The story of bouldering in Fontainebleau

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Long before climbing gyms, crash pads, or topo apps, there was a forest. Quiet, ancient, and full of potential. Just south of Paris, the sandstone boulders of Fontainebleau didn’t need to be discovered—they were simply noticed. By painters. Walkers. And eventually, climbers.

As early as the late 1800s, members of the Club Alpin Français began using the forest as a training ground for alpine adventures. But something happened along the way: they fell in love with the boulders themselves. 

By 1924, a dedicated group of climbers came together to form the Groupe de Bleau (in the photo above). Their goal wasn’t fame or record-setting. They sought to understand movement, rock, and the natural rhythms of the forest.

Nearly a decade later, in 1933, Pierre Allain—who would go on to design the first rubber-soled climbing shoes—joined the GDB and became one of its most influential members. The techniques and ethics refined in these woods would eventually shape the very future of climbing.

After the war, climbers like Fred Bernick brought more structure to the bouldering experience. In 1947, he painted the first circuit at Cuvier Rempart—a loop of marked problems designed to simulate alpine endurance. Others followed, including Pierre Mercier in the 1950s at Apremont. These painted arrows and numbers—still visible today—turned the forest into a kind of open-air training ground and cultural archive.

Grades rose. Styles evolved. Crash pads appeared in the 1990s, and Fontainebleau welcomed climbers from all over the world. But one thing never changed: the forest remained delicate.

Fontainebleau isn’t a climbing gym. The rock is soft. The flora is sensitive. Moss regrows slowly. Chalk builds up. Footpaths erode. It only takes one careless step to leave a scar that lasts for years.

When you climb here, you step into a story that began over a century ago. A story written not just on stone, but in community, curiosity, and care.

So walk gently. Brush your holds. Stay on the paths. Carry out what you carry in. 

Fontainebleau gave us bouldering. Let’s give something back.