Last October I was in a horrible climbing accident where my climber decked (meaning hit the ground). There was fault on both sides of the partnership. She was indirect at the anchors, but had threaded the system incorrectly (accidentally taking herself off belay) and forgot to ensure her system was working correctly before coming off of the indirect position. I should have talked to her more to ensure everything was correct, especially since we were using a funky system. I did a complete write-up on the event, but am not going to link to it as I don’t feel the need to drive traffic to that link (as it is an emotional topic for me). If you want to read the writeup, you can find it under the Destination: Red River Gorge, KY category label.
I wanted to write up a follow up post, though, as it has been hard to recover from such a traumatic accident and thought I would share some insights in case any of you readers catch yourself in a similar situation.
A fun pic, to lighten up a serious topic. This is an old pic of me climbing in Indian Creek while donning a wrap-around dress, in celebration of Zac’s annual Indian Creek birthday costume celebration.
First of all, a question that all climbers should consider is the following…
Climbing is hobby where things can go horribly wrong, very quickly. Mistakes can happen, even to the extremely experienced climber (think Lynn Hill and Todd Skinner). Know that participating in this sport puts you at risk for serious injury (and potentially death) if a simple mistake occurs. Are you ok with that?
After my accident, I was going to quit climbing all together but was persuaded by a friend to try bouldering instead of going home from my road trip. I ended up enjoying bouldering, especially the fact that I wasn’t nearly as scared on a boulder problem as I was on a rope. However, upon getting home to Utah I decided to return to the rope, but only with my small handful of trusted climbing partners.
If an accident (of any magnitude) does happen, and they DO happen, here are some helpful tips to return to climbing mental homeostasis.
Take some time off – There is nothing wrong with a sabbatical. Climbing, as many of us must remember, is a hobby! It can be mentally taxing and there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break for awhile. The rock isn’t going anywhere, so wait until you feel completely ready to go back.
Climb Only With People You COMPLETELY Trust – I am a social butterfly by nature and love to include people in my hobbies. However, I am now picky with whom I will rope climb as not everyone understands the dynamic belay and some people are a little too lax on safety for my liking. Climb only with people you feel completely comfortable having in charge of your life and vice-a-versa.
Triple Check – I have always been the queen of double check, but now I am the queen of triple check. I now check everything 3 times before hoping on a route, and even make my partner audibly confirm everything looks good (even though we have gone through 3 checks). I also like to have my climber validate that everything looks correct at the chains if I am planning on a top roping, ensuring they have placed two opposing draws at the anchors. And will even question if everything is ok before they come off from the indirect position at the chains, even though this is their responsibility. I figure the couple spare seconds of safety questioning could potentially catch a mistake.
Become a Gym Rat for Awhile – I first went to the gym when getting back on the rope because the bolts are close together and easy routes abound. I felt like this was extremely helpful.
Trust the System – One of the best pieces of advice I received from a fellow climber (who had personally decked in an accident), was to remember that the system truly does work when done properly. My friend reminded me to triple check everything, then simply climb without worrying about the system. Check it .. and go.
Fall – After getting back on the rope with someone you trust, start taking falls again. Falls, for the majority of us, are scary; yet controlled falls can quickly clear out the lead head while being a reminder that the system truly does work.
Go to Familiar Crags – This was one of the breakthrough points for me! I caught myself still being scared outside, so one day went to a crag where I knew every single climb and had in years past taken numerous falls on these particular routes, knowing fully what to expect. By the end of the session, I finally felt back to my old route climbing self.
If Still Not Enjoying Yourself, Take a Break Again – If still not thoroughly enjoying yourself, stop, wait it out, and start the list over again.
Have you recovered from an accident? What helped you get back on the sharp end?
I felt extremely fortunate to be able to swing through England at the end of my trip. Not only were there numerous excellent problems, but the grit ended up being my favorite rock type. (I want to add in another thank you to my friend, Steve, who was my tour guide plus a huge contributor to this post.)
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit is when the temperatures are in the 50 – 60 Fahrenheit range, with the ideal visitation months being November and March. April and early May can also be good (though perhaps starting to get warm) with longer days and usually a better bet (in terms of daylight and rain) if wanting to do routes and boulders. Definitely note that England houses gritstone and limestone, with the grit being incredibly temperature dependent.
