If there’s one must-visit destination for a climber, it’s Fontainebleau, France. This stunning forest, about 50 miles from Paris, is home to hundreds of crags, with more than 30,000 bouldering problems.
It’s a veritable pilgrimage for any boulderer who loves to touch rock. Font, as it’s called by those who know it best, has top-tier sandstone. I visited in September, and found plenty of tips and tricks to help other rock hounds make the most of their time in this magical forest.
Fontainebleau Bouldering: Visitor’s Guide
How to Get There
For being a natural world all unto itself, Fontainebleau is pretty accessible via public transport. If you’re flying into Charles De Gaulle airport, it’s possible to get to the area within 2 hours (give or take).
Take the Line B train directly from the airport to one of several local stations, like Châtelet les Halles or Gare du Nord. From there, it’s a short transfer to Paris Gare de Lyon, where you’ll take the R train to either the Fontainebleau-Avon stop or Bourron-Marlotte-Grez stop, depending on where you’re staying.
Download the SNCF Connect app to buy and save tickets, see live updates on train times, and more. Metro tickets cost €2.50 ($3) and cover the entirety of this travel zone.
Accommodations and Getting Around
Getting to Fontainebleau without a car is no problem: a short Uber or walk from a station will get you to most accommodations. When it comes to accessing climbing, however, transportation becomes a bit more complicated.
The hundreds of crags in the area are extremely spread out, and having a car will make accessing all of them much easier. Of course, renting a car adds an expense. (And likely more stress. Just imagine driving in Paris.) But if you’re staying in Font for longer than a week and want free rein to explore the area, a car might be worth it.
However, it is possible to get by without a car. There are several campsites that are within walking distances of climbing areas. The campsite La Musardiere, for example, is just a 20-minute walk from Canche aux Merciers.
The FontaineblHostel & Camping is about a 35-minute walk from Elephant, Dame Jouanne, and Maunoury boulders, which offer plenty to occupy your time.
As for accommodations, there are plenty of campsites in the area for affordable, no-frills lodging. I managed to fit everything I needed to camp and climb (sans crash pads) in a backpack and carry-on suitcase.
If you go with a group, an Airbnb could be a great option. Some campsites, like Musardiere, have tiny homes for rent as an in-between option.
Font Climbing
When Should I Go?
Spring and fall are your best bets for pleasant temperatures and good conditions. The summer can be unpleasantly hot, and while the winter brings cold temps (and good friction), it might be too wet to climb. Check the website of the ONF, France’s version of the Forest Service, for updates on closures due to hunting or other events.
Crash Pads
Flying with crash pads is not a recipe for success. Since they’re so large and unwieldy, most airlines will charge a lot of money to transport them.
Staying at a popular hostel or campsite can be a good way to meet people with pads (and cars) who may invite you to climb with them. Your best bet for a pad, though, is to rent one. The FontaineblHostel rents them to guests, as do local gear stores Monkey TVShop and S’cape.
Padadise is an online pad rental service that’s also available in the area. Pads will cost anywhere from €5 to €15 a day ($6 to $18), depending on size.
Guides
Most U.S. climbers rely on Mountain Project or KAYA as digital references while outside. These apps have info on Font, but it’s still incomplete. European climbers tend to use 27Crags, a similar digital app that has info on the thousands of climbs here, with digital topo maps available for purchase to use offline.
If print guidebooks are more your speed, U.S. retailer Rock & Snow sells several for Font. If you can manage to find a copy of the English edition, Fontainebleau: Fun Bloc is another good resource.
Ethics
Unlike some sandstone in the U.S., the sandstone in Font can be quite fragile. Do not climb on wet or damp rock, as it can damage the stone. If it rains, there are two gyms in the area: KARMA and Buthiers.
Be sure to wipe your shoes clean before climbing, and clean off any chalk or dirt from holds after climbing. Climbers should also pick up and move their crash pads — as opposed to dragging them around — to prevent soil erosion. As in all natural environments, be sure to practice Leave No Trace ethics.
Grades
Fontainebleau is well-known for its circuit system. Many boulders are painted with a number and a color.
The colors, in increasing difficulty, are purple, yellow, orange, blue, red, and black. In the V-grade system, purple means the routes are good for beginners, while black is V6 and up.
There are also other numbers painted on boulders. These help you reference the problem in a guidebook, and often, there is an arrow indicating what direction you should climb.
There’s a lot of debate online about whether Fontainebleau is “sandbagged” or not, i.e., whether the climbs are much harder than the grade would indicate. Of course, as everywhere, grades are subjective, and grades can vary greatly even in the same area.
My advice would be to come to Font with little to no expectations, warm up, and climb a few of each color of the circuit to get a sense of where you’re at.
It takes time to get used to the style of the rock and to trust your feet. Font is well-known for demanding good footwork and strong technical skills when it comes to slab climbing.
As a sport climber, I came to Font with no ego, and a desire to just get on rock, and I feel like that attitude served me well. Focus on getting on problems that you find fun and interesting, instead of focusing on the grade, and you’re guaranteed to have a good time.
Where Should I Start?
Canche Aux Mauxiers is a great pick for first-time visitors. It’s dense with boulders, easily accessible, and has a good amount of variety. Bas-Cuvier is great for beginning and intermediate climbers, and Apremont is a particularly large section with tons of climbs. If highball climbing is more your vibe, check out the Elephant section.
In a place as large as Fontainebleau, the number of choices can be overwhelming. With rock this high quality, however, you really can’t go wrong.
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