Another good day...

I’d bumped into Neil last night on my way down to post the last blog and after giving me a bit of beta on Serenite (take some spotters and a bit of commitment), he offered to show me round Les Beorlots today. I’d been up to take a look at Katioushka a week or so back, but hadn’t fancied hiking another 2km to go and find the main area, so I jumped at the chance to grab some local knowledge, particularly as he mentioned a secret parking spot that cuts the walk-in down to about 500 yards!
So, this morning I dragged myself up fairly early and after a bit of trouble keeping up with Neil round the country roads we were walking in ready to crush.
The area has only been opened up fairly recently and is still being developed. There are quite a few problems that have been done since the latest 7+8’s guide came out and in fact there was a new dyno that Kevin Lopata had added just yesterday, which explained Neil’s eagerness to come here – he’s a big fan of dyno problems.
We warmed up a bit on a problem called ‘Don’t take the Bonsai’ (unfortunately somebody has, as Neil pointed out that the miniature tree that was perched on top had disappeared), and I nearly did it second go, but couldn’t quite drag myself over the top.
We then started to look at ‘Mickey Mousse’. I’d checked out some video footage last night for beta, but it’s hard to remember such things until you’re actually familiar with the piece of rock. Having looked back now there’s a couple of things that perhaps would’ve helped, but to be honest it was right in the midday sun which wasn’t helping matters, so we’ll have to return when it’s a bit cooler for another crack. It’s a really good looking problem though, worth going back for.
After a non-starter on a slopey arête problem round to the right, I decided I had to finish off Don’t take the Bonsai and after a couple of goes flailed my way up and over the top, leaving the pair of us in stitches.
The dyno that Kevin had done yesterday looked rank, even to Neil, so we moved on to another cluster of boulders, and a problem called ‘Salathe’. The line laybacks up a big crack, with your feet pasted on smears, a bit of tricky footwork and some body-tension to stop the barn-door and latch the good hold on top, as Neil demonstrated. I was getting close, but was losing a fair bit of skin every time i peeled off, so I decided to leave it for another day before I went through my tips.
Neil had his eye on a problem round the corner called ‘Mort Sur’ which he nearly flashed. He got it second go, and then repeated it for the camera in good style. I had a quick go, but couldn’t reach the good finishing holds with my heel still locked in under the roof, as Neil had done, and decided it wasn’t for me.
There was some rustling in the bushes nearby, and Neil quickly grabbed his camera, as he’s still trying to get a boar sighting on film. But whatever it was must have heard us and disappeared sharpish, as nothing appeared. So we moved on again, looking over our shoulders as we went.

‘74% Cacao’ is one of the problems that has made it into the guidebook. It’s a roofy problem on some big slopers and undercuts that uses a knee-bar and a slightly scary heel-toe to top out.
Neil ran me through moves including a choice of two knee-bars, one for the shorties and one for the lanks, and I pulled on from the start. I surprised myself by getting right through to the knee-bar move (I think I took the shorties option), first go and thought for a second that I might flash it. But I screwed up the heel toe and bailed off. After a couple more unsuccessful attempts I was slapping at the top holds and Neil was pointing out the foot placement I needed to get over. He’d warned me not to screw up the top-out earlier, but the finishing hold looked like a jug from below. It wasn’t quite as good as i’d thought though and it was a desperate struggle to eventually haul myself over. Another ungraceful top-out, but a top-out all the same!

With energy, skin and time running out, as Neil had to head off to pick up the little man from school, we went to look at one last boulder.
As Neil was talking me through the moves though, he noticed that the huge jug that you (used to) use to pull round the lip of the roof, was lying unattached on the floor.
There’s still a pretty decent jug left further back, but it might make it a little harder to pull through. Either way, after a couple of attempts I was feeling totally trashed and decided to call it a day.
So as Neil headed off to pick up his son, I headed back to the gite to kick back on the patio with a beer and some serious grit-rash. Another good day.