Lucy Creamer terrific technique tips Fontainebleau Issue #8 - Winter 1999 The good thing about Hot Flashes winter is that it means editorial contents Lucy Creamer on sights ‘Ghost Train’ in Cover: The Klettersteig Photo: John Shaw comps comps comps, start- Pembroke at a huge E7 6b. Petite American Yo there, ing off with numerous 2 Editorial & News Katie Brown flashes 8b+ which is a whisker bouldering comps at places Oh no it’s that dreaded 3-6 The Fontainebleau away from the best male performance. like Leeds, The Foundry, season again, bad weather, Experience The Edge and many others Christmas shopping, a full Gripped? summer meets The place to be - Come and Try it! (contact your local walls 7 Adam Dewhurst diary and then you’ve got for information). Then Profile Almost 100 young Gripped? members had UIAA Entre-prises World Championships to fit in the most impor- there is CLIMB ’99 this fun on outdoor climbing meets this summer tant thing of all, CLIMBING 6 A Birthday With a Last chance to come and join the good year’s brilliant UIAA Entre in the Lakes, Wales and the Peak district. of course. With the cold Difference - the bad and the famous on the 5 come and Prises World Championship Next year we look forward to offering weather biting at your Abigail Egan try it walls and abseil at climb 99.If you event being held at the opportunities abroad in partnership with fingers and toes, there’s are too old for this there is always the National Indoor Arena at 8-9 Lucy Creamer Profile other federations. not a chance really to world class competition, MEF world class Birmingham from 3rd to 5th crack off any good routes 10 Technique SPECIAL slide show extravaganza or the array of of December. All the Gossip outdoors. I, like many workshops from nutrition & coaching to world’s best will be there 11 Access Feature climbers, am afraid of the There is currently a rumour that Yuji disability, belaying and other skills competing for glory and if cold and so resort to the 12 Lakes Meet Report Hirayama has onsighted 8c - this young training sessions. you’re not entering the indoor climbing scene, but climber is fit and very, very strong. Junior Challenge, then come 13 Speed Climbing ... The BMC is supporting the following what’s the point, most Alexander Chabout takes the French and support this superb What is it? and projects on the walls and in 2000 walls try their hardest to National climbing championship at the age unmissable event. competition report simulate winter conditions of 16 and makes the World Cup final in Pathway young women anyway! I suppose with the After a present opening 14 Photo Challenge Kranj, Slovenia. Tommy Caldwell aged 17 Ackers Trust Spider Club good weather that we had Christmas break smash into frees Salathe and has done the first for youngsters of any ability this summer we could to the Millenium and start unconfirmed 9a in America. forgive the weatherman. the year by entering the risk and responsibility Urban Adventure Support diversity of Troll BICC 2000 series Fast men and women groups Parents and young partici- starting on January 15th in pants should be aware that Gareth Parry and Siobhan Coughlan take Birmingham Schools and Outdoor Education Wales at the Welsh climbing, hill walking and the British Speed Championship with International Climbing and many more ... mountaineering are activi- Junior team member James Durant and Centre, contact the BMC ties with a danger of Anne Arran leaping up there to take FIBO International Bouldering Champs for more details. Then personal injury or death. second places. at the Foundry 7-8 December 1999. immediately after there is Parents and participants in Something not to miss. the ROCKIT BRYCS (see next these activities should be 1999 UIAA World Cup winners edition of Gripped). aware of and accept these crowned Happy climbing and all the risks and be responsible for Evgeny Ouchimikov (RUS) put in a stunning Troll BICC 2000 best for Christmas and the their own actions and performance to win the last 2 events of millennium. involvement. The BMC pub- the 1999 World Cup series. Consistency Welsh International 15 Jan 2000 lishes a wide range of Jemma Powell. however paid off for the French again Climbing Centre publicity and good practice with the Francoises Petit and Legrand P.S. Remember Gripped is advice and provides training Warwick 29 Jan 2000 who finished first and second respec- created by the kids opportunities for members. tively in the overall series of 4. Bristol 12 Feb 