[nik at work]

I've got an offer of some work in France, about 40 mins south of Poitiers. I'm always keen to visit France but 3 weeks without climbing might test me so does anyone know of anything in that vicinity? As I'd be alone (or at least the only climber) bouldering is going to be the best option.
Also it would probably be Oct/Nov time if that has any bearing on conditions etc.

I await your knowledge with baited breath...

[webbo]

i have climbed round there many,many years ago.it was on my first visit to font.just after we beat the french at agincourt.
its all large dead fish type stuff.

[Nibile]

you will be 3 hrs from font

[webbo]

you will be 3 hrs from font

not on foot carrying a bow and arrows.

[nik at work]

So maybe I could go and do a couple of weekends in font?
Hmm interesting....

[i.munro]

Went chuffin' back in the day at a place 50km from Poitiers called Angles sur Anglin.
A quick google gave me this

http://monweb.interpc.fr/topo/angles/angles-accueil.htm

which says they're cleaning a bouldering area.

[Houdini]

As in Sydney?

[nik at work]

Yeah, she's after a conservatory.

[andy_e]

make sure you go to futuroscope- it's a pretty crazy place!

[ben]

eaux-clairs is just over an hour south of there, near angouleme

a fair amount of bouldering but it depends how much you value your tendons...

[nik at work]

That looks brutal, but have a knowledge wad.

[SamD]

Isn't Eaux Claires Fred Rouhling's stomping ground?

[Adam Lincoln]

Hey Nick, email this guy on UKC, a lot of his pics are that area i think
http://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/author.html?id=18307

[BenF]

eaux-clairs is just over an hour south of there, near angouleme

a fair amount of bouldering but it depends how much you value your tendons...

Yeah, its hot, brutal and very hard for the grade.  Plenty to go at, some of it quite good and all of it on monos (well a lot of it anyway).  The routes look better but none of us had harnesses or anything other than pads etc.

Lots of topos and information on here:  http://www.chez.com/charentescalade/.  Look carefully at all the links but the best spots are L'Arche (very hot in the sun), Cothiers (masses of highballs and circuits), Face Nord and Champignon.  Not the best bouldering in the world but some interesting stuff and some of the most depressingly undergraded problems in the Universe.  In fact, ignore the grades and just climb what looks good.

[Richie Crouch]

I think Cothiers had the best selection of problems to go at, spread about a bit amongst the woods.

I'd probably avoid la voute and just hit Champignon and Le Mur (the wave of rock behind the mushroom) which had some quality lines on (all of which were brutal and nails). I'd start training campussing, monos and bi-doights right now if you have a couple of months notice!

L'Arche was good also, although it is high up and exposed to baking sun when a group of us went in late January. I think the later you go the better, to avoid melting.

[nik at work]

Excellent work chaps. One more thing, I probably won't have a pad, are landings nice and flat (as they appear) or are they popular venues so I'll be able to latch onto a passing herd of matted french beasts?

Although the Font idea is still tempting, get some groundwork in for the Easter trip. Could do both I suppose...

[BenF]

Landings are generally perfect if a little far below the tops of some of the routes problems at say l'arche.  Don't expect to see anyone else bouldering; we didn't in the four days we were there.

Personally I'd make the effort to get to Font as it's 100 times better.  But the Charente area was nice enough if you don't want to drive and like limestone.

And yeah, I agree with Rich, Cothiers was best.  Although the mushroom was fun too.