Alpkit's Dan Dean on climbing with friends, the annual pilgrimage to the magic forest and the joys of laptop down to hammocks up in 18hrs.
Branching off from the wide forest track, we begin to weave our way up the hill through a maze of rounded sandstone boulders. Soon, the peaceful sound of the morning chorus is joined on the breeze by a faint "allez, allez…" from up ahead – we must be getting close. Arriving at a suitable clearing we stop and declare it 'basecamp' for the day. Bags off, mats down; those with hammocks make a beeline for the best trees, claiming their spot for some well-earned relaxation time later.
It's 10am on a Saturday morning and less than 18 hours ago most of us had just closed our laptops after a day in the office. With the vans and cars packed to the gunwales with mats and camping kit we made our way south, driving through the night to arrive at the Grez-sur-Loing campsite in the early hours. Powered by caffeine, croissants and a brief power nap on the ferry; we've all come straight to the crag to get stuck in.
It's a good turnout this year. Having first met through the Uni mountaineering club; we're now spread out around the UK and beyond. Usually, rallying the troops for a big group trip can be as tough as the climbing but for the annual Easter trip to Fontainebleau it's a different story.
For me, the joy of 'Font' is all about the simple life. Baguettes, boulders and brie. A chance to spend a week or a long weekend outside, where the only decisions to make are what to get from the patisserie in the morning and 'which crag shall we go to tomorrow?' round the campfire every evening.
Even choosing the climbs is made easy – with every crag featuring a selection of marked circuits at all levels of difficulty. Originally used as training loops by mountaineers to simulate big Alpine days; painted-on numbers and arrows take you on a tour of the crag complete with floor-is-lava style rock hopping leading you onwards to the next climb.
This is the way to enjoy Fontainebleau. Traversing the forest with a group of friends, taking turns to move mats, offer beta (or heckle), spot landings and share snacks. Days like these are why bouldering is such a growing sport with so many people falling in love with the minimum faff, maximum fun approach to climbing. Forget the grade you usually climb though (or prepare to be humbled!) and enjoy movement on rock in its purest form.
Once we've found our feet, circuit-style days soon become punctuated with mini projecting sessions; our interest piqued by a striking, off-circuit boulder problem that will test our limits. With a few extra mats and some group psyche we take turns scoping out the holds, assessing the friction and learning the subtleties of the moves until, one by one, we piece it all together - topping out to a cheer from the assembled crowd. There's nothing quite like a team send, not least because it usually means it's about time for a lengthy lunch stop. Back to the hammocks we go!
Dan's Fontainebleau bouldering kit list
1. Chalk Bag, 2. Slugger, 3. Picu Tee, 4. Mora Hammock, 5. Osmo travel towel, 6. Griffon fleece, 7. Bloc Shorts, 8. Mujo bouldering mat, 9. Waffa satelite bouldering mat
Finally, don't forget that you can hire a bouldering mat from any of our stores for just £10 a day.