[SA Chris]

And if you are with a little one take ample supply of bepanthen to nick it for soothing your raw fingertips.

[i.munro]

I'm sure you know this  but I can't emphasise enough how much it helps to take a chunk of door mat and a couple of towels. Sand gets everywhere & it sticks.

[slackline]

Wiki Sub-section of Fontainebleau for recommended places to go with kids and places to avoid

Perhaps someone with knowledge, experience and a spare few minutes could fill it in (I've no kids so don't have an opinion on venues in this regard).

[fried]

I'll do it this evening. I'm home alone.

[rodma]

beurre marga: supposed to be really good. i'm sure it's 6B+ if ...  no never mind, i didn't know how to pull into the wall

it is really good fun, took full beta from a local followed by quite a few hundred goes before i had it dialled enough that i could then run back round to stronger mates that were trying surprise and sandbag them on it.

[T_B]

I've been to Cuisiniere a few times with a pushchair. It's just the last bit that's a bit of a mission, but it's my favourite area so I'm biased. And once you're up there I think it's a good kiddy area. It's one of the best areas too if it's really hot, which is worth remembering. Retrofriction is a good, techy 7a. Le Mur Cordier is probably the most popular 7a there cos it's such a nice/obvious feature to look at but it's pretty grim to climb. La Jouissance du Massetar is steady if you're tall?

As others have said, Apremont is not great with kids, apart from Egoiste and the stuff left of that (I thought Jérémiades assis was more like 7a than 7a+).

I wouldn't bother with 95.2 unless you have to. As one of the quickest drying areas you'll end up there at some point if you become a Font regular.

Rocher Guichot is v close to where you're staying and is 20 seconds from the car. It's a good place to check on conditions if it's been damp overnight. Jour de Reve is a great little 7a http://bleau.info/guichot/1461.html

[ghisino]

just on the side of Roche aux Sabots, if you want something away from the crowds: Zen 7a.

Roche aux Oiseaux is also close by and usually less crowded. Brazil soft 7a?

The big stone of la Roche d'Hercule offers a few very fine highballish problems at grades 5+ to 7a/b, good flat landings, zero walk in, one of the best chunks of sandstone in the forest.  Can be crowded but it's local families having a walk rather than climbers!
Pilier de la roche d'hercule is a must @6b+ or 6c+ for the sitstart.
Gazoline 7a is also a classic problem starting from an obvious hueco on the left, even though the "classic" beta shown in pictures is morpho and a total nonsense for short people.
A few hundreds meters away mont ussy has decent circuits and a couple of easier, but more serious highballs.

Buthiers has a bit of everything and flat walk ins though it can be crowded, dirty and noisy since it hosts a multi-sport leisure centre.

[Fultonius]

If you're in Isatis and are any good at dynos/tall have a bash at Vin Rouge. http://bleau.info/isatis/1238.html Path if you're 6' and bouncy, desperate if not...

DFBclimbsLePareDessus: 

[Luke Owens]

Thanks everyone, tons of good advice/options! 

Think i'll tie in the Cuvier quick hit with La Roche d'Hercule as it looks awesome! Would probably need to tie this in with somewhere else too, one problem at Cuvier and 2 at d'Hercule...Then go chill out at Mont Ussy as ghisino suggested? This looks like a place that could be quiet? Or go somewhere else?

I would still like to go to 95.2, Retour aux Sources and Duel dans La Lune look incredible!

Also, which would be the best place to go first? Just so my Mrs can get into it and not be put off straight away. She's a good but not so confident climber so somewhere with the best/most sandy landings I guess, Sabots?

Updated list, Starting to think this may be too much for one week!:

Roche aux Sabots
Jet Set - 7A
Graviton - 7A
Elecubration - 7A
L'Oblique - 7A
Le Jeu Du Toit - 7A
Danjeur Majeur Assis - 7A
L'Angle à Jean-Luc - 6C
Chapeau Chinois - 6B
L'Auriculaire - 6A
-
Yellow & Blue Circuits

95.2
Retour Aux Sources - 7A
Duel dans la Lune - 6C
Le P'tit Toit / Le Tourniquet - 6B+
-
Orange, Yellow & Blue Circuits

Gorge aux Châts
Ca Pell au Logis - 7A
Pareur de Pareur - 6C
Travaux Forcés - 6B
Arachnée - 6B
Dallain - 6A
-
Blue Circuit

