[Bradders]

An alternative view.  On your first visit....   all this advice will go out the window when you walk into your first area and observe the sea of boulders around you enticing you to climb them.  You'll try to resist but you won't be able to.  Be the child in a sweet shop, soak it all in and try everything.  Patience and self preservation strategies can wait for future visits (you will go back).  Get stuck in you will learn so much!

Yes, this!

Makes me quite nostalgic for those early trips where I didn't have the first clue and just ran around like a child in a sweet shop.

[BID]

Loving all this. Thanks guys.
I hope you're enjoying your nostalgia trip!
I've been climbing for 15 years and never bother to go.
I assume I've been very foolish!

[SA Chris]

I remember being vaguely aware there was a lot there, but in 1996, coming from South Africa I knew very little. I picking up a friend in Paris on route to the south of France and they suggested stopping there for a day to check it out on the way, with the only info being that in the (frankly poor) David Jones "The Rock Climbing Guide to Europe". We parked up at the free campsite near Bas Cuvier and walked to BC along the forest road, and being blown away as we came over the hill by how much there was, and that that was just one area. We had no idea of circuits etc, we just climbed until our skin went and it got dark. I think we stuck with it for a week (in midsummer) before begrudgingly heading south to Ceuse to meet someone else..

[Ross Barker]

These stories are really getting me excited, my first trip is in March. Please keep them coming!

[Ged]

An alternative view.  On your first visit....   all this advice will go out the window when you walk into your first area and observe the sea of boulders around you enticing you to climb them.  You'll try to resist but you won't be able to.  Be the child in a sweet shop, soak it all in and try everything.  Patience and self preservation strategies can wait for future visits (you will go back).  Get stuck in you will learn so much!

Another vote for this approach. Just get stuck in and learn all of the above the hard way. Apart from the doing loads of press ups before you go. Do that.

[Moo]

Do day one as an easy circuit ( I'd recommend the yellows at merciers ) it's a good way of getting your eye in.

Fuck camping, get on air BnB early and you'll find loads of cheap options, look to stay around milly / Arbonne or noisy sur ecole sort of area. Staying in a house you'll be climbing better and a lot less miserable if you get rained on.

[dunnyg]

Anyone ever taken MTB for rainy and or rest days? Worth it?

[SA Chris]

look up VTT Fontainebleau on youtube and decide....

[seankenny]

Paris is great for rest days and clearly the food is really good… but it’s not easy if you’re vegetarian or even pescatarian. If you or any of your party is then I can totally recommend a restaurant called Maceo, I’ve been twice and it was brilliant both times. Food delicious, service very good and at both the booking and in the meal they were happy to speak English. Central Paris so can fit it in with the main touristy things, it’s just behind the Louvre.

https://www.maceorestaurant.com/

Tho this sort of thing might be a second and subsequent trip activity!

[M1V0]

On the subject of food, if you go into any of the boulangeries (which you should) and your eye is caught by the chocolate-almond croissant pastry things, say hello to sugar-induced comas.

That being said, the coma is worth it.

[JamieG]

Pub le Glasgow (https://www.facebook.com/Glasgowfontainebleau/) is a pretty fun place for few beers if you fancy an evening out. Nothing like a typical Glaswegian pub, for better or worse. :-) A bottle of Belgian Chouffe is always recommended.

We always camp at the Camping Le Lido and think its great. Big plots, a bar for some food and beer in the evening, pool, supermarket nearby. But we tend to go in summer, rubbish for conditions but the wife wants to be warm, so comporises must be made. Maybe a gite would suite better at Easter.

As everyone else says enjoy yourself and don't fret about where to go too much. Brilliant problems and rock everywhere. In fact if you are going at Easter I would probably recommend avoiding the honeypots. They'll be busy.

[BrutusTheBear]

Went for the first time in August 2000..  Didn't have a clue about conditions, projecting hard problems, lettice training plans, keto diets, tactics etc. etc.  It was hot, like really hot, the whole time and I have 'ginger skin'.  Naturally, we gravitated towards shady areas and problems.  Climbed all day, every day.  Purchased 'budgie smugglers' to allow access to the swimming pool, took us a while to work out why the board shorts weren't deemed acceptable.  Met some great people, ate good food, drank good wine and had a brilliant time getting better at bouldering everyday.  Went back that autumn, the following spring and so on for years until life/ responsibilities got in the way.  Long overdue a return to the forest.