Fontainebleau · Beginners & first-timers

Your first time
in Fontainebleau.

Every year I take along people who have never bouldered outdoors, alongside seasoned Fontainebleau veterans. Both come back.

Book a trip · from €649 →0160 6356390

Gym vs. Fontainebleau

What changes and what doesn't.

Aspect

Friction, not holds

Gym

In the gym you climb on plastic holds with a fixed, defined gripping surface.

Fontainebleau

On Fontainebleau sandstone you stand and pull on friction for much of it — a completely different feel.

Aspect

Reading the boulder

Gym

Coloured holds map out the whole line for you; you just follow.

Fontainebleau

On the rock nothing shows you the way. Which hold will take your weight, where the line goes, where the boulder tops out: you have to read that yourself. That's the art — and exactly what I'll teach you.

Aspect

Tiny footholds, body tension

Gym

Big, grippy plastic footholds let you muscle through.

Fontainebleau

The footholds are often tiny and easy to miss. You need precise footwork and body tension instead of raw power. For beginners that's good news.

Aspect

Falling is different

Gym

Mats are everywhere and the fall is short.

Fontainebleau

Positioning crash pads, reading the landing zone. I walk you through all of it — nothing's going to happen.

Why you need no prior experience

Once, I was there
for the first time too.

In 2019 I came to Fontainebleau for the first time. I had no idea where to go, which spots suited my level, or how to read a boulder outdoors. I spent two days just making mistakes.

That's the difference when you come with me: I take those two days of being lost off your hands. From day one you're bouldering at the right spots and with the coaching that fits you.

Every group I take along has mixed levels. I coach each person individually. Nobody sits on the bench.

Beginner tips

What I tell everyone who comes for the first time.

No grade pressure

Fontainebleau has more than enough in the lower range (3–5 on the Fontainebleau scale). You don't need a minimum grade.

Start early

The sandstone has the best friction in the morning and you're fresh. I plan the spots around that.

Check your shoe fit

Tighter than in the gym. Friction works through precision, not power.

Go easy on chalk

Fontainebleau sandstone reacts to chalk differently than gym walls. Less is more.