Mercier Bouldering

Riding through the Forest

Even the local mammals love the Creperie!


Becoming quite an institution, all wafes and strays, nationalities and walks of life. The Creperie welcomes all with open arms and ''The best crepes of all the world'' - Patrick and Benedict, Munich.
Nestled under a spreading Oak tree in a far corner of Les Trois Pignons forest near Milly La Foret, every night the Creperie opens its doors. Two chapati pans from New Delhi steam up to the point as the first crepe lovers take their stumps around the fire as the sun sets in a dusky haze after the heat of the day. A ladle of fresh crepe batter hits the hot pan with a sizzle, the mixture perfected over time and mixed with fresh free range eggs. The sweet odours of crepes fill the air as the campers and climbers arrive for their evening session at The Creperie. Fifteen creperie nights have passed in a row and the stories, shared ideas and contacts and conversations have flowed. Regulars have established themselves and others have past through and left perhaps to return again. Word has reached all corners of the forest and creperie pilgrims are travelling from far afield for the creperie delights.

Inspiring travellers and whole families the creperie has become to know: Boris, Bettina and the babies from Germany, Norbert and his boys from Munich, Libby and the girls (Ruby the chicken will be your heir..) The Scottish family- Eaden thanks for the chicken drawbridge design, it will be utilised when the chickens finally arrive ! The German cave hunters, the sarcastic Austrians, the fascinating Lithuanians, the chocolate and coconut lovers, the brits life savers and bush crafters, The army an long-coats, the cool red VW campers, the Sheffield pirate cyclists (hope you guys got home ok?) Ollie, the resident forest gent(our longest standing Creperie regular...keep those lemon and sugar bien cuir coming!, the lovely Chris and Claire, to name but a few....

The Creperie has restocked and now has a healthy looking store out the back and the relocation to a more central spot has decreased the number of lost pilgrims in the night. and increased passing trade. Some nights the queues have a 20 minute wait for their crepe orders. Developments have continued now with the new addition of the table football which has been popular with heated head torch-lit tournaments progressing in to the wee hours. Beers, wine and soft drinks have been added to the menu and late night carry-outs have been plentiful.
Marchmallow sticks for toasting have also been a hit!
Choice of crepe fillings has hit wild combinations such as one favourite as noted in the creperie visitors book by some adventurous Germans as "Nutella, chilli, strawberry and apple"!!!!The savoury special of melted cheese, chilli, mayonaise and herbs is still a big hit, but the number 1 hit with the masses still stands as Nutella!
Music-wise the Creperie slides in to dusk with some smooth old time jazz from the old faithful Parisian radio station TSF 99.1 (designed to reduce road rage on the Peripherique). Later as the crowds get settled the MP3 music box kicks in with numbers such as The Doors, Hendrix, Dylan, Velvet Underground, Black Angels and more selected numbers.The guitar comes out from time to time especially for lock ins where tunes such as 'Day Light come and me wanna go home' can be heard in to the wee hours.

RoodyToots Barcelona Business

Adios Costa Blanca!

Adios beautiful limestone Costa Blanca, three months of bliss and climbing in these stunning landscapes. Scotty's birthday- our last day, we conqur the magestic Puig Compana 'Espilon Central, 13 pitches of sustained 4 + climbing withe strong features right up the rib. What a way to say goodbye to this place from the height that the eagles fly.

RoodyToots has an appointment in Barcelona with Glint, the fashion\art boutique where RoodyToots will be showcased. Check it out www.glintshop.com

A Note from Scotty:

530 meters, 17 pitches, 9hours, 50 minutes.

It is another beautiful blue sky day and half a kilometre up the air is clean and clear. Other than a soft alpine wild, there is a strange silence and you can’t help feeling that humans are not really supposed to be up here. Looking up at the imposing cliffs looming above and the void below, I take a last look at the route description and step off the belay. A second after unclipping from the anchor I slip easily back into a state of warm, pure concentration, head clears, total immersion, time changes pace, just balance and movement, slowly unlocking each sequence of body positions and system of protection until the next belay. We switch leads, over and over, until finally the top. After a brief celebration over a glug of water and half a crunch bar, we coil the ropes and start the long two hour descent back down to the van. The familiar crunch of limestone scree under foot, looking ahead for the line of least resistance down off the mountain.

That night over dinner with the rest of the gang, body aching but everyone happy. The chat around the table flows effortlessly, stories successes and failures. Contentment begins to brew as memories of the day move around my head, feelings of happiness, but today it reaches deeper, it strikes a different chord it could be a gratitude to be out here living amongst the mountains or the privilege to be fit and healthy, maybe I’m just getting used to life on the road.

Climbing is a very pure passion. One of the things that make it so special for me is the combination of cerebral and physical, mind and body working seamlessly together, complex analytical problem solving combined with complex gymnastic problem solving, figuring out body movements and positions that once felt impossible and making them happen. Each climb is so different, the place, the moves, the subtle movements that make the vital difference between success and failure, the process of unlocking the secrets that make up each climbs personality, I think that’s what I love about it. Failure is all part of the game; it makes you stronger, it forces you to try harder, drawing you back again and again. Not everyone connects with a climb in the same way, some give more some give less, some save it for weekends and holidays and some devote the best part of their lives to a line of holds up a rock.

In September 2010, Ellie and I put our careers on hold, rented out our flat in Edinburgh, boxed up most of our stuff and sold the car. We set off in a converted VW on an extended climbing trip to some of the best climbing areas in Europe. We’re not entirely sure how long the trip will last but I doubt we’ll be heading back much before Spring 2012.

Life’s great out here. It’s such a pleasure just letting life flow, living a simple life, close to nature. We’re currently in the Spanish climbing paradise Costa Blanca and leave tomorrow after three fantastic months living here. We’ve had a truly fantastic time and a big thanks to all the great people who have made our stay so memorable. We based ourselves in the Orange House in Finestrat, Alicante, a beautiful country villa, run by climbers for climbers. We pay our way by helping out and painting murals and inspiring quotes around the house and supplement our income running a small creperie in the evenings. The creperie has proven to be a great success on this trip and a superb way of getting to know everyone and sourcing local climbing information. Ellie has also taken her RoodyToots jewelery studio on the road and continues to bring a touch of glamour to the crag with her creations. Ellie is also keeping an active blog of our time on the road (check roodytoots.com). We are both continuing our design work while we are away and are finding that life on the road has inspired many interesting new projects.

Next stop is the bouldering Mecca, Fontainebleau, near Paris. We will be running the creperie there for the next three months from the 20^th of April to around the 14^th of July. Font is a truly magical place and it would be great to see anyone who’d like to come out for a visit. Join us anytime but I know that a gang are already planning a trip beginning on the 22^nd of June, so the more the merrier.

Scott has finally, after years of defiance, started to use his Facