Bouldering at Larchant: From Discovery to Passion

🧗‍♂️ About your host

Welcome to Gîtes Dame Jouanne! Before having the pleasure of welcoming you to our haven of peace in Larchant, I am first and foremost a passionate lover of nature and bouldering at Larchant. My story with the Fontainebleau forest and its legendary boulders began nearly 30 years ago, at the foot of the very rocks that now surround our cottages.

I designed Gîtes Dame Jouanne as the ideal “base camp” I wish I had found when I started out. In the following lines, I wanted to share with you the spark that ignited this passion. Whether you come to stay with us to perfect your first holds, tackle extreme overhangs, or simply recharge under the pine trees, I hope this story will let you experience the magic of Larchant. Happy reading, and see you soon on the rocks!

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Bouldering at Larchant: A sport, a lifestyle, a philosophy

What’s the best way to approach the topic of bouldering at Larchant? For some, it’s a competitive sport or intensive training. For me, it’s a lifestyle and a unique way to enjoy nature. Some seek a quick ascent, others spend years on a project. But what’s certain is that bouldering is always a deeply personal experience: a challenge for body and mind, always enriching.

Exhilaration: From the mountains to the Larchant forest

From my earliest childhood, mountains have fascinated me. I climbed many peaks with my father, who taught me to climb. I loved that feeling of being on top of the world, of leaving my familiar surroundings to discover new things. It was in 1997, having just arrived in Larchant – on the edge of the Fontainebleau forest – that I climbed my first boulder, almost by chance. Just a 5-minute bike ride away, my companions and I discovered hundreds of erratic boulders, seemingly placed beneath the pine trees by the hand of God.

The Commitment: Try, struggle, and succeed

I remember that first real climb. I found myself hanging from the edge of a roof, four meters above the ground, having to perform a heel hook. Trembling, my heart pounding, I told myself: “I can’t afford to fall now.” Letting out a cry of joy as I reached the top, I was hooked. I learned then that you have to know how to wait, stay calm, and approach the rock thoughtfully. Try, fail, struggle, and succeed… That’s when I fell in love with bouldering.

Techniques and “Decoding” the Rock

Exploring these boulders of all shapes and colors was exhilarating, like opening Christmas presents. We had to “decode” nature to solve the problems. What possibilities lay before us? A small hold, an edge, a pinch? We cleaned the rocks with passion, sometimes with simple toothbrushes. Everyone developed their own preferences:

The tightrope walkers sought out rounded edges.

The technical climbers loved slabs and friction climbing.

Climbers seeking power favored overhangs.

The most tenacious sought out tiny, painful holds.

Generally, nothing is achieved through brute force alone; the mistake often lies in the details.

From a Circle of Initiates to a Worldwide Craze

Before, there were no guides or directions. We let ourselves be guided intuitively through the woods, occasionally spotting white traces of chalk. The community was small and close-knit. We readily shared information about the latest projects around a crash pad. Today, freestyle climbing is booming. Gyms are springing up everywhere, and the playful and athletic approach to bouldering in Larchant has conquered the world, even making its official debut at the Olympic Games in 2021 (and then in Paris in 2024). Yet, the Fontainebleau forest and its sandstone boulders remain timeless. A simple stroll through them is all it takes to discover the most beautiful and interesting problems.