I'm not feeling focussed enough to put last week's trip to Font into anything vaguely well written, so I will summarise as best I can.

It was good.

The gite was by far the nicest I've stayed in, despite the owner's being completely crackers. It had it's own 'wildlife lookout tower', enough said!

It was hot, and we fully embraced it. As far as I'm concerned, there is no point in moping around because your project is in the baking sun and super greasy- go cruise about! Go eat pan au chocolate! Drink beer! We did all of the above.

I have met Adam and Andy before, but never bouldered with them. It's a shame that Andy had to fly back to England after two days, what a top sausage he is. Adam is out there for a month, and he really is crushing. His ticklist so far is ridiculous and if he gets his projects (which I'm certain he will), he will be Mr. Hotshot. Most admirably though, despite climbing in the 8th grade, he genuinely gets really psyched for other people trying their hardest to get their 7a, 6a, 5+ projects and didn't seem to mind having to pull hard to get 'easy' circuit problems despite flashing numerous very hard problems. Another top Geordie sausage.

Tom brought his mate (I thought he'd been lying all this time), Tomo. He was funny and liked beer, which is probably why him and Tom get on so well. Good egg.

Despite losing all my skin on the first day (when will I ever learn), I was really happy with how I was climbing. I had a list of three problems I wanted to try: Gargantoit, Miséricorde and L'Arrache Cœur. Gargantoit looked amazing in the photos, and despite being swarmed with highly annoying youths I managed to climb it in a couple of goes. It is a first class boulder. The other two problems on the list are highballs. I don't normally do high, but they both caught my eye in the guidebooks. However, at Cuisinere, in the heat and after a morning doing some easy classics, I bottled even pulling on Miséricorde. It looks incredible, and I will do it one day, but this trip was not the time.That leaves L'Arrache Cœur.

I don't think I could express in words how brilliant it felt to top this boulder out on my first attempt. Everything was perfect: the conditions, the number of pads, the positive vibe around the boulder, everything just clicked into place. When I jumped for the top, two things happened. Time slowed down and I did a big man shout. I don't do big man shouts- EVER. I did two of them. I have no idea where they came from, or if they'll ever come out again, but maybe if I flash problems when I do them, they should come out more often.

Bex did Lapin au Canard, her second font 7a. What a machine! After all the battling, she cruised it and then repeated it straight away for photos. She definitely found the key to that boulder problem! So happy for her, she came so close last trip.

Abi did her 6a aim, even with a cold that would have had me sulking in bed for a month. Good effort!!!

I had a 'techez' day. That is, a 'technique' day. I only climbed 'walls' and 'slabs'. It was very fun. I even managed a 7a+ wall and fell off the last hold of a 7a slab then bled everywhere. Some of the best days climbing you can have in the forest is when you decide to do silly things.

Everyone climbed good. Everyone had fun (well, Tom had as much fun as a miserable killjoy can). It was like a night out that you don't expect anything of and it ends up being The Best Night Out Ever. Well, almost. I am looking forward to going somewhere new on our next trip, but I think it'll be a long time before Font gets boring, if ever!  I can't wait to hear Adam's final ticklist when he gets back, like it says on the heels of his trainers. Watson. Beast.

L'Arrache Cœur, 7c @ Isatis

Lapin au Canard, 7a @ Haute Plaines