[Duma]

Thread inspired by this:

Bon Pied, best 7a I've done in years, tucked away in an area you might not bother visiting. There's a nice 7a+ in the cave in the bottom right of the photo as well, and what looks like a truly awesome 7b prow Les Meteoresabout 50 yards away, though we didn't try that so can't make any definitive recommendations.

So, hit me with ace stuff I don't know about, and further delay the day I'll be forced to return to Cuvier!

[cofe]

compression ministerielle at coquibus auvergne. a full body pump and not too far from the car and main trois pignons areas. rest of the area not great but this is well worth it.

[Jim]

They both look tres bon.
Off the top of my head Orgasme Cosmique is very good and slightly off the beaten track.
Does exactly what it says on the tin, it will blow your mind.

Not so esoteric but this problem is excellent http://bleau.info/plaines/1643.html

[neil h]

what looks like a truly awesome 7b prow Les Meteoresabout 50 yards away, though we didn't try that so can't make any definitive recommendations.

prow is not that grand, Its just a bit scary

link here to orgasmic video, go do it on your own with no spotters for the true tick, i got the name wrong in the video, I did it alone then went back to show some friends


Also you should go try this http://bleau.info/montrouget/9521.html this is the most awsome boulder ever, and the best problem you will try in the forest, 15 mins from the car completly on its own deep in boar nation

[Duma]

neil - you are clearly the man to ask in this field! Where did you start Meteores? Didn't seem that obvious to me.
Been meaning to go back to Mare a Piat for ages, had a wander years ago on a rest day but have never got round to returning. I'll put it on the list for next trip along with Rocher du Cassepot.
Rocher Fin - not really esoteric, but far enough from the parking you won't see (m)any brits - class spot with lots of great easier stuff. Memoire d'Autre Tombe is my pick of the tougher ticks, it's just a shame I'm running short of stuff to do there.
Memoire:

[Jim]

Also you should go try this http://bleau.info/montrouget/9521.html this is the most awsome boulder ever, and the best problem you will try in the forest, 15 mins from the car completly on its own deep in boar nation

That looks amazing, Somebody's fool is going to be all over this no doubt unless of course it is very reach dependant (which it looks like)

[neil h]

neil - you are clearly the man to ask in this field! Where did you start Meteores? Didn't seem that obvious to me.

of the top of my head, i remember just taking hold right hand, left hand undercut then straight up to the rail, You start pretty much next to the big boulder you will fall on if you fluff it up, It was so dirty and scary, you slink of right to top out

hope this helps

[Somebody's Fool]

Dense won't stop banging on about how good this looked:

http://bleau.info/montmorillon/13332.html

Shall we put this on the list as well Jim?

[Duma]

Cheers neil, will go back and check it out. Didn't appear dirty when we were there, must have seen some traffic since your ascent.

SF, that looks ace, just the sort of thing I'm after - had never even heard of the area.

Never seen this, but is my favourite new photo in 7+8: Katioushka
Anyone been? Is it as good as the photo makes out?

[a dense loner]

it's on the list already fool. now take some lemsip and get an early night

[neil h]

Memoire d'Autre Tombe is my pick of the tougher ticks,

I found this real easy for the grade, you should try the harder version without the arete. Another good line up there dunno if you done it I keep falling of the mantle top out which is about 5a is el kift http://bleau.info/fin/9523.html amazing line i think

You guys should also check out 11.1 new lines going all the time up there and you never see a soul just to the right of rocher fin, well a bit to the right

[Duma]

Did Chevalier Errant last year - harder, but not as good I thought. 7a+ seemed fair to me, as long as you finish on the right side of the arete.
Didn't try El Kift, but has perhaps the most comfortable looking crimp in font on it! The very low start put me off a bit. Enjoyed failing on No Name Yet too.

[Duma]

neil - any more at 111 than the topo on bleau.info? Looks like the stuff on there was done pre 2006

[SA Chris]

Any sub 7 esoteric classics worth seeking out?

[neil h]

Did Chevalier Errant last year - harder, but not as good I thought. 7a+ seemed fair to me, as long as you finish on the right side of the arete.
Didn't try El Kift, but has perhaps the most comfortable looking crimp in font on it! The very low start put me off a bit. Enjoyed failing on No Name Yet too.

The ow start is fine, just get a heal toe on the right, I match the crimp then go direct to top of it rather than going to undercut first..


