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..