Length of Stay
There is definitely enough bouldering to keep a visitor happy for 3 – 4 weeks. However, it rains quite a bit and there is a possibility that you can get completely rained out on your trip.
How to Get There
If flying, the best airport to fly into would be Manchester as it’s only an hour-ish drive to Leeds or Sheffield. For Americans, it is usually cheaper to fly into London, with a drive of approximately 180 miles from London to Leeds.
If coming from Europe, there are a couple ferries: DirectFerries and Eurotunnel. It is also an option to take the Chunnel, renting a car in England.
A car is a definite necessity and can be booked as either part of a flight package or individually through an airport or in any main city.
For getting to the crags you definitely will need a guidebook and a map! And I would even dare say, a local tour guide.
Guidebook
I ended up with two different guidebooks (thank you, Steve, for giving them to me plus marking all the problems we did!), one covering the Peak district and one for the Yorkshire area.
‘Peak District Bouldering’ by Rupert Davies and Jon Barton (2005). Brilliant guide, beautiful layout, and really well put together.
‘Yorkshire Gritsone Bouldering’ by Steve Dunning and Ryan Plews, (2008). This is the most recent guide, though I have heard it excludes a handful of the classic problems (in particular at Caley).
If sans guide, definitely check out Yorkshire Grit as it is a free site with all the main crags and problems, maps, topos, directions, and forums for users to comment on beta, grades, etc.
Classic Climbs
I really, really enjoyed the problems in England. Every cliff we visited was fabulous with my favorites being Caley, Almscliffe, The Plantation, and Cratcliffe. Ha ha… well, that is almost every crag we visited. =) Some of my absolute favorite climbs were the following:
Matterhorn Arete (v0 – v1) – highball warmup that is fabulous. Definitely bring pads “just in case”.
Jerry’s Traverse (v8) – Seriously fabulous line… unfortunately I needed more time to work it, therefore not getting the send yet.
Green Traverse (v6) – must do!
Dope on a Slope (v7) – This is the Green Traverse extension and I think is actually a bit better than the Green Traverse as it lengthens the goodness.
Captain Hook (v8) – Good problem.. that I could not finish. Ha ha! =)
Flying Arete (v3?) – Aesthetic line that climbed as great as it looked.
The Horn Direct (v4) – One of the classics of Caley.
The Horn LH Arete (v7) – I LOVED this problem, and definitely claim it as one of my top 3 favorites over the whole road trip.
The Weedkiller Traverse (v7) – Cool limestone traverse, with a throw at the end.
Pine Tree Arete (v5) – Yet another great traverse.
Flapjack Traverse (v7) – Tricky little line that liked to repeatedly toss me off. =)
The whole crag of Caley – everything I hopped on at Caley was fab. I didn’t like the boulders near the road as much due to the noise, but the more hidden boulders were fabulous. But now that I think about it… I really can’t think of a problem I DIDN’T like in all of England … nope, I can’t think of one.
Camping / Accommodations
I was staying with a friend, so am not knowledgeable in this area. However, my friend, Steve, mentioned that there are some camp sites in the Peak and Yorkshire areas, plus there are Youth Hostels, and Bed and Breakfasts.
Personal Hygiene
I’m sorry but I can’t comment on this as I was staying at a friend’s house.
Food / Drink
There are a handful of great pubs and restaurants. My number one suggestion is near Sheffield and is called Strines. I mention this place solely because it has the oddest collection of stuffed animals for decor. The food is good, but not nearly comparable to the excellence of the setting.
A visitor really must stop at a Chippy. How in the world can you visit England without going for Chips? In my case, I think I went at least 3 times. =) Ask them to wrap it up as a cone…
Lastly, I hear a curry is tradition after climbing, yet somehow missed out on this opportunity.
Taking self portraits in one of the local pubs.
Rest Day Activities
While resting or waiting out the rain, definitely check out Leeds (the theater there is great), take the train into London (but definitely buy tickets in advance), or enter the Huddersfield cork shooting contest. =)
Steve and I seriously had to stop playing this game because it was getting downright competitive, plus Steve liked to cheat. What the…??
The Rain
The rain was a bit demoralizing, and supposedly it wasn’t even that bad when I was there. Often the drive time to the crag was 40 – 60m, meaning a high likelihood of different weather upon arriving (usually for the worst). To navigate the weather, use the below links / webcams.