Regarding 11.1 I was chating to Jo the other day who has put up a load of stuff round there, I will try find some info

[Andy B]

Rocher Fin - not really esoteric, but far enough from the parking you won't see (m)any brits - class spot with lots of great easier stuff. Memoire d'Autre Tombe is my pick of the tougher ticks, it's just a shame I'm running short of stuff to do there.
Memoire:

I really liked this problem at Rocher Fin. It's uninspiringly called NoNameYet. I think it's been downgraded in the new 7's and 8's guide.





http://bleau.info/fin/9428.html

[Andy B]

Enjoyed failing on No Name Yet too.

Sorry. Missed this post.

[monkey boy]

Andy that top pic needs to go in the gurn faces to! Typical you!! 

[dave]

that gives me an idea.....

[sharkey]

Sub 7a this is an absolute beauty  http://bleau.info/cretesud/3275.html

[SA Chris]

That looks sweet and right up my street. Ta.

[Duma]

Indeed. But hardly esoteric now is it?

[Houdini]

This is ace

http://bleau.info/greau/888-23381.html

[joel]

Megalithe does indeed look amazing - again maybe not that esoteric though?

Off to Font in a week and was going to try Les Conquistadores direct (the wall just left of Megalithe)

http://bleau.info/greau/885.html

Description says without left arete  - the guy in the video seems to use it for the last couple of moves? - anyone know if this is OK or not? (or am I splitting hairs because it's very very close to the top of the boulder...)

Also this has probably been mentioned in another thread on Font but it looks amazing too

http://bleau.info/avon/1114.html

cheers everyone for the info on this and other threads -  I've been quietly lurking and adding problems to an increasing ticklist that now has so many problems that spending a year in Font would never see them ticked.....

[Jim]

That cartoon problem next to it looks top drawer

[Duma]

Thinking of Force du Destin as a possibility for DG's next tick reminded me of this - at a slightly more achievable grade: Fil de Verre, have had an unsuccesful play and it's great. There's a nice 7A just up the hill too: La Linea

[Duma]

SA Chris : go to Rocher de la Reine, La Fissure du Soleil is great, and fair at 6C, and Le Couguar Blanc is a fine 6C+ (and both get you ticks in 7+8). Also Plumes au Vent is a great 6B arete, better than the sit down I thought.
Just looking at bleau.info this looks like an awesome venue for 6's, though it certainly doesn't count as esoteric for the locals!

[SA Chris]

Cheers Duma, those look ace. I usually only go to font for a few days, so generally don't stray from the straigh and narrow, and generally end up (more or less) just following circuits. However we have a full 7 days this trip, so keen to do some exploring. Am borrowing the purple guide and will buy Off Piste before we go, are those problems in these guides too?

[nash1]

This is also an absolute beauty... http://bleau.info/petitereine/1696.html . It is pictured in a lot of guides, but I would still say it is esoterica and certainly off the beaten track. There is a new 7b+ just behind it as well which looks stunning. High prow.

Over the hill at Rocher de la Reine (since it was mentioned), this is a very nice 6c ... http://bleau.info/reine/9236.html

[Andy B]

Thinking of Force du Destin as a possibility for DG's next tick reminded me of this - at a slightly more achievable grade: Fil de Verre, have had an unsuccesful play and it's great. There's a nice 7A just up the hill too: La Linea

Le Toit at Ermitage is quite a nice problem, although quite stiff for 7a+

http://bleau.info/ermitage/1315.html

We missed La Linea but it looks good in the photos. Fil de Verre looks desperate.

[Resonate]

Have to recommend at 95.2:

Rudeboy: http://bleau.info/95.2/2126.html
Retour aux Sources: http://bleau.info/95.2/5.html

both 7A

note: i dunno what 'esoteric' means

[Duma]

Nice one Resonate - reminded me of Sans Dessus Dessous on the same bloc - you tried this? looked awesome, but wet when we were there.

esoteric...
Rudeboy counts, but maybe not Retour Aux Sources, its pretty well known. Not that that diminishes its quality mind, but if I go somewhere midweek and find another group on a problem, it probably don't count.

[The Sausage]

Sans Dessus Dessous is brilliant. It's described in the 7s & 8s as 'low start, finish with arete'. It seemed to make much more sense to do a proper sit start using the left arete. I remember using a wierd right foot cam in the underclings on the right - felt totally unlikely until it worked. Anyway, I never linked the whole thing, but thought it was great. Really burly.

