Easter Adventure: Plan Your Climbing Trip to Fontainebleau! 🧗‍♀️

The Easter holidays may have sterted already, but there’s still time to plan a classic spring climbing trip. Fontainebleau, or "Font" as it’s affectionately known by climbers, offers some of the best bouldering in the world within easy reach of the UK. Here’s your guide to making the most of an Easter holiday climbing trip to this iconic destination!

Why Fontainebleau? Nestled just an hour’s drive south of Paris, Fontainebleau is a climbing mecca with over 20,000 sandstone boulders scattered across a stunning forest. Its rich history and variety of routes have made it a pilgrimage site for climbers of all levels.

Planning Your Trip

It’s a perfect choice for introducing young children to climbing

• Best Time to Visit: Spring, especially around Easter, is an ideal time. The weather is mild, and the forest is vibrant, offering optimal climbing conditions and breathtaking scenery. Summer is nice but it can get very hot, so try and stay somewhere with a pool and plan to spend the middle of the day out of the sun.

• Accommodation: From cozy gîtes and campsites to charming hotels, Fontainebleau caters to every taste and budget. Booking early is advisable as the Easter period is popular among both climbers and tourists. Camping Les Prés is a classic choice for climbers, with all the facilities you need in a great location (by which I mean there’s a great boulangerie nearby). Slightly lesser known is Camping Le Lido which is great for families, with a pool and play areas as well as some cheap non-tent accommodation options! Overnight stays in the forest’s many car parks has recently been banned, so even the van-lifers among you will have to find an official site or aire to park up in.

• Travel: Driving to Font feels like a rite of passage every UK based climber has to go through at some point in their climbing career. For us in Cardiff and Cheltenham, it’s a pretty simple case of getting on the M4 and heading across to Dover to catch a ferry (or the tunnel if you’re feeling fancy!). On the other side it’ll take you about four hours to reach The Forest. Taking the train, although not cheap, is an easy and stress free option. Get yourself on the Eurostar to Gare Du Nord then take the excellent local train to Thomery.

  However you travel, hiring bouldering mats when you arrive is a great faff-saving choice, freeing you up to travel light.

Climbing in Fontainebleau

• The Boulders: I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say there’s something for every climber in Fontainebleau. I’ve known dedicated sport climbers and trad climbing bumblies to be won over by The Forest, with its vast range of settings, climbing styles and difficulties. There are far too many areas to go into in this article, but to name just a few of my personal favourites:

  Mont Aigu: Walkable from Fontainebleau town, the blocs of Mont Aigu are high on a hill and have an atmospheric feel to them. There are also some great historic caves to explore for a bit of culture!

  Rocher Canon: An awesome maze of blocs that lead you further into the forest than you expect. A great choice for families thanks to some of the best climbing being really close to the car park.

  L'Elephant: A classic, and maybe an obvious choice, but it’s a classic for a reason. Accessible, varied and plentiful, the blocs here are enough to keep anyone entertained. A special boulder here is Dalle à Poly, the best introduction to highball bouldering you could hope for!

• The Climbing

  The blocs of Fontainebleau are all sandstone, with great friction and a really good variety of hold types. It’s not all slopers! The biggest difference you’ll notice between climbing in Font and elsewhere is that the problems are all grouped into coloured circuits, a lot like they sometimes are at indoor walls, with each colour representing a difficulty range. There are even circuits for kids with arrows directing them from one challenge to the next.

• Guides and Topos: There are loads of great guidebooks for Font and it’s worth investing in one over relying on your phone. I’m a fan of Fontainebleau Climbs.

• Respect the Environment: The beauty of Fontainebleau’s forest is preserved through the collective effort of its visitors. Stick to established paths, use chalk sparingly, carry out all of your rubbish and don’t climb after rain, as the sandstone will be weaker. It’s mostly sand underfoot in Font, so make a real effort to wipe your climbing shoes before you climb to avoid wearing the blocs excessively.

What to Pack

A delicate slab high on Mont Aigu

• Climbing Gear: There are old-school Bleausards (the name for Fontainebleau locals) who climb barefoot with no chalk or pads, so there are no essentials for a Font trip! However, the standard basics are recommended to have a good time: climbing shoes, a chalk bag (or better yet, a bucket) and a bouldering mat (which you can rent in town). Be sure to pack something like a bar towel to wipe the sand off your feet before you pull on.

• Clothing: Layering is key. Prepare for variable weather by packing breathable, moisture-wicking base layers and a waterproof jacket.

• Other Essentials: Bring a first-aid kit, sun protection, and plenty of water and snacks for energy.

Culture

Fontainebleau is not just about climbing. The town is home to the magnificent Château de Fontainebleau, and Paris is just a short trip away. Enjoy the local cuisine, explore historic sites, and immerse yourself in the rich culture of the region.

Final Thoughts

Font over Easter is an absolute no-brainer of a trip; limitless bouldering, great weather, excellent food and great vibes. With something for everyone (including our long-suffering non-climbing partners!), get yourself across the pond this Easter break.

For more info, check out the excellent boulderfont.info