Rock Climbing in Fontainebleau: Top Outdoor Adventures Awaiting You

Located just 1.5 hours south of the sprawling French capital, the Fontainebleau forest makes for a great rock climbing weekend getaway for dwellers of the capital and tourists alike.

While the forest stretches over 250 square kilometers (97 sq miles), there are a couple of places that rock climbing and bouldering enthusiasts gather for the highest quality climbing.

Among the top spots for bouldering are Trois-Pignons, Apremont and Larchant.

Larchant is home to the famous elephant-shaped rock as well as Mont Simonet, which has several quite difficult routes for experienced climbers. Meanwhile, Apremont boasts more than 500 boulders ranging in difficulty from easy to extremely difficult.

Best of all for first time climbers, bouldering skills can be taught onsite at most spots. This means that even if you have no previous experience, you can still head to the Fontainebleau forest to enjoy the sport.

Stunning scenery

The Fontainebleau forest serves as a perfectly scenic backdrop for all kinds of bouldering adventures. Complete with several scenic overlooks along the main climbing circuits as well as enchanting forest scenery, there is plenty to see here. Keep your eyes peeled for various native plant and animal species too.

Something for everyone

The forest of Fontainebleau boasts hundreds of boulders and more than 20,000 problems (routes). Ranging from simple ones for first-time climbers to incredibly difficult ones for experts, there is plenty here to keep all types of climbers thoroughly occupied.

Unusual rock shapes

Fontainebleau is well known for its peculiar and natural rock shapes, many of which can be climbed. When heading to Fontainebleau in the next shoulder season, be sure to check out the boulders that resemble an elephant, tortoise and crocodile, among several others.

During the spring and autumn, average daily temperatures in Fontainebleau range from 15 ºC to 20 ºC (60 ºF to 70 ºF). Spring and autumn are also the driest times of year, which lead to the best conditions for bouldering.

Any trip to Fontainebleau likely begins with a flight into Paris’ Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG). From the airport it is fairly simple to take the train into the center of Paris and then to the Fontainebleau–Avon stop. It is also easy enough to rent a car and make the 60 kilometer drive south to Fontainebleau.

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April to June and September to November, but many guides offer trips year-round.