Certain areas, The Plantation and Almscliffe, dry quickly while north facing crags such as Caley do not and stay green after the rain. Caley, though, is a better option on warm days.
The links above provide insight, but aren’t perfect considering the weather is very localized. Unless it is absolutely pouring, it’s always worth a try to get out, especially in the Peak since it can be raining at Stanage and dry at Cratcliffe.
If you do get rained out, there are a couple of climbing walls that are very good.
Outside – near the Peak district in Hathersage. Let me just add to check prices before purchasing (reference the below picture).
I stopped in Outside to buy some tape to wrap my sprained ankle. It was my last day of climbing and I probably could have gotten away without tape. Regardless I stopped, got the tape, and handed over the money requested. I then realized the price was 10 pounds…. the equivalent of $15, 70 Freddos, 4 pints of beer, 10 meals from Tesco, or 1/3 of a cost of a London hostel. Ha ha! I would suggest bringing your own tape or stopping by Off the Wall. I had to take a picture of the most expensive tape I had ever purchased, though admittedly it was good tape.
The Best Part
One of the very best parts of England….. was…… the ‘Bouldering on Yorkshire Gritstone’ by Steve Rhodes, (1993). It was the first real guide to bouldering in Yorkshire and came out as part of the bouldering boom of the early 90’s when all of the major English crags were developed. Rather than giving classic problems stars, Rhodes rated the classic climbs by beds: 1 bed meant a good climb worth getting out of bed to attempt and 2 beds meaning it was such a classic that it was worth getting out of someone else’s bed to climb. Hilarious! =)
It is unfortunate (seriously unfortunate!) that this book is now out of print.
Additional Links
If wanting further information, the below links can most likely answer your questions.
Yorkshire Grit – Excellent site that features all the main crags and lists all the best probs, has topos too…
UK Bouldering – Simple forum-based site that I hear is good for getting trip info, problem beta, climbing partners, etc., and tends to get some very knowledgeable, helpful, and hardcore people as users.
UK Climbing – Commercial site that provides trip beta and pretty extensive forums.
The BMC – The British Mountaineering Council might be a useful site for additional crag information.
Have you climbed in England before and have additional beta? If so, please leave a comment.
One of the last blog comments on the Please Help a Climber in Need post inquired about a medical update on Tacos. I emailed two of Tacos’s friends who would be best in the know, but unfortunately they have heard very little (most likely due to Tacos’s inability to check emails without help).
The only update is Tacos has flown back to Japan (her flight was on July 7) and was taken to a Tokyo hospital. There is a chance she might be transferred to a hospital in Osaka soon. When I spoke with her (about a week and a half ago) her medical condition was the same with feeling in her toes but the inability to use her hands. She was real cheerful and thanked everyone for the support.
As mentioned in the previous post, her insurance has kicked in now that she is in Japan, but the cost of her flight home was not covered. If interested in chipping in, you can do so below with all proceeds going directly to her paypal account.
Thanks for your support. It is great to see the climbing community pulling together for one of its fellow climbers.
I met Tacos Satoko in Rocktown as she was one of the few climbers camping at the Sawmill Campground. We climbed together on two days and she spent a handful of evenings hanging out around the camp fire.
Tacos, a very kind, quiet girl, was planning on traveling for a bit through the US prior to heading back up to Canada, where she had been working. But this past week, en route to Alberta, she was in a horrible car accident, resulting in a broken neck. She was flown to Casper Medical Center in Wyoming where she underwent surgery for the broken neck, but currently has little movement from the shoulders down. She has regained some feeling in her toes and fingers and her breathing has become easier over the last few days. She has also gotten help to sit in a chair for a few minutes per day and is remaining positive that she will recover and be able to rock climb again in the future.
Her home is in Japan and though she has health insurance, it does not cover the cost to fly her home. In her current situation she will need help covering the cost of the 3 first class flights (necessary due to the 2 caregivers who must accompany her) plus the wages and expenses for these caregivers. Also, her insurance does not cover physiotherapy, which if not started soon can impact her chance of full recovery.
The exact cost is unknown at this time, but it is estimated that she will need approximately $10,000. Please consider helping out a fellow climber and making a donation to the cause.
To donate, click on the “ChipIn” button above. All donations are directly deposited to her paypal account.
It would also be great if any of you readers could help spread the word. If you are a blogger and want to add this widget to your blog, there is a copy button on the widget or feel free to email me at wasatchgirl at gmail.com for the appropriate code.
