Fontenbleau

[STeveA]

I will be spending a couple of days in Paris the 1st week in May, and I was thinking of visiting Fontenbleau for a day of bouldering. It sounds like the easiest was without a car is to take the train to Bois Le Rois and walk to Rocher Canon. Anyone know if this is the best choice. If so, any recommendations?

[mick]

I tried that a couple years ago. Either I was in the wrong place, or the crag is alot further than it seems. I took a train for about 45 minutes to Fontenbleau and tried to rent a bicycle but it was like 40euros for the day, so I walked. And walked. And walked.

Eventually (maybe 6-8km) I got to some sweet boulders, and it promptly started to downpour. I climbed what overhanging stuff I could find but eventually headed back to town soaking wet in the middle of a thunderstorm.

A kindly Frenchman gave me a lift partway back to the train station and I told him that his country's girls were very pretty, which he thought was a riot, as it was the only phrase from my 12 years of public school mandatory French lessons that he could understand.

I wouldn't be surprised if I was in the wrong area, but the boulders all had numbers and names painted on them in true euro style. The rock was rad.

I recommend a car.

[Fred]

my memory is vague because we visited about 10 different areas when we stayed there but...

I think if you took a train or something to Fontainbleau then cab out to the bouldering would probably work. Bas Cuvier was probably my favorite area with the most concentration of great boulders. Also, I think it's pretty close to town. the closest?

Zig would know more.

[granite_grrl]

My firend Kelly was out there solo a couple of years ago sans car. She hitch hiked out there every day. Got picked up every time too. Mind you, I'm sure it didn't hurt that she was a single female, but at the same time I don't think hitch hiking has the same negatinve stigmas out there as they do here.

[STeveA]

I never had much luck hitch hiking when I was a teenager so I don't think I will start now. It sounds like a 30 minute hike from the train station to some boulders, which is not too bad. If I can get at least one boulder in it will make PJ jealous!

[Shawn B]

Come on Steve...be adventurous. I hitched when we were in Utah and got picked up by a hot sugar momma who was actually going the other way and made a u-turn to pick me up. She drove me right to my truck up the canyon through a snowstorm. If I didn't have to go back to pick up Denise (who was waiting in the other canyon in a snowstorm all soaking wet), I'm sure I'd be living in a McMansion on Wasatch Blvd right now. Hitching in some places seems to be accepted and it's not hard to get a drive. People do it often up and down the canyons in Utah with skis and packs. Not sure I'd do it out on the interstate. Maybe a hot young french boulderess will pick you up....
....Dear climbing mag...I always thought these stories were made up until the other day it happened to me. I was thumbing out to Font and this hot young french lady picked me up and upon finding out I was Canadian (and rather distinguishly handsome I'm sure too) wanted to show me her special secret bouldering area. She had SIX crash pads in the back and a chalk bag like I'd never seen before. We sent new FA boulder problems all day long on the best granite boulders I"ve ever seen. After she drove me right back to the airport and even bought me beer for the trip home.

[martha]

Yup, and they'd all know it was a load of BS when you mentioned the Granite boulders in Font.....

[STeveA]

It was a real secret area with granite boulders.