Cuvier
Duroxmanie - 6C
La Marie Rose - 6A

La Roche d'Hercule
Pilier De La Roche D'hercule Assis - 6C+/7A
Gazoline - 7A

Elephant
Le Coeur - 7A
Le Lépreux direct - 7A
La Voie Michaud - 6C
Le Surplomb de la Loupe / Le Toit du Loup - 6B
Le Surplomb de l'Éléphant - 6A
-
White, Yellow, Green & Blue Circuits

Petit Bois
La Baleine - 7A
Big Jim - 6C
Quelle conque (red 11) - 5C
-
Blue Circuit

Isatis
El Poussah - 7A
Surplomb de la Coquille (Conquérance) - 6C
Beurre Marga - 6B+
L'Entre Toit - 6B+
L'Angle du Sérac / L'angle Facial - 6B+
La Power-Lolotte / le Surplomb Statique - 6A+
-
Orange & Blue Circuits

Cuisinere
Bizarre, Bizarre - 7A
Retrofriction - 7A
Excalibur - 7A
Le Mur Cordier / Acier Damas - 7A
Tranche de Lard - 6B
La Superbe - 6A+
Moondance - 6A
-
Orange & Red Circuits

[lukeyboy]

95.2 is a pretty good starting place (though a bit trickier to find than some areas), nice sandy landings, not too high, good slabs / low grades.

Whilst what has been said about Cuvier (busy, polished, deviants come out once it gets dark) is all true, it is still just such high quality that you have to give it a go IMO. I think it's one of the best areas for a high concentration of 7a's which range from forest classics to worthwhile, sounds like what you're after - helicoptere, joker, charcuterie, conque a doigt, langouste royale, vaudoue systeme, holey moley, abattoir to name but a few.

[SA Chris]

First day - sabots is a good bet, but not if it's a weekend, the place is like a zoo and can be a bit intimidating. Although you could start on some of the quieter bits round the edge, and move to the middle once folk start leaving.

Canon is a good first day option too, I don't see that on your list?

[Luke Owens]

First day - sabots is a good bet, but not if it's a weekend, the place is like a zoo and can be a bit intimidating. Although you could start on some of the quieter bits round the edge, and move to the middle once folk start leaving.

Canon is a good first day option too, I don't see that on your list?

First day will probably be a Sunday so would be better to go to one of the quieter places, i've completely overlooked Rocher Canon... too many areas! Could be a better option to tie it in with Cuvier/La Roche d'Hercule rather than Mont Ussy?

[SA Chris]

Is that a question or a statement? IMO I think you are trying to rush around too much and cram it all in; you won't get everything done that you want to, and it will be a pain piling the family into and out of the car several times a day and dashing around trying to tick everything you want. Will cause too much stress all round, and potentially put people off going again.

Take time to chill out and smell the pine needles, enjoy the fine patisseries, fresh bread and cheese and take it easy at least some of the time.

[Luke Owens]

Is that a question or a statement? IMO I think you are trying to rush around too much and cram it all in; you won't get everything done that you want to, and it will be a pain piling the family into and out of the car several times a day and dashing around trying to tick everything you want. Will cause too much stress all round, and potentially put people off going again.

Take time to chill out and smell the pine needles, enjoy the fine patisseries, fresh bread and cheese and take it easy at least some of the time.

It was a question but you're right, I am getting very over excited... I also need to remember i'm on holiday and chill out...

[slackline]

I'll do it this evening. I'm home alone.

Thanks for doing this, hope you don't mind me reformatting it into a table.

[nai]

Sabot might not be that bad on a Sunday, sure it's popular but you're spared the student groups at this time of year which can make up large numbers, might find there's just a lot of French folk/families enjoying their weekend.  It's easy to find, has a quick approach, generally good landings, a low yellow for your Mrs to gain some confidence and some blues and reds for you to get a taster of things to come.  Base yourself in the trees near the yellow to start then maybe move in once you've done a few problems.  Don't rush to get on the harder problems, take your time on some appealing circuit problems and get used to things, you'll find plenty of reds to shut you down at first without having to get on the harder things. If you're lucky there'll be a local on hand to give you the beta, you may well need it on Angles de Jean Luc and Pierre Otee (14) both of which will feel the living end until you find the knack.