The last destination of my 10 month road trip was Leeds, England in order to check out the grit stone, hang out with my friend Steve, and hopefully catch up with a handful of Londoner friends (I luckily caught up with more than I expected… seeing 9 friends). =) The grit stone ended up being my favorite rock type, but I also was extremely lucky that the temps were perfect and Steve knew how to escape the continual rain.
Me sending ‘The Green Traverse’ at The Plantation. This excellent line also had a fabulous extension, ‘Dope on a Slope’, a grade harder.
Steve on ‘Deliverance’ at The Plantation.
Both problems at this Caley Crag boulder were superb, with ‘The Horn LH Arete’ perhaps being my favorite climb on this 10 month road trip. Pictured here I am doing ‘The Horn Direct’.
Me on ‘Matterhorn Arete’. This climb was a warmup, but it truly got the heart a fluttering, especially since I knew that a fall on my sprained ankle could be quite disastrous.
Another fabulous problem, ‘Flying Arete’, at AlmsCliff (also known as the best crag in the world). =)
I wish I had had more time to project this line, ‘Jerry’s Traverse’ at Cratcliffe. We only made it to Cratcliffe once and unfortunately only got in a handful of attempts on this climb before the craziest storm, hail included, blew in. Steve somehow got re-motivated, but my little toes were so frozen I couldn’t find the psyche to try and jam them in my climbing shoes.
Legendary British climber, Ron Fawcett, out crushing problems at The Plantation.
The highball ‘Not To Be Taken Away’ at The Plantation.
‘Forked Lighting Crack’, a very tricky v4, at Caley Roadside. Geez, this thing liked to spit me off repeatedly.
A super great traverse, ‘Weed Killer Traverse’, at the Tor.
One of the Spaniards pointing out a mono pocket intermediary on “Ben’s Roof”. I didn’t realize the grade of this climb at the time, probably a good thing, as I would have never hopped on otherwise. But the moves I could do were real enjoyable, with the mono pocket being an excellent intermediary option for me.
A fellow American (whose name I am unfortunately forgetting! argh!) who I actually met in Fontainbleau and ran into in England since he was currently living in the UK. Here he is sending Captain Hook.
Steve on “Crimpy Roof” at Brimham Rock. Steve was positive that I would be able to do this climb. Wow, what a nice, optimistic friend! I could barely get my bum off the ground due to the necessary long reach after long reach. Oh well… always fun trying. =)
The forest of Fontainebleau in the Trois Pignon area.
Best Time to Visit
Like every other bouldering destination, the best time to visit is when temps are in the 50′s. These temps can be found in Fontainebleau during early spring to around mid-April. And though Bleau can be fun during the off season, note that Bleau is BY FAR the most temperature dependent place I visited during my 10 month trip. Due to the necessary friction moves, the problems can feel a bit harder during the off season.
Be prepared for rain when visiting Bleua. I was extremely lucky and had only one climbing day cut short due to rain during my 3 week visit. I heard this was an anomaly.
Length of Stay
I was in Fontainebleau for 3 weeks and had barely scratched the surface of the climbing. A trip of months would still leave you with problems to explore.
How to Get There
The climbing in Fontainebleau is very dispersed making a car quite a necessity. Fontainebleau is an hour south of Paris or four hours north of Lyon. If without car, you can catch the train from main cities, with the ride from Paris being less than an hour ride. I hear you can usually hitch rides if staying at one of the main camping sites. That being said, I would still suggest to any readers to rent a car. I found the best deal through Holiday Autos, a Travelocity subsidiary, but would also suggest checking Expedia and EuropebyCar. Note that many credit card companies will have rental insurance (simply call and ask your credit company for details) and often will provide discounts on rental cars.
Guidebook
The must-have resources are the purple “Fontainebleau Climbs” and a map of the forest. Trust me, you will want a map of the forest in order to understand the forest layout. There are numerous other guidebooks that highlight certain grades, with the 7 + 8 book having additional excellent maps.