[Jim]

Did a couple of really good ones off the beaten track last week. Will link to them when bleau.info is working again

[J.P]

Not very esoteric, but a bit off the beaten track. A right little gem:
http://bleau.info/gros/634.html
Haven´t done this but looks nice too:
http://bleau.info/gros/1160.html
 

[Percy B]

Good recomendations, JP. Have done both, and they are both good. The grand arete is pretty steady for 7a I thought, but pretty high with a thought provoking top out. There are a few other good 7a's in the same area, as well as La Liberte - the best 6b in the forest. Worth the trek - Gros Sablons is probably a 10 minute walk further on from 95.2....the font equivalent of an alpine approach!

[Jim]

Is it just me that can't get on bleau.info?

[J.P]

Must bee, it works fine here (Safari and Firefox).

[Jim]

http://bleau.info/demoiselles/12546.html

Is excellent, we went up with the left hand, the other problems there didn't look up to much but we didn't look at them all

[Jim]

http://bleau.info/auvergne/12431.html

This looked really good, didn't try it tho. I see scouse has done it, worth doing?

[cofe]

http://bleau.info/auvergne/12431.html

This looked really good, didn't try it tho. I see scouse has done it, worth doing?

compression ministerielle at coquibus auvergne. a full body pump and not too far from the car and main trois pignons areas. rest of the area not great but this is well worth it.

i wasn't kidding the first time i posted it word

[Jim]

Sorry, I'll take out my eye plugs next time.
Who pumped your body?

[Jaspersharpe]

http://bleau.info/demoiselles/12546.html

Is excellent, we went up with the left hand, the other problems there didn't look up to much but we didn't look at them all

Is that not........

http://bleau.info/demoiselles/9804-27323.html

?

[neil h]

Found this little esoteric gem yesturday


[youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/U5fkJnVFNso&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/U5fkJnVFNso&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>[/youtube]


up on the way to salamander

[Bonjoy]

8b in the forest but still topping out with knees. The youth of today...

[Monolith]

For someone who doesn't like dyno's, I'm impressed.

[neil h]

For someone who doesn't like dyno's, I'm impressed.

check this out, quite esoteric, Its of the beaten track near sabot, we also did this awsome 7c to the right of this one that involves a wild slap of a small crimp with a big fall if you miss

[youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/21T2JkFsRpQ&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/21T2JkFsRpQ&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>[/youtube]

[cowboyhat]

8b in the forest but still topping out with knees. The youth of today...

That's his signature move.

[Monolith]

Nice Neil, just a shame I'm not in the least dynamic otherwise I'd hunt that mofo right down.

[Somebody's Fool]

http://bleau.info/demoiselles/12546.html

Is excellent, we went up with the left hand, the other problems there didn't look up to much but we didn't look at them all

Is that not........

http://bleau.info/demoiselles/9804-27323.html

?

Time for the Tipp-Ex methinks Jim.  You can borrow mine when I've finished with it.

[neil h]

[youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o7z1FylYWkM&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o7z1FylYWkM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>[/youtube]


This is Gasthaus Unterslag   7b+ (7c) up on the right of the last video, superb problem, they only problem is it perched on top of the hill wich tim will demonstate how long it takes you to fal to the bottom if you fall of this gem, thanks for the spot tim

[Jim]

http://bleau.info/demoiselles/12546.html

Is excellent, we went up with the left hand, the other problems there didn't look up to much but we didn't look at them all

Is that not........

http://bleau.info/demoiselles/9804-27323.html

?

Time for the Tipp-Ex methinks Jim.  You can borrow mine when I've finished with it.

To be fair we went more or less direct to the top rather than out left, just with the left hand. Remember there are 1789 non-eliminate straight ups in the forest

You can definately get your tip-ex out for this one http://bleau.info/isatis/1516.html

[Somebody's Fool]

It seems 67% of ascensionists don't think I should.

[Jim]

apart from the fact you didn't sitstart in the pit on the right or infact climb this problem

[Duma]

Right then, just to big up the recommenders of Compression Ministrelle, it was ace, though your elbows won't thank you for using it as a warm up! Also here I liked Tiens Bon la Hampe!, I had to jump for the good hold (and thought solid 7a), so it may well be not as fun/much more difficult if you're taller/shorter than me. The 7b to the left looked/felt class too, but sadly skin and the last ferry prevented an ascent.
Other good shit we found:

Tendance - great arete, easing all the way. Like the look of Arc-en-Ciel as well, but a bit beyond me at the moment.

Plein Ciel - quality, even in the sun. Double/Triple Axel where awesome too, but don't really belong on this thread.