Fontainbleu

• Any and all beta appreciated.  Best guidebook for about 2 weeks of climbing in the 3-7 range. Cheap place to stay? Can i just rent a van and park somewhere? 

Check out the Fun blocs guidebooks from the UK. Comprehensive with photos. I don't think van camping is an issue. Have a great trip!

Unregulated van camping is most definitely an issue, even though many #vanlifers do it. It is unlawful in all carparks and basically outside any designated area and is very much frowned upon by locals (who get to pick up the trash left behind). There's one free designated area just outside Milly-la-Forêt but it looks more like a carpark for oversized vehicles. However there's also two official (and free) "bivouacs": one next to the Maison forestière near Bois-le-Roi (water spigots) and one at the parking de la Grande vallée, near Bourron-Marlotte (water spigots and toilets, probably nicer and quieter).

If camping in a tent (or in a van) the most popular options are La Musardière near Noisy-sur-École and a short walk to several popular sectors (Gorge aux châts, 95.2 (which both have lots of problems from 3 to 8), Rocher des souris) and Courtilles du Lido near Grez-sur-Loing. Also lots of non-camping options like The House in Tousson, Fontaineblhostel in La Chapelle-la-Reine, that place in Ury I forget the name of, etc.

My favorite guidebooks are 5+6 and 7+8 but they're more for regular/recurrent climbers. I guess the Jingo Wobbly guidebooks mentioned above are your best bet as I believe they cover the full spectrum of grades and have pictures. Names are sometimes wrong.

Don't forget to bring a beer towel or similar to remove the sand off your soles!

For food: bi1 in La-Chapelle-la-Reine, organic at Biocoop near Milly-la-Forêt and in Avon, great bakeries in Ury and Recloses among others. For gear, guidebooks and crashpad rentals: S'cape in Fontainebleau. You can also rent crashpads at the Karma climbing gym.

http://www.camping-pres.com/?lang=en
Cheap and nice camping many boulderers use.
Wild camping is very much frowned upon and the bivouac is only for staying overnight which means you have to clear all of your stuff during the day. Definitely not recommended for two weeks also for your own comfort.

5+6 and 7+8 guidebooks are highly recommended. But in the end I've always had the most fun just doing circuits by colour without a guidebook.

enjoy!

Thank you all!

The most helpful guidebooks IMO are the Fun Bloc and Top Secret (two parts of a series). The 5+6 etc don't have photos of problems (at least the edition I have), and it makes it hard to find problems.

The Top Secret book even has a listing of classic problems in each "animal style" at Font. Slab, dyno, arete etc.

Joe Virtanen wrote: The most helpful guidebooks IMO are the Fun Bloc and Top Secret (two parts of a series). The 5+6 etc don't have photos of problems (at least the edition I have), and it makes it hard to find problems.

The Top Secret book even has a listing of classic problems in each "animal style" at Font. Slab, dyno, arete etc.

Thanks!

Lisa Haze wrote:

• Any and all beta appreciated.  Best guidebook for about 2 weeks of climbing in the 3-7 range. Cheap place to stay? Can i just rent a van and park somewhere? 

I always liked Fontainebleau Magique for doing circuits, and I could always find hard enough problems to project.  Not sure if the bleau.info website is still around but you could probably get just enough info for a week or two.  And 3-7 in which grading system?  That's a pretty wide range in the Font system.

Lisa Haze wrote:

• Any and all beta appreciated.  Best guidebook for about 2 weeks of climbing in the 3-7 range. Cheap place to stay? Can i just rent a van and park somewhere? 

Not at all helpful for your question but if you have not been before, it will blow your mind!

So so so amazing!

Spent a day there last month and it was just incredible (although the problems seemed hard for the grade but that might have just been me!).

Going back for three days next summer with my wife and kiddos and I cannot wait!

Enjoy!

I hate bouldering trips and I still go to Font. It is one of the top 10 climbing destinations on the planet. You’re in for a treat.

Some really good info above. Please follow the local ethic and don’t just park anywhere.

Leave your ego at home. Font is the kind of place that can take time getting used to and it will be a lot more fun if you get a lot of easy moves in early.

Once you get used to the style I still recommend not going back to the same problem chasing grades. There is just too much there to spend days trying to send one thing.

Have fun.