Classic Climbs
I usually write up a whole post of my favorite climbs in each area. However, in Fontainebleau you really can’t go wrong with anything you hop on. Plus the climbing in Fontainebleau is different than any other area because it is organized in circuits. At each crag there are a handful of circuits, meaning a grouping of problems, that are all marked (literally painted) with numbers. Most climbs do not have names, just a number. And the idea is you go to an area and run a circuit. Levels of difficulty are noted by the color, but also a circuit at one crag may be harder than the same color circuit of another crag because the difficulty is assessed by averaging all the problems in that circuit. The guidebook notates the difficulty of each area.
Each circuit problem will have a painted number and an arrow that shows the direction of the climb. Often there is a dot that shows the starting foot. It is NOT uncommon for a climb to be a jump start and very few climbs actually sit start.
There are also off circuit problems, usually named, often of very quality.
Some of my favorite problems and circuits included the following:
Everything at Le Diplodocus was great.
The Red Circuit at Roche Aux Sabot was very good, but hard.
Bas Cuvier Classics were The Helicopter, Druxmanie, the Joker, La Marie Rose, and Holey Moley.
Fronchard Isatais – Many excellent problems including La Statique (part of the white circuit), La Coquille, El Poussif and El Poussah.
Canche Aux Mercier has numerous great problems, with my favorite being 13 red.
Definitely try the Cul de Chien Roof.
Camping / Where to Stay
I was extremely fortunate that I was introduced to Guillaume through a mutual contact. Guillaume offered me a place in his house, such a generous offer and being the perfect setup for me. Most climbers either camp or stay in gites. Here is some information but there is definitely more out there.
Gites – gites are apartments that are rented out, being most affordable with groups of people. Two gites I would suggest, due to friend recommendations, are Lu Clos du Tertre, owned by Stef, and Maison Bleu, owned by Neil. I did contact both of these people prior to knowing I had a place at Guillaume’s and must say they were both genuinely nice. I would urge people to contact them if going to Bleau.
Formule 1 – Forumle 1′s are affordable hotels with simple accommodations.
Camping - There used to be free camping near Bas Cuvier. Note that this has now been closed. Musardie, based in (or right outside of) Le Vaudoue seems to be the main campground. I was told by a handful of American friends not to camp… but, to be honest upon seeing the campground I think I would have felt just fine staying there.
Food / Drink
I can’t really opine on this subject as I didn’t go out at all when in Fontainebleau. I instead enjoyed going back to Guillaume’s house and spending time with his family.
Personal Hygiene
Not very knowledgeable in this area since I was staying with a friend. I know the gites have showers, but unsure what to do if camping.
Rest Day Activities
I wrote up a whole post on this, which you can read here.
If wanting to visit Paris, it is easiest to either just simply take the train or drive to the closest port of Paris (I believe it is the Port d’Orlean) and park your car, taking the train from there. (In 2009 you could get roundtrip train ticket and full access to Paris buses and metros for 16 euors.) The driving in Paris is CRAZY and it is hard to navigate, to the point where I didn’t dare drive into the city. If you do drive, whatever you do AVOID THE ARC DE TRIUMP ROUNDABOUT. Supposedly the arc de triump roundabout has six unmarked lanes and is sheer mayhem. =)
Buying Gear
I had been told that the closest gear stores were the Vieux Campeur stores in Paris. Note that due to the small space available in Paris, there are many Vieux Campeur stores within a couple block section, all of which carry one type of outdoor gear (climbing, backpacking, capming, etc.) You must ask where the store you are looking for is located. (Yes, you read that correctly.) I did hear from an American friend that there is a gear shop by the Carrefour near Barbizon, yet I did not visit it. The best bet if you are needing climbing items, Fontainebleau guidebooks or your shoes resoled, is the below pictured van. The van is usually parked at the Cul de Chien / Roche Aux Sabot parking lot on weekends and holidays.
At the Vieux Campeur guidebook store. The entire store was simply guidebooks and maps. It actually was quite phenomenal.
The only shoe resoler and the best source for climbing goods in Fontainebleau. Usually parked at the Cul de Chien / Roche Aux Sabot area.
Other
Other items to remember or of interest.
Gasoline Prices - I love visiting other countries and being reminded of how spoiled us Americans are when it comes to gasoline prices. I was driving a tiny Ceteron C3 that took diesel fuel, yet it was still 39 Euro (approximately $55) to fill up my car. Unbelievable. If you look at the prix par litre of 1.04 Euro that is equivalent to $5.82 a gallon. The thing is, these are NORMAL rates outside of the US, yet all of us Americans complain with high fuel costs.
