Font Day 4: Éléphant Area

We were told that the area called Elephant was an area not to miss, so on our fourth day we decided to pay a visit. Being sore from the previous day, I keep swearing to Rachel that I won't be climbing much today, and especially not anything hard. She never believes this...

Once again, as soon as we get to the climbing area I'm a kid in a candy store. We warm up on a couple Blue climbs (like 4a-5a-ish) and the then I turn a corner and see sangri-la! Crazy-rad 45-degree overhang walls all over the place. I can barely restrain myself long enough to drag the pad over to the sit starts.

I start out on a 7b+ called La Barre Fixe. It starts sitting with a right hand side pull and a left hand bidoit (shallow 2 finger pocket) with horrible foot smears. My beta was to pull up to a left hand 2 finger pocket that I was able to get my smallest three fingers into. After that, reset the feet and get the right hand to a really good side pull. A couple more moves and your at a big jug and a good top out. I worked the moves individually and connected a few up, but ultimately was unable to send it in a single session.

Rachel relentlessly worked a 5c/6a overhang with a sit start requiring a double heel hook. After almost a dozen frustrating tries at the powerful start move, she was able to get it. After that it was just a matter of working out the awkward top out, and then connecting it up from the ground. After taking a break to spot me on another overhanging 6a she ran back and sent it in her approach shoes!

While scoping out other climbs that might inspired me, I stumbled upon one called La Voie Michaud 6c, number 22 on the black circuit. It's on a medium size boulder with a juggy top out and a low crux, so... right up my alley. For me, this is my favorite kind of bouldering experience: walk up to a problem not knowing its name or grade and just start climbing; every move feels just a little beyond me until I figure it out; every attempt sees a little progress made on the next move; and finally everything comes together and you find yourself at the top of a boulder. At 6c this is the hardest ascent this trip, but it came together with little frustration.

I'm definitely feeling the effort of four days on straight, and I'm swearing to Rachel that I wont climb anything hard tomorrow, but I have a feeling that it's just not true. It is our last day after all.