[Tim Broughtonshaw]

Hi all,
       nipping to font for 3 days in a month or so and am hoping to bag my first 7a or 2.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I got on La Coeur last year but found the crimps to be hideous. May give it another go this year. Also was on a nails slab about 50 metres to the left of La Coeur (if you were facing la coeur) and got very close to that.

Cheers

Tim

[Bonjoy]

La Coeur is a fairly tough 7a IMO. Easier good ones you could go for, Magnifique and Excalibar at Cuisinere, Holey Moley at Cuvier, Mur Lombard at Isatis Haute Plaine (given 7a+ but v soft unless you are short).

[Tim Broughtonshaw]

Hi Bonjoy,
             thanks for the advice mate. Holey Moley Looks cool (bleu.info).

Best up the sloper training. :D

Cheers

Tim

[Moo]

Le joker around the back from la marie rose really wierd till you figure it out but soft touch non the less.

[tommytwotone]

have a look through this thread from a while back...

http://ukbouldering.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=4415&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=font&start=15

I'm off tomorrow, my list of high 6 / low 7 is:

That double dyno at Isatis from t'real ting
Joker, Cuvier
Charcuterie, Cuvier
L'Abbatoire, Cuvier
La Defroquee (without the "illegal" start holds), Cuvier
Gravitron / Gravillon, Sabots
Toit de Cul de chien, Cul de Chien
Fosse aux ours(?), 91.1
Medaille en Choc, Apremort
L'Egoiste, Apremort
Chasseur de Prises, Canon

and I'm not including cortamalthese cos I'm short...

[Paul B]

not including cortomaltese?

Its one of the best and im not one of the tallest fellows around. If your into filthy crimping theres a ripple mid way that you can pull on.

Helicopter? a little frustrating at first but good when you get it.
Duroxamine
The thing left of l'abbatoire with the heel around the corner.
The piano the hard way- bit of a shame that its eliminate

[dave]

i thought joker at cuvier was shit really, manafactured to fuck and not even pleasant climbing. fair enough if you're going to do it sans chips though. abbatoir is much better, but still chipped, helicoptre just seems a stupid given its harder than abbatoir.

la coeur is an essential tick but to be honest it doens't climb half as nice a sit looks.

toit de cul de chien is of course excellent. faux contact at apremont is pretty piss for 7a+ if you're up for it. If you find yourself a rocher canon then Les Grimpeurs se Cachent pour Médire is a great highball, and la mur de cordier at cusininere is excellent, though not a pissover.

[Carnage]

Festin De Pierre at Cuvier Rempart is a good 7a and not too tough. Just remember the big right heel next to your hand to do reach). Also Jet Set at Roche A S is ok.

[Jim]

gravitron at sabots is prob one of the easiest 7a's. remember you gotta finish direct for the 7a!

[Tim Broughtonshaw]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, from the looks of it I need to get some extra sloper training in then.  Been sport chuffing on routes with little sloper action for a bit.

Cheers

Tim

[tommytwotone]

I got 99 problems but a sloper ain't one

word, I'm flying out later this evening, I am psyched out of my tiny mind.

2 things yo:

1) Taking a bouldering mat on the Docklands Light Railway during rush hour makes you really, really unpopular as well as getting you lots of weird looks

2) I forgot my purple guidebook and can't get home to get it - can you still get it from the tabac in Barbizon?

[Bonjoy]

Clin d'oeil at Apremont is piss for 7a.
Of the already recomended i'd discount Abbatoire, Helicopter and Cortomaltese (unless you are lank), if it's a soft touch first 7a tick you are looking for.

[Tim Broughtonshaw]

I am about 5'9 so not a lank.

Cheers
Tim

[Scouse D]

I second everyones reccomendations except joker at cuvier which i think is toss. Faux contact at apremont is, as dave said, soft for 7a+ and very good. Also at Apremont is the Happy boulder which is 7a/7a+ and also very good. Clin d'Oeil is soft as is the egoiste(soft as in 6c+), and if you can do l'Egoiste then the sitter seemed a gift at 7a+.
My favourites are l'Araignee at cuvier, la Baleine at Petit Bois (fantastic- get on it!), Retour aux Sources at 95.2 (powerful and unlikely looking at the grade), and Gargantoit at Gorges du Houx (7a/7a+).

[dave]

ah yeah nice on scouse, forgot to say araignee is amazing. bear in mind no french start permitted, this applies to you JR.  no excuses for shorties either, i've seen it done by someone approximatley the height of katz.

[Jim]

no french start permitted

I'm not going to font to climb problem 'with no french start'. I'm outraged!

[Jim]

ps
Worm, dense and old cheese are in font now and they keep texting me saying they've all done a 7c but won't disclose which one. they obviously all know its not a real 7c (like that 7a mantel at isatis thats about 4a!). Will everyone please give them all the abuse they deserve either on the text or on there return as they keep abusing me about my fat hands and not doing a 7c in font yet.
cheers yo

[Ru]

El Poussah is clearly the best 7a in the forest.

Ps, could the 7c be this one...?

http://bleau.info/petit/749.html

[Jim]

And clearly the hardest 7a in the forest. El poussif is amazing but is +.
That could well be the 7c! although I've not seen it and petit bois is a tiny place, must be off the beaten track somewhere hard to find

[Tim Broughtonshaw]

On a similar note does anyone know where to get hold of Bleau de Gres six? Ive got the 7's and 8's and as i dont expect to do many from this guide on this trip, thinking the Bleau de Gres Six guide sounds best. Hate that purple guide its shite.  Could order from bleu.info but probably difficult and expensive.

cheers
Tim

[Bonjoy]

I always found Pousah hard until I figured out some amazing deviant beta which makes it steady away (and even makes the low start a piss 7b tick).
 I wouldn't be surprised if Dense's 7c is this one http://bleau.info/pivot/701.html . He took a few of us over to it in 2004, naturally we all flashed it.

[mark]

On a similar note does anyone know where to get hold of Bleau de Gres six? Ive got the 7's and 8's and as i dont expect to do many from this guide on this trip, thinking the Bleau de Gres Six guide sounds best. Hate that purple guide its shite.  Could order from bleu.info but probably difficult and expensive.

cheers
Tim

I got my copy of De Gres 6 from bleau.info and it was straightforward and quick. They've sold out just now but you may be able to get a copy from the librarie-tabac in Barbizon. Worth it, as the 7+8 and De Gres 6 combination is the perfect set of guidebooks, I reckon.

[mark]

I always found Pousah hard until I figured out some amazing deviant beta which makes it steady away

You can't go dangling that in front of us and then not share the beta. Details please. Please!

[Bonjoy]

Basically I used to find it hard to get the right toehook on securely, what with it being way up and right and sloping. So I get round this by pulling on matched on the good RH slot, pull up so that you are inverted with both feet above head in a V, hands between legs. You can then casually place the toehook perfect and at leisure. Drop left leg and move LH to small pocket. You are then perfectly set up to cross onto the good sloper.
 I think a friend might have a vid of me doing it this way, will try and find.

[Tim Broughtonshaw]

Aye mate shame bleau.info appears to be out of stock.. Would rather have a copy before i go so i can scheme. Ill keep checking they may get some back in stock.

Cheers

Tim

[cofe]

fully rate mur cordier at cuisiniere.

and chasseur de prises at rocher canon.

[a dense loner]

you were both wrong bonjoy n ru. well bonjoy could have waited a few days n this would have been accepted. i will stop taking you to these areas and showing you beta if you then turn round and say they're piss :wink:
find it a bit strange that ru's suggestion of a piss prob had 2 moves between small crimps on it. funny that