Cold Nights In Fontainebleau

I woke in the morning to a thick layer of ice on the inside of my van where the condensation from my breath had frozen to any piece of bare metal it could find. We were still deep in the heart of winter at this point and without a heater to keep me warm I had been tucked up in bed for almost 12 hours.

I was feeling a little lost and not sure if I had made the right decision to be here at this time of year. I had messages from a friend telling me how nice and warm it was climbing in Spain. “Why did you come here?” I thought to myself as I pulled my thickest woolly socks over my feelingless toes.

I was in Fontainebleau, France. A huge forest just south of Paris that is home to the best bouldering in the world. Here is where the now hugely popular sport began and where it continues to grow and evolve. Once I had thawed myself out and the first rays of sunshine hit me I remembered that is why I was here, there is no other place in the world like it. No other place with the history or stature that has defined the sport and culture. Both complete beginners and the best in the world can climb here side by side. The rock is seemingly endless, there is enough for you to spend the rest of your life here without ever running out of things to climb.

I came with my climbing shoes and my camera to experience this place more, meet the people who spend their days living in the forest and see for myself why Fontainebleau is Fontainebleau.

This wasn’t an ‘epic’ adventure like last year’s, but I wanted to go somewhere and stay, stop, and be in one place for a little while. Throughout my cycle across Europe I saw a lot of places very briefly but didn’t get to know anywhere well. Here however, I stayed for almost three months. Getting to know the culture, the weather, the people and the best boulangeries. 

By the time I left the winter had gone, spring had passed and the summer was just getting started. It was an interesting three months that I’ll tell you more about soon, for now I need to dig through all these rolls of film I just got back and see what I can make with all the photos.

Jacob.