[Andy Harris]

Just off on a family trip to Font with friends and wanted some reccos on the following. Although I've been going there for 15 years or so have generally stuck to the main venues and not been to a lot of the newer Franchard areas and keen for some reccos on super classic problems 7a-7c+ that are off the beaten track.

Also any good reccos on nice restaurants other than the Dame Jouanne. We are staying in Boulancourt just South of Malsherbes.

Also any family reccos for areas with good stuff for our daughter. maybe some good parks / swings & slides in or out of the forest.

[SA Chris]

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,14842.0.html has some restaurant info.

Should this be in the "abroad" bit?

[Andy Harris]

Ooops. Please move it if know how as I certainly don't.

[Bonjoy]

From recent visit I’d deffo recommend Petit Bois for child friendly (easy to get around, close to car, lots of flat open space) quality bouldering – L’ Oeufs being a brilliant and less well known one to do there.
Cassepot Grises is a little further from the car (5min walk as opposed to 1min) but has a handful of excellent hard (sometimes reachy unfortunately) probs.
Rocher Ouisaeauxiuxxx (same parking as Sabot and same length walk in) ticks all the boxes and is not far from Mont Pivot if you fancy pockets (not so child friendly due to longer walk and hilltop location).
Not off the beaten track at all but by far the most child friendly of the places we went this trip was Buthiers, hence we ended up there three times. I’m sure you’ll have been there before. It has the added advantage of being well shaded (it was hot last week!). Some highball stuff but often with perfect landings. If you are struggling in the heat, search out The Dark Room, a really well shaded good 7a+ burling up steep rails.

[SA Chris]

Is Bois Rond regarded as on or off beaten track? Thought it was a lovely spot, fairly compact so quite easy to work from base. I'm not really a 7a-7c type of guy, so might be worth checking guide though, to see what there is in that range, I wasn't really looking.

[a dense loner]

couple of things, not much but certainly a pleasant venue. no classics but not a bad choice

[Duma]

What dense said re Bois Rond. Nice spot, but not extensive. In striking distance of Drie Zinnen though, if you can sneak off... Bar nearby too. Anyone mentioned Potola/Rocher Fin yet? all flat, sandy, easy to get around, and Rocher fin has some good stuff in that range. Long walk though  (for font!), so if you've got loads of stuff for the littluns maybe not so great. One of my favourite spots in font though.

[Bonjoy]

Went to Bois Rond on the recent trip. Certainly a good bet for child friendliness and shade, but not that much of quality in the sevens. That said Bombe Humaine assis is a really good (hard!) 7a+. It vaguely reminded me of Captain Hook at Stanage but not as bum scraping.
Rocher Fin might be a be a bit lacking in shade if the weather is anything like it was.

[SA Chris]

couple of things, not much but certainly a pleasant venue. no classics but not a bad choice

Thought as much, I was obviouisly just puntering in the 6s (and 5s and 4s TBH). Like Duma said Drei Zinnen is just across the way, went and had a look while waiting for the rock to dry and some nice looking stuff.

[Simon Brown]

For child friendly; Canche aux Merciers is good. The kids circuit there is great fun. Problem 21 appears to be one of those easy for the wee ones but a struggle for the groan ups. A lot of the yellow circuit works well for more competant kids. At Apremont, walk down from the cafe (good with the family if the weather is un-English) and just as the road forks to go forwrd to Bizons or left to the gorge, on your right hand side is a circle of boulders. There's a splendid circuit here for very small kids. Boulders of the size you can catch them off. The creperie and the cafe in Barbizon were welcoming too.