Ah yes, every climber’s dream; Font. Or ‘Fontainebleau’ if you prefer. Just 60 kilometers outside of busy Paris, you find this unique and peaceful climber’s paradise. Definitely a place to visit more than once in your life; the area does after all cover around 280 square kilometers. This is roughly equivalent to 39,216 soccer fields. You know, just a rough estimate.
In April we sent one of our most trusted colleagues from the Rúngne headquarters, Jordan, to experience this heaven on earth. He has gathered his 5 favorite boulders, just for you.
Photos by: Tobias Svendsen / @bajasponcho
Does highballs on jugs have a special place in your heart? In that case, this is the boulder for you.
Nestled in the ‘beachy’ bouldering paradise of Éléphant, this area has something for everyone- from juggy pockets to tiny crimps. The boulders here tend to be big with great landings.
This ‘beachy’ paradise is a perfect spot for families and kids, or for a chill day out climbing, depending on how hard you want to pull.
Remember, never climb when it's wet, and wait at least three days after rain before climbing. The rock here and throughout Font is delicate sandstone, and you wouldn’t want to break off any holds.
"I’ve never tried so hard in my life to get my ass up off the floor",
- Trusted colleague Jordan, 2024
"Bifurcation" 7b+ is a stunning overhung, physical boulder. It features pocket pulls and an insanely intense sit start—unless Jordan was doing something completely wrong, which he sometimes is.
Located in a sector called "Drei Zinnen", which translates to "Three Peaks" from German. Yes, we're just casually bilingual like that here at Rúngne. It may be one of the less popular areas, but the boulders are still incredible. One might even say phenomenal.
This sector dries quickly after rain due to its hillside location and higher winds compared to other sectors. This also means that it can be cooler than most areas, so if you prefer chillier temps, this is the place to go.
An absolute test piece of a 7a! It's rare to find an indoor-style toe-hook crossover move outdoors, but this one has it! While different betas are definitely possible, the toe hook method offers a uniquely cool move. Just look at Jordan in this photo, if he isn't the definition of cool here, I don't know what is.
This is followed by some gorgeous climbing on sloping holds and delicate footwork. Located in Rocher Canon, an enormous area with over 500 boulders.
Give me 2 sec, adding this to my bucket list as we speak.
This is as good as a dyno can be—besides Rainbow Rocket, of course!
While it might not be the most visually appealing (or audibly appealing, for that sake), this dyno couldn't get any better. It's located in the all-time favorite sector, Franchard Isatis. If you're a fan of dynos, it's definitely worth checking out!
Just look at Jordan go— need to get myself some of these Highballer Shorts asap.
Switching from highballs on jugs, we now have a highball on a delicate arête.
"Honestly, one of the best boulders I’ve ever climbed! Delicate yet slightly physical, it's a problem worth solving if you like a bit of spice!",
- Another great quote from trusted colleague Jordan, 2024.
This bloc is located in the well-known and highly regarded Franchard Isatis. With an easy approach, boulders for everyone, and good landings, what more could you want? (A recurring theme in Font—everywhere is amazing!).
With that said, what else can we say than «allons-y»! (That’s French for Let’s go).
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