Franchard Isatis
4 – 7A+ · 4 routes · sandstone · Font
- Approach 14 min — wide sandy path from the Franchard car park, gently uphill, then a left turn onto a marked circuit
- Best season April to June and September to November for comfortable temperatures; the area is shaded by pines and stays climbable into midday in summer.
- Published
- Updated
Isatis is the friendliest introduction to Fontainebleau if you have never climbed on sandstone before. It has the highest density of easy, well-protected problems in the forest, plus a handful of genuinely hard lines for anyone who wants to watch what the grades above 7A look like.
Why start here
The sand under most of the easy blocs is level and clean, the problems are short, and the painted circuit numbers are unusually clear. A complete beginner with one pad can spend four hours here without ever feeling committed.
The rock also gives you the full Fontainebleau vocabulary quickly: friction slabs, rounded tops, slopey aretes and the characteristic mantles where the last move is always harder than you expect.
What to climb first
Start on the yellow circuit problems near the main path, then move to the orange numbers on the bigger blocs. The jump from orange to blue is the first real step up; expect to fail a few blue problems the first time you touch them.
The area also contains one of the forest's most photographed 7A+ slabs, which is worth walking past even if you do not try it — the footwork required is a good demonstration of what makes Bleau different from gym climbing.
Family and group logistics
This is one of the better areas for mixed-ability groups because the easy and hard blocs are intermixed, so nobody has to walk far to find their level. The main path is pushchair-accessible for the first kilometre.
Routes · 4
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Hold types jug · slab · mantle
Open beta
A gentle introductory slab on the yellow circuit. Feet do all the work; keep your hands low and your weight over the toes.
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Hold types jug · roof · heel-hook
Open beta
Small roof with big holds. The only real decision is which way to turn your hips on the way out — turning left is easier for most people.
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Hold types slab · smear · friction
Open beta
Green-tinted slab that is the area's signature easy friction test. Find the small ripple three metres up with your left foot — it is the only thing keeping you on.
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Hold types sloper · crimp · friction
Open beta
The hard slab the photographers come for. Three moves of pure friction with a single small crimp as the only positive hold. Cold, dry days only.
Crag ethics
Crag ethics
Do not remove moss or lichen from the tops of easy blocs. The green tops are the reason the area stays cool and grippy.
