Bit of a gamble this one, the club hadn’t had a pure bouldering trip before so it was going to be interesting how it panned out, bouldering normally being an activity practised by lantern-jawed northerners in beanies and down jackets. Happily the exotic lure of a cross channel ferry appeared to be sufficient bait to entice a healthy bunch of MMC over to the Hexagon for Easter.

Clare, Robin, Zoe and Brendon arrived on Thursday afternoon to find Chuck, Wendy, Dawn, Hannah (I think), Shane, Julie and Megan ensconced in a quite grove at the far end of the campsite with the aim of ensuring maximum fitness would be attained by all through walking to the toilet block over rough and muddy terrain. Robin, Chuck et al immediately headed off to a set of boulders while Brendon, Zoe and Clare headed into Milly La Foret to ensure wine and food would be available for dinner.

Then on good Friday the whole team went to Bas Cuvier which is one of the most famous areas in the forest. Unfortunately this does mean that many of the problems have been climbed to death leading to a lot of wear and polish on the rock. Nevertheless the happy group of MMCers, quite half of whom were new to bouldering, gamely persevered and good time was had by all. Distinct styles of bouldering emerged at this stage, AG and Shane (the hard men) tended to siege difficult problems and try them over and over until either they cracked them or they ruptured a tendon. Others tried to follow a vague circuit and would try a problem a few times, giving up if necessary after a few attempts. A syndicate of ladies had invested in their own bouldering mat and thus would take it around en-masse trying various projects as a group while Neville had invested in a three litre plastic bucket of Chateau Clochard-Ivre would sit on a mat quietly soaking in between problems. And so the day wore on. Eventually the teams drifted back to La Musardiere where the traditional cook-up of pasta slop were generated and much wine drunk.

Saturday was pouring and Clare, Zoe, Brendon, Jules, Dawn, Hannah, Wendy, Silvia and Jane, armed with a somewhat inadequate map of the local area provided by the campsite hostess, managed with much nifty navigating to track down a cycle hire outfit on what can only be termed the back lot of a small industrial estate. Having surprised the owner with the sheer number of cycle enthusiasts, he finally managed to track down six mountain bikes and some interesting looking hybrids and they set off back towards the forest, looking vaguely, as Jane put it, like the Von Trapp family on an outing. The spectacle certainly caught the imagination of some passing Japanese tourists, who immediately stopped their vehicle and started snapping happy pics of the mad English people riding across green fields in the rain. Finally reaching the forest they managed several hours of solid forest roads, and some not so solid off-road sandy tracks, before heading back to the cycle hire, thoroughly soaked but also feeling thoroughly virtuous for getting maximum exercise in a downpour.

Another group consisting of Nick, Steve, Donna, Shane and Simon risked the rain to try bouldering at Gorges D’Apremont. Tracking down the right area proved a little harder than was initially anticipated and the rain proved a little more persistent than was initially envisaged. Having done a few problems they took shelter in a cave where Neville took an early lunch of a Sprite bottle filled with wine. Eventually they gave up on the area and retreated to Fontainebleau where they spent some time playing scrabble.

The rain eventually eased off so the majority of the team reunited at 95.2 (the somewhat cryptic name being derived from the spot height of the area as shown on the French maps). This area was eventually reached after some vague meanderings around the Forest led by Steve “Tracker” Melvin. Donna was a huge hit in entertaining Megan with some twirly things (you had to be there).

That evening most people convened at a restaurant in Milly which proved to be a great success especially as the rain had set in again.

Sunday the rain looked like it might abate eventually, and the large majority of the MMC found shelter in a coffee shop in Milly and whiled away the time playing cluedo and other such delightful games while Brendon squired a large party of ladies to the chateau at Fontainebleu. All reunited after lunch, and the rain finally having given up, they all headed to 95.2 which proved relatively dry. On Sunday evening the rain had finally given out and a determined effort was made (almost totally successfully) to drink the entire remaining collective stock of alcohol. So an aesthetically pleasing circle of bouldering mats and chairs was drawn up and a jolly bucolic evening resulted.

Some had to go early on Monday whereas some others went back to Gorges D’Apremont which proved to be a very pleasant and unpolished area.

All in all it was a very enjoyable and successful meet and even Chuck’s car managed to make it there and back without mishap. Definitely a meet worth repeating.

Loads more bouldering pictures are available in the gallery.