Nicolas Collin climbs Fontainebleau crack nut The Big Island (8c)

The Belgian Nicolas Collin announces the ascent of the extremely difficult boulder The Big Island (8c) in Fontainebleau. With his most recent ascent, Nicolas skips several degrees in his ticklist.

First caught a little more attention Nicolas with second place at the European Championships 2020 in the lead discipline. Up until now he has not been very active outside on the rock and bouldered in area 8a - not an outstanding achievement for a competitive athlete. But now he announces great things and skips several levels of difficulty.

Cracked 8c boulder in Fontainebleau

Nicolas Collin spent the Christmas holidays in the French bouldering paradise Fontainebleau and during his stay concentrated on one of the heaviest lines in the forests around the Parisian suburb of Fontainebleau: The Big Island (8c). The Belgian invested a total of nine sessions before he got through.

What a great boulder. I finally managed to stand on this block. Now it's time to return home and prepare for the season ahead.
Nicolas Collin

The Big Island is a version of the Dave graham in the year 2008 first-line The Island in the Coquibus Rumont sector. The boulder was often traded as the last major line in Fontainebleau. For the compression boulder, Dave suggested the difficulty level 8c, which subsequent boulderers did not confirm. The general opinion was 8b +.

8c version by Vincent Pochon - and now Giuliano Cameroni

Parallel to Dave graham also designed Vincent Pochon The Island, He, however, started two moves earlier, as he considered the starting position there more natural. This version is under the name today The Big Island (8c) known.