First time buying fuel in France. (Nice self reflection, I know!) =) I must admit that I was pretty proud of myself for driving through Europe, though speaking very little French, yet actually making it to all destinations accident free.
Lots of Pads – The problems in Bleau aren’t nearly as high as Bishop, but there are definitely still some high’ish problems. It never hurts to have a lot of pads. Pictured is L’Helicoptre. This problem is known to be ankle twister with everyone landed in different spots. Definitely pad this problem up!
The pad party at L’Helicoptre.
Links
The best link I found was bleau.info. However, it has changed since I used it and I must admit I don’t like the new look. Before it used to provide excellent trip beta, but now it is looking closer to an 8a. Boo! It does, however, have a forum where you can possibly post up for gite mates.
If you have additional information, please feel free to post a comment.
During the US portion of my road trip I would work each rest day.However, in Europe I spent my days enjoying the sites, instead working at night allowing me to be on the same work schedule as my firm’s Salt Lake City office. Some of my favorite rest day activities included:
1) Paris.
I climbed A LOT in Fontainebleau (I took perhaps 5 rest days over the 3 weeks) as it was the main reason for this trip. I had previously, in 2003, taken a “tourist” trip to explore numerous European cities, so didn’t feel badly with my focus mainly being on climbing. That being said, I did spend a handful of days in Paris, visiting either my previous favorite sites or seeking out the ones I missed during my earlier trip. I must admit… I LOVE PARIS! Love, love, love it. I feel like it would be an optimal city to inhabit (and I truly hope to live there one day) as it is chock full of culture and fabulous restaurants, it is a large city providing a wide range of employment, plus is a mere hour from Fontainebleau.
I fell in love with the Notre Dame cathedral on my previous European trip and so ensured I hit it up again on this trip.It was the perfect time to visit as the tulips were in full bloom and just simply beautiful.
“Graffiti” in Marais, the art district of Paris.
Though touristy, I must admit that I love the Place du Tetre with all of it’s artists and the adjacent winding streets of Montmarte.
I visited the Picasso museum and loved every minute of it, especially the very obvious evolution of Picasso’s work over his lifetime. This piece, Three Women and Their Toilets, was one of my favorites as it was a wall size mural made of wood and brightly colored wall paper.
I love self portraits, with this one being one of my all time favorites. =) Me in front of the Picasso museum.
I enjoyed relaxing at the Jardin du Luxemborg by watching a family play Bacci ball on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
This vintage Vespa seemed a necessary piece in front of this Montmarte hipster cafe.
2) The Fontainebleau Castle.
The castle in Fontainebleau is magnificent with parts of the chateaux being used as early as the 12th century. I had arrived late on both the days I visited and so walked only around the gardens. Now that I look through some of the online galleries, I think I need to go back and walk through the grandiose interior.
3) Exploring the Neighboring Villages.
One day I rode Helen’s bike into La Chappelle Reine to the local grocery store, ATAC. (Yes, the name of the store is pronounced the same as the word “attack” to which Guillaume stated it was not because of potential danger but rather to their aggressive prices. Ha ha!) I quickly learned that it had been quite a long time since I had ridden a bike, and also that the store was quite a bit further than anticipated. Ha! Yet the view was spectacular. This picture was taken while riding down the street. =)
This house was located in Le Vaudoue near Guillaume’s house and was one of my favorite sights to see each morn.
On my first trip to Bas Cuvier, one of the most popular crags, I temporarily got lost in Barbizon. It was a great place to get lost, being a quaint village known to previously house many Impressionist artists. I personally loved the lilacs that would hang from the buildings.
4) Meeting New People and Learning about Different Cultures.
I met this crew of Germans on one of my first days, actually the day when I was bouldering at Le Diplodocus. They invited Guilluame and I to join them at their gite for dinner … which soon evolved into lots of drinking and music. It was an excellent time! In this video Guillaume is playing one of my all time favorite songs “The Girl from Ipanema”. He soon learned that he should have never let me know that he knew this song on the guitar as I requested it daily. =) Guillaume also teased my friendly nature and started putting in requests of which culture he would like me to meet next so that he could also befriend them when he later joined me at the crag. He would joke that I would walk to the boulder fields and say, “Hey, I’m Rachel. Would you be my friend and spot me?” HA HA! =)
5) Other Sites of Interest
A site I did not visit, but heard was worth the stop is Chartres Cathedral. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its fine example of French gothic architecture and heard from my Finnish friends that the stained glass windows were amazing.
