Font: The Beta
A few tips for any of you thinking about going to Fontainebleau this year.
La Baleine 7a+
1. Everything that you want can be found at Carrefour. Imagine a Super Walmart on steriods. If you stand on one end of the market and look down the center isle you cannot see the other end. It too, like the endless boulders of the forest, is overwhelming. If you don’t want to make a trip all the way to Carrefour then there is a nice little market in the middle of Font.
2. Don’t think about camping. It is not worth it, unless the weather is perfect (haha). For around 10 Euro (as opposed to 7 Euro for camping) you can stay in a gite with electricity, a bed, a kitchen, a shower, cool wrapping paper covered walls, and more… There is no question about what to do. You do need 3-8 people to really make it cheap though, but you’ll make friends (unless you’re a jerk). To get a gite, contact the gite office in Font. The people are really nice, and most importantly they speak English. Contact info: 4 Rue Royale, 77300 Fontainebleau, France -01 60 74 99 99
3. If you climb harder than 7a, get the 7+8 guidebook. Get a fontainebleau map. Without this, or someone to show you around, you’ll be lost.
4. There is a sporting goods store next to Carrefour called Decathalon. It carries climbing equipment like shoes, chalk, pads, and pretty much anything else you need. Sweet.
5. You should go to font. This will help you get here: Fontainebleau is only a click away.
The US Tour and a Feature Film
As you may know, I am currently gearing up for a bouldering roadtrip in the good ol’ USA. I’ve climbed all over the states but never spent more than two weeks on the road here; needless to say, I’m excited! I have a very vague plan so far so if you have any destination suggestions, let me know!! My rough schedule for 2010 is to depart in the beginning of October, check out colorado for a week or two then head to Joes Valley for the rest of October before hitting Yosemite for the month of November. Then I’ll finish off the year in Hueco. In the spring/summer I want to check out the northwest including Squamish, Levenworth, and Goldbar. That’s the rough list so far, I’m sure I’ll make a lot of unplanned stops along the way which is the best part of traveling, the unexpected interactions with cool people and cool places.
The other big news is that I will be making a feature length climbing film during my travels in the US. I wish I could have made a DVD during my trip to Europe and South Africa but I didn’t feel like I was quite ready for the challenge. Now that I’ve spent more time filming & editing, I’m ready for the adventure. My latest release, Swanky Swizzy, has been met with rave reviews which gives me confidence that the community will enjoy watching my next creation.
My goal for the film is to capture climber’s emotions and to feature talented and inspiring individuals whom you may have never heard of, as well as world class climbing areas that fly under the radar such as Boone, Black Mountain, Tramway, Levenworth, Way Lake, etc.
One last thing, I’m excited to say that I am now sponsored by Evolv! I’ve used their shoes in the past with great success and I’m psyched to be wearing them again!
Me on Beyond Life in Joe's Valley circa 2007
Swanky Swizzy
During a four month stay in Europe this year, Les Warnock and Alex Savage lived in Bellinzona, Switzerland for five weeks to explore the bouldering of Ticino which is home to some of the finest granite blocs in the world. Check out our adventures as we see what the bouldering of Ticino is all about. This short film (16 min) features everything from 8B boulder problems to the tallest unguided bungee jump in the world! Hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think!
The music in order of appearance is:
Dub Pistols – Running From the Thoughts
Dub Pistols – Open
Dub Pistols – Speed of Light
Aether – It Was
Aether – Makeshift Sanctuary
I’m BACK!
After seven months bouldering overseas I’m finally back in the states! It feels good to be home. Sorry for the lack of updates but my computer crapped out a few weeks after we got to South Africa. It’s all fixed up now so I’m back to editing video full time. I’m home in Atlanta for a month before I head off for a big US roadtrip at the beginning of October. I’m currently shopping for a van and getting some much needed rest from climbing.
