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Essential Fontainebleau > History
So began an inexorable trend and the boulders began to attract more focus as technical abilities increased. In 1934 Pierre Allain climbed La Fissure des Alpinistes (the first Font 5) at Apremont and a year later added L’Angle Allain (5+) at Cuvier Rempart. He also introduced rubber-soled climbing boots to improve adhesion. The first recorded circuit was the red circuit at Cuvier Rempart in 1947, which echoed Denecourt’s walking circuits – painting numbers and arrows on the problems to create a ‘training’ circuit of varying problems. These circuits were supposed to hone technique for the higher mountains but eventually became popular in their own right. The individual problems in the forest began to grow more technical and divorced from their circuit origins, requiring sometimes months of effort and refined strength. ‘Bas Cuvier’ is perhaps the heart of this Fontainebleau dedication. The whole area has a distinguished bouldering history. In 1908 Jacques Wehrlin climbed, in nailed boots, La Fissure Wehrlin – a Font 3 chimney left of Duroxmanie. 1914 saw Jacques de Lepiney climb the high crack of La Prestat. In 1935, Cuvier Rempart saw Pierre Allain (soled with his own rubber ‘PAs’) climb the slippery Angle Allain (5+), and in 1946 René Ferlet climbed La Marie Rose – the first 6a in the forest and a masterclass in the bouldering art. In 1953 Robert Paragot succeeded on La Joker (given 6c at the time) and in 1960 Michel Libert climbed Abattoir, which has now crept close to 7a+ as a consensus grade. In 1977, Jérome Jean-Charles climbed the first forest 7b of Carnage, a modern power problem. Next to it, L’Abbé Résina was the first 7c, climbed in 1983 by Pierre Richard. In 1984 Jacky Godoffe opened the eighth grade with C’ Était Demain, and Cuvier and its backwoods ‘remparts’ sees no sign of relinquishing its cutting-edge status. Current development continues on remote and hidden blocs within the forest, such as Dave Graham’s 8b+ The Island at Coquibus, extended by Vincent Pochon to give The Big Island 8c. Jour de Chasse is a 2013 8c from Jan Hojer at the Recloses venue. As for traversing, the grades have here crept up to 9a (not like a ‘bloc 9a’), the highlight of which recently has been Jean-Pierre Bouvier’s 2012 ascent of Fou Rire aller/retour which was climbed when he was 55 years of age. Fontainebleau may now have a heavy footfall in terms of boulderers, but solitude and spirit can still be found in the forest. Take with you a sense of history and respect for the rocks and the people who have nurtured the bouldering in Fontainebleau – it is a precious environment and if we look after it will provide bouldering for all our future generations.
r L’ Angle Allain
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La Bérézina (L'Abbé Résina) at Cuvier
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The forest is watching you . . .