Trip Report
Fontainebleau with The Nipper......

by Enty
Wednesday July 30, 2014 12:57am
If you're not a kids type person look away now because all this is is a bit of a self indulgent, proud dad short trip report.
Dads like Jim Herson and his daughter Kara are a source of inspiration to Lula and me – after reading Jim's Half Dome TR I promised Lula we could camp on a wall one day and she asks me "when daddy" almost every day.
A couple of years ago Andy Kirkpatrick took his 12 year old daughter Ella up Tangerine Trip and Ella did a fantastic video blog on CBBC – the uk's biggest children's TV channel. So big thanks to Andy and Ella too.
So here goes, 3 days in the magical forest of Fontainebleau last week with Lula – aged 8. Rocks not quite as high as Half Dome or The Captain but just as much fun!

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Breakfst when you intend to do 50 boulder problems.
Breakfst when you intend to do 50 boulder problems.
Credit: Enty
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On the way to Canche aux Merciers day 1
On the way to Canche aux Merciers day 1
Credit: Enty
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Typical white problem on the kids circuit at Canche aux Merciers.
Typical white problem on the kids circuit at Canche aux Merciers.
Credit: Enty
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Credit: Enty
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Day 1 at Canche aux Merciers. There's two kid's circuits here and all the boulders are marked up with white arrows. One circuit has 32 problems, the other has 36 problems. We got round to number 26 on the second circuit before tiredness crept in and we bailed to the campsite swimming pool.
Not bad though with 58 problems done. Dad even did half a dozen blue problems and a red one!
That's not to mention the tunnels and tubes which make these kid's circuits even more interesting.

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Great Blue problem at Canche.
Great Blue problem at Canche.
Credit: Enty
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Practice for the Texas Flake in 4 years time :-)
Practice for the Texas Flake in 4 years time :-)
Credit: Enty
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Credit: Enty
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Credit: Enty
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Credit: Enty
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Day 2 we went to see The Elephant. The idea was to tackle the kid's white circuit and the yellow circuit with 49 problems. In the end a combination of the heat and tiredness from yesterday forced us to just chill on the sandy beach below the rocks and scramble about on the boulders near the Elephant.

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Credit: Enty
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Day 3 – Rocher Sabots. Just round the corner from the campsite there's an excellent white kid's circuit with 49 problems. We started these and Lula bagged a few of them before tired arms and feet took over. Then I wandered off to try the best looking problems on the excellent blue circuit but once again the heat made things much harder than they really were.

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White problem 39 at Sabots.
White problem 39 at Sabots.
Credit: Enty
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An awesome few days in the magical forest of fontainebleau. Can't wait to get back in the autumn.

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Back soon!
Back soon!
Credit: Enty
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  Trip Report Views: 2,864
Enty
About the Author
Enty is a trad (and sport) climber from England but is based in France. We have climbers accommodation close to some of frances best sport crags - check us out here: http://www.provencerock.com/


Comments
RyanD

climber
  Jul 30, 2014 - 01:29am PT
Rad!
Mark Force

Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
  Jul 30, 2014 - 07:00am PT
How beautiful it is to see your daughter's innocent delight playing on the rock! Thank you.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Jul 30, 2014 - 07:07am PT
Wonderful TR....very refreshing!
PhilG

Trad climber
The Circuit, Tonasket WA
  Jul 30, 2014 - 07:10am PT
Beautiful child in a wonderful place.
How lucky for both of you!
Roxy

Trad climber
CA Central Coast
  Jul 30, 2014 - 08:30am PT

barefoot and chalk-less - your kid sends in 'perfect style'!!

thanks for sharing!!
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
  Jul 30, 2014 - 10:02am PT
A magical TR from the beautiful forest. Lula is dancing up the rock...
pc

climber
  Jul 30, 2014 - 11:39am PT
Great TR! Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
pc
looks easy from here

climber
Santa Cruzish
  Jul 30, 2014 - 12:05pm PT
Awesome! Looking forward to an El Cap report in 4 years. :)
Bruce Morris

Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
  Jul 30, 2014 - 01:14pm PT
Looks so much like Castle Rock State Park is gives me déjà vu. There are definitely potential kids' circuits at CRSP very much like Font, but not many people doing them. The easiest problems at the Nature Nazis immediately come to mind.

Your trip looks like it was a whole lotta fun!
Michelle

Social climber
1187 Hunterwasser
  Jul 30, 2014 - 02:44pm PT
Kick buttocks!
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  Jul 30, 2014 - 02:59pm PT
That's the good stuff
Andy Fielding

Trad climber
UK
  Jul 30, 2014 - 05:59pm PT
Nice one Enty and nice one Lula. Canche aux Mercier is a great place especially for dads to indulge as well. The blue circuit there is great. I know the feeling of chilling at the Elephant. The white kids circuit is good and one my kids did many years ago. Make sure you take Lula back before she grows out of the kids routes. If I remember rightly the kids circuit at Roche aux Sabots is a true circuit, a ring of boulders just before the main climbing/boulders appear. Great report and great pictures. You should add some of them to the "Fontainebleau" thread. Well done dad and nipper.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Jul 30, 2014 - 07:36pm PT
Very nice, bouldering with the kids is great!!!!
Blakey

Trad climber
Sierra Vista
  Aug 2, 2014 - 02:10pm PT
Whoa!

Dad and daughter rock!

And that sorta stuff!

Steve
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Aug 2, 2014 - 02:16pm PT
Very nice!

Kids are the spice of life.
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