Another option, while a long walk, is Diplodocus - 20 minutes approach but up a fire road so ok with a buggy, nothing hard there but a very pleasant place with nice yellow, orange and blues circuits to get you going and guaranteed to be quiet.

[ben]

..to give you the beta, you may well need it on Angles de Jean Luc which will feel the living end until you find the knack.

Or indeed one may never find the knack..

[fried]

I'll do it this evening. I'm home alone.

Thanks for doing this, hope you don't mind me reformatting it into a table.

No problems, it looked a bit cluttered before. I haven't finished it yet, so if you want to point me in the direction of the instructions for adding to the table...

[slackline]

if you want to point me in the direction of the instructions for adding to the table...

I wrote some pointers here (includes link to Wikimedia help page for tables).

Easiest would be to copy a line that already exists, place it below then change the text, that way you shouldn't go too far from the simple template.

[fried]

Is that a question or a statement? IMO I think you are trying to rush around too much and cram it all in; you won't get everything done that you want to, and it will be a pain piling the family into and out of the car several times a day and dashing around trying to tick everything you want. Will cause too much stress all round, and potentially put people off going again.

Take time to chill out and smell the pine needles, enjoy the fine patisseries, fresh bread and cheese and take it easy at least some of the time.

It was a question but you're right, I am getting very over excited... I also need to remember i'm on holiday and chill out...

This is good advice. Choose one place per day and if you feel up to it you can always sneak out for an evening session, otherwise you're just going to knacker yourself.

I'm not sure when you're arriving but half-term starts next week in France, which means that Holland, Belgium and Germany won't be far behind. It will likely be busy.

For a first hit, I'd go for either

Sabots:- Plenty to do even if crowded and the blue circuit is fairly graded if polished, the red is another story...
Isatis:- Likely to be busy, but mostly flat landings, not too high and the blue/red/ white circuits are classics.
Canche aux merciers:- Smiliar to the above, but more technical climbing, more holds.

These  places are busy for a reason, large numbers of problems at various grades, flat landings, not too high , short walk-ins, easy to navigate.

Unless you hate crowds...

[Luke Owens]

I'm back and got completely spanked on everything didn't climb anything harder than 6A...

Was pretty logistically difficult trying to make sure my partner climbed what she wanted and keeping the little one happy. Felt quite rushed once It was my go so found it difficult to try hard or stay on any problem longer than 10 minutes...

If anyone's interested I've wrote it up here:

http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,23169.0.html

I really enjoyed it though and so did the family and ate loads of Baggettes and Pains Au Chocolat...

[Jaspersharpe]

Know what it's like when it's just the three of you, trying to keep everyone happy can be difficult and you feel too pressured when you do get time to try something a bit harder and so climb like a twat.

On a trip like that it's best just to chill out and climb loads of easier stuff. Glad you had a good time anyway. 

[Luke Owens]

Know what it's like when it's just the three of you, trying to keep everyone happy can be difficult and you feel too pressured when you do get time to try something a bit harder and so climb like a twat.

On a trip like that it's best just to chill out and climb loads of easier stuff. Glad you had a good time anyway. 

It got to the point where I just wanted to climb easier stuff but had no idea what to get on as I never planned on that happening...

Didn't anticipate myself feeling pressured or stressed trying the harder stuff. Even though my partner is really encouraging and understanding I still felt concious of the little one needing changing/feeding/being tired etc.

I've never been so pumped in my life trying Le P'tit Toit at 95.2... I must of tried it about 10 times in 30 minutes...!

It was a good learning experiance and we'll be more clued up for next time.

[SA Chris]

Chalk it up to experience! At least you didn't get a solid week of rain. Hard to get on anything hard on your first visit, and having to cope with keeping everyone happy (including yourself).

[Luke Owens]

I think the biggest let down of the trip was my distinct lack of Pains Au Chocolat intake. I only had 4, pretty poor really. I did make up for that slightly with 3 coffee and 2 chocolate eclairs and about 6 baggette's. I will try harder next time I promise...!

Also, who said Bas Cuvier is shit, what's that about? I hadn't planned on going there and probably found it the most enjoyable place... Pure comedy seeing people actually trying to climb there when it was hammering it down on the last day as well (?!).