2000 for the kids, so any Additional advice and events contributions will be are available to young Muriel Sarkany just takes victory 5 Hull 4 March 2000 gratefully received. members and their parents. points ahead of Liv Sansoz in the Awesome walls, 11 March 2000 Details about the BMC’s women’s. Adam Dewhurst and Julia Worboys Liverpool Photo: Jemma Powell on Flying training and youth pro- climbed very well in the last EYC to come Buttress Direct. grammes are available 5th and 14th respectively. Application forms are available from the from the BMC web site BMC Office. gripped? is and office. supported by Sport England 2 3 Fontainebleau is a very special place. Anyone who has been there will say how amazing it is. It has some- thing for everyone. Fontainebleau is probably the best bouldering area in the world! This Easter the Lawrences, the Dewhursts and Bob Elliot all set off for a week’s holiday in Fontainebleau. We were there with my dad Alex, Adam with his parents Paul and Margaret. We camped at Samoreau next to the river Seine and the Dewhursts hired a small holiday home close by. The Fontainebleau grading system is unique and not that consistent. A ‘Font’ 5+ can be very hard English 6b or possibly only English The Fontainebleau Experience 5b/5c. Font 7a is hard, much harder than a French 7a [By Tom Lawrence] route indoors or outside in England. It is probably there for a while, Adam Cuvier Rampart was next on topped out, there was a playing football, frisbee or one of the most famous equivalent to an English 6c ‘topped out’ fairly soon the hit list. It is an intimi- contest. Who could top out just walking in the forest. problems of the forest. It problem. but Tom and Bob practiced dating place with huge the most times out of ten The Spanish Junior Team was was a hot day and Alex had the helicopter spin many boulders and dodgy land- attempts? Even the oldies there too, selling climbing gone off on the blue circuit Bas Cuvier. Bas has the times but never made the ings. The first problem pushed Adam this time who wall holds that they had with Nathan. The team hardest boulder problems top. attempted was a 3+ warm up was just getting used to made themselves. stuck at it Adam soon in the world and a concen- and Adam was the only one his new shoes. topping out. Bob and Tom tration of classic routes All three British Junior 95.2 is similar to Elephant to top out. Adam found did finally make it but not less than a few hundred Team members Adam, Tom and Apremont and Elephant with acres of beautiful sun another 7a, which he even- without some near misses metres from the main road. Bob all cruised up an were visited twice with soaked sand, excellent tually managed after many and Tom had a huge ‘flap- This is the centre of it all, impressive Font 6b mantel Adam again being the only circuits and hard problems. attempts. per’ (ripped blister of a handy day trip from Paris, nearby and they all managed one to actually tick a few The pine trees here drop skin) on his finger to show or a place for a local taxi another slab climb Platinum The forest is such a relax- Font 7a/6c+’s. Elephant is a large cones, which provided for it. The German Junior driver to boulder for an Font 7a. Meanwhile, the ing place; sun or shade as remarkable place similar to ammo for several mock Team turned up, one of hour or two. Here you will oldies went off and tried it suits you. A small easily the beach with glorious battles. their team and Adam pro- see famous climbers almost some classics including ‘Le angled slab opposite giving silver sand and a holiday The Cul de Chien area has ceeded to flash the Font everyday. Sans les Mains’ Font 5 much fun. The problem ‘Le atmosphere. French families even more sand. On the map, 7a+/7b ‘Le Toit de (which means - without Poucet’ is a test of foot- eating a four-course meal L’Helicoptere 7a was first it calls the area near the Grattons’. This problem is hands). This problem may be work. At Font 5+ and no on the picnic bench. All on the team’s hit list, so climbing the ‘Sea of Sand’. powerful over the roof on possible without hands but handholds to stop you European nationalities were called because if you fail Le Toit de Cul de Chien was small holds with a nasty fall. without good footwork, it slithering back down, it is there and some Americans. to hang the sloper near the top of the hit list for the will seem impossible. a gem, a real balancing Young and old, climbing, top you spin round as you day. At Font 6c+/7a, it is feat.