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Essential Fontainebleau > Circuits
Circuits
þ Circuit start
Fontainebleau is the home of ‘circuit’ climbing. These colour-coded trails follow an ‘Alpine Grade’ of difficulty according to colour. Generally white and yellow are for beginners, blue for competent, red for hard, and black (sometimes white) for elite, though many circuits are marked in colours which are distinctive to themselves (e.g. salmon pink, sky blue etc.) A circuit is marked on the rock with discreet numbers and arrows. Usually, a circuit begins at an introductory problem with a painted square or triangle, with a notation of the difficulty. A problem will be marked with an arrow indicating rough direction, maybe bent to the left or right to indicate which way to trend. A traverse is marked by an L-shape arrow, often with spot dabs for where feet go and dashed ‘continue’ arrows for hands. A final problem is often marked with a solid colour square at the base of the arrow. Try to remember that the circuit problems are made to be linked and descents often lead along intermediary rocks to continuations involving as much rock as possible. There is a deeper logic to the circuits and a great deal of thought has been put into their design to highlight the full range of climbing styles and techniques. u F: facile (easy) > Easier angles and larger holds, interlinked with easy rock. Yellow circuits or white kids’ circuits, mainly Font 1/2.
þ Follow the numbers
u PD: peu difficile (not very difficult) > a little more complex, technical and with higher, longer circuits up to Font 3. Alpine ‘yellow’ circuits and some long orange trails. u AD: assez difficile (fairly difficult) > expect some hardish problems, technical slabs, walls, cracks and maybe exposed in places. Orange circuits up to Font 3+/4. u D: difficile (difficult) > more serious walls, slabs, and steeper ground. Highly technical and fingery. Stamina becomes a real issue. Mainly blue circuits and some red circuits: Font 4 , 4+ and 5. u TD: très difficile (very difficult) > hard, varied red circuits mostly: technical, ‘stopper’ walls, traverses, roofs, arêtes etc. Font 4+ to 6b.
þ R-L traverse and then up
þ Repainted circuit
u ED1/2/3/4: extrêmement difficile (extremely difficult) > varied, elite black or white circuits, rarely completed except by ‘Bleausards’ (local experts): Font 6a to 8a.
r Yellow circuit at 91.1