If interested in business, the MBA school Insead is located in Fontainebleau. It is a school I have always considered attending and so spent some time walking around the campus.
After my week in Lyon I picked up my rental car and made the four hour drive to Fontainebleau, France. David had introduced me to fellow climber Guillaume who graciously offered me the spare room in his La Vaudoue home and became a dear friend.
Fontainebleau (or simply Bleau) was by far my favorite destination on this trip (expect to see a couple posts about this destination). I didn’t send any new projects, but I loved this area because…
Climbing was a family event. It was very common to see entire families out picnicking while the climber in the family would do a circuit.
Climbers were of all ages. Everyone from little kids to 60-year-old+ crushers could be seen on the rock. One day I saw an older lady, I would guess late 50′s to 60′s, by herself and carrying a pad out of the forest. It made me smile and I went out of my way to say “Bonjour”.
Everyday I met someone from a different country and culture. Over my time in Bleau I climbed with the French, Germans, Dutch, Belgiums, Finnish, British and two Americans.
The sloping rock sandstone was unique. Sure HorsePens40 looks similar, but HP40 doesn’t even come close to comparing to the quantity in Bleau.
The quantity of boulders is mind boggling.
The scene was perfect, with people simply enjoying the sun and having a good time. I only saw one person, a girl, get upset and throw a wobbler. It was as if people remembered that climbing is a hobby.
Paris was only an hour away!
Me using toe hook beta to top out a traverse problem at Le Diplodocus.
Jussi topping out ‘L’auriculaire – Toit aux frelons’ at La Roche aux Sabots. Every problem on this boulder was excellent and tricky.
Me working into the crux of ‘Le Tiroir’ at La Roche aux Sabots.
Guillaume on an excellent traverse (Rouge 13) at Canche Aux Mercier. The red circuit at this crag was fabulous.
Tuomo on a three star traverse (Rouge 22) at Franchard Isatis.
Juho trying to grab the crux hold on ‘Surplomb de la Coquille’. The move looks so easy, but is amazingly tricky as it is necessary to make the move dynamically yet is hard to hold if going dynamically.
Me on classic line ‘La Marie Rose’. The climb was so enjoyable, whereas the down climb was sheer agony.
Me on the start moves of ‘Druxmanie’ at Bas Cuvier.
One of my British friends on the ‘Cul de Chien Roof’. This line was extremely excellent including a mono pocket and an extremely high, committing heel hook followed by an extremely long reach.
Emiel trying to catch the crux hold on ‘Jet Set’ at Roche aux Sabots.
Svilen on ‘L’helicoptre’. I really loved this problem, but the dynamic move, which Svilen is getting ready to do, is high up and often results on the climber flying off spinning. We padded the landing with 10+ pads in all directions because every climber would fall in a different location.
Me working into the dual underclings on another great sloper problem at Franchard Isatis.
Jussi so incredibly close to sticking Vin Rouge, a 7a dyno.
Guillaume at 91.1. I was so exhausted by this day, as this was our sixth consecutive day of climbing and my bicep was throbbing, that I just took pictures of Guillaume all day long. =)
Svilen on ‘Holey Moley’ at Bas Cuvier. This was on the Bicep Mou boulder and housed at least 5 good lines. ‘Holey Moley’ included a long reach, double toe jams (like Svilen is doing), a swing and a heel hook.
Me on ‘Graviton’ at Roche aux Sabot. Another fabulous line with yet another fabulously hard sloping top-out.
In the original Best Car for the Road post, I mentioned my friend Prairie and her van. At the time of the post I didn’t have any pics of her van, so thought I would simply create this additional post as an addendum.
In my opinion, Prairie’s set up is a type of Dream Vehicle for the road. It might not be as great on gas as a small car, but it definitely is more comfortable and provides some privacy.
The mini-van provides plenty of space, yet isn’t a huge beast. Prairie had it arranged so all her belongings were organized in stacks, creating a true home atmosphere.
The other side of the car, from the packed point of view.
Her bed was at the very back creating an open “room” where she could move around.
Another view of the inside. Yep, her vehicle definitely looks a lot moe cozy than my Honda civic set-up. =)
What about you readers? Have you done a long trip where you lived in your vehicle? If so, what do you suggest?
