Had a great trip despite less than great weather on some of the days. Thanks for all the assistance.....
Echine - Had a walk around Cuisiniere one afternoon looking for this but as I had trhe Mrs and small person in tow I soon realise it wasn't exactly ideal terrain and gave up.
La Barre Fixe - Well fuck me if I didn't fall off the 4C finish to this twice like a complete twat.
Meant to go back and finish it but ended up with bigger fish to fry. It's not as bad as may have been made out but there are better things to spend your time on in the forest for sure.
Mirobol - I did go and look at this when it had a river running down it. It looks fantastic but certainly more the 7C+ side of 7C. Small holds.
Mur Des Lamentations - This is class but the sidepull/pinch thing to do the move out left is SO FUCKING PAINFUL! Had a brief go when it was a bit wet and then went back to try it on the last day. The pain defeated me but I'll certainly go back (loaded up with painkillers) and finish it. Checked out the top as it is quite high. As Duma said it's piss and you will not come off there and with a decent spot the landing is fine anyway. This was also where the highlight of the trip ocurred when I met nik at work.
Sale Gosse - This too was a bit damp but I got my hand over the top and couldn't quite hold it. A great improvement on when I tried it last August and could barely pull on. Having looked at the Bleau.info videos again I realise I should have been doing something a bit more productive with my right foot. Aslo felt that if it was dry I could have held the left hand pocket and reached the slopy pinch statically instead of launching for the top. Another to go back to!
So lots of trying and very little to show for it...............except......
Rubis Sur Ongle Number one on the list and the problem I've wanted to do since I started climbing again. Went to do this on the Wednesday but by the time I'd had a few goes and worked out a sequence the top crimps had been in the full sun for an hour or more and were greasy as fuck. So I prayed for good weather, only did some easy stuff on the Thursday and returned early doors on the Friday (last day). Conditions were perfect and after doing a couple of pull ups and the starting moves once to warm up I did it first go. Felt like a different problem in the cold and what a great problem at such a beautiful venue. In two visits to Gorge Aux Chats we saw zero other people which was nice.
Houdini - looking at your pic from earlier in the thread I think you were doing it all wrong. Yeah I can see why it's easier if you're tall but once you have the right hand crimp surely the reachiness is over? You can get your foot up on the slopey edge and then either use the small left crimp for left hand or cross over to the spike. This way was actually too bunched for me but would work perfectly for the shorter in stature. I didn't bridge out left at all and just rocked over for the right hand crimp, left my foot low got the left crimp and bounced to the spike with right hand, rock over left for the top.
Sausage - Your opinions on everything are now invalid. This is NOT a shit problem. Not sure how you split a tip unless you were slapping too much.......
Didn't get the chance to check out some of the other recommendations unfortunately. If this trip has taught me anything it's that a week is never going to be long enough in Font. I kept thinking about how Uncle must be on day 50 or something and how that is what you really need to even feel like you're scratching the surface of what the greatest bouldering venue on earth has to offer - irrespective of what grade you're climbing. I did a lot of easier stuff and had a great time with the family too. Fortunately as the Mrs has agreed that the next trip will be for two weeks (she's even eschewing the planned weeek in the sun somewhere, I think it's because of the thuggy blue problem she nearly did at 95.2). Bring it on!