Bishop was the last U.S. bouldering destination I visited before heading over to Europe.It was also my favorite bouldering destination due to the superb rock quality, the immense amount of problems, but also the enjoyable and chill climber “scene”.
Best Time to Visit
Bishop is similar to most bouldering destinations where the best time to go is when temps are in the 50 ‘s.I believe people winter here, but it definitely gets a bit cold during the true winter months.I think the optimal months are fall and spring.
Length of Stay
I was in Bishop for 5 weeks, albeit one week was nursing a sprained ankle. I felt like I had explored the area well, yet still hadn’t even seen ½ of the areas.For instance I only visited the Buttermilks, Happies and Sads, missing out on the other three areas covered in the book.A visit could easily consist of a couple months, if not longer.
How To Get There
Directions to the city of Bishop are quite straightforward.Further directions are needed to find the crags, but the guidebook includes sufficient instructions.If still lost, stop in at Wilsons (on Main street) for directions.
Guidebook
The Bishop guidebook, similar to the Hueco and Red River Gorge books, is phenomenal.It is called Bishop Bouldering and is written by Wills Young.The only downside, and it is a HUGE downside, is the lack of an index.You can either reference page numbers or download an index from here.
Classic Climbs
There are numerous are classics in Bishop, which I have already written up here.
Camping
There are two main places to camp.
The Buttermilks – It is free to camp in the Buttermilks plus, depending on your camp site, it is possible to be walking distance from the climbing. Note that the Buttermilks are located higher than town and The Pit, meaning it will definitely be cooler at night. The downside to camping here is town is 30 minutes away.
The Pit – Cost to camp is $2 per car per campsite. It is located 15 minutes from town and is the main climber hangout. The downside is it will be louder than the Buttermilks.
Pat’s tent in the Buttermilks. Photo by Pat Lionais.
Food / Drink
There are two markets in town. Vons is definitely the bigger of the two with the selection allowing you to find most anything you might want. The other is the Manor Market that sells some organic foods, has a very good wine selection, sells delicious dried bananas and supposedly has cheap sushi on Friday afternoons. If wanting to eat out, check out the following:
Yamatani – Surprisingly good sushi place, with the best items being off menu. My favorite (off menu, of course) was Mt. Fuji which is a Mexican inspired dish with a mixture of fish, avacado and sriracha served on a fried wonton. Hmmmmmm…. delicious.
The Bowling Alley – The bowling alley has the best and cheapest burgers in town.
Whisky Creek – Good food but a titch over priced. Best to go there at Happy Hour which is daily between 5 – 6.
Las Palmas – The Mexican place behind the Black Sheep, located on Line Street.
Bishop Grill – Wanting a typical American breakfast of bacon and eggs? The Bishop Grill is the place to go.
Schatz Bakery – A must stop! Definitely try the chili cheese bread.
Great Basin Bakery – This bakery is an easy stop on the way to the Buttermilks and is where the locals stop.
Personal Hygiene
There are two laundromats in town, both of which have showers. The one located closest to The Looney Bean, Sierra Suds, has a bit nicer shower facility. Showers are also available at Kenough Hot Springs.
Wi-Fi
There are two main coffee shops in town, The Looney Bean and The Black Sheep. Both have free wireless, but The Black Sheep’s is exponentially better! Both coffee shops are main climber hangouts, but the scene at The Black Sheep is definitely better mostly because of the setting and folks running the counter. The Black Sheep is located at the back of Spell Binder books.
Rest Day Activities
Keough Hot Springs – The hot springs are actually a perfect after climbing treat. There are two options at the same approximate location. The resort of Kenough Hot Springs is a paid service where the springs are cemented off and showers are accessible. However, most climbers go after 7:30 when the resort closes and releases all the hot water to the down stream to the free area. Note: As a female I would not go to the free area alone.
Mammoth – Mammoth is quite closeby. I actually wished I had my snowboarding gear as Mammoth resort was having a good ski year.
Mono Lake Tufa Reserver – I didn’t know about this area until after I left Bishop. From the pictures I saw, I think this is a must see on a rest day.
Other
Injuries – I’ve noticed each area has its own type of injuries, but the sprained and broken ankle is definitely the demise of Bishop due to the high-ball problems. It wouldn’t hurt to take pre-emptive measures and tape up your ankles if you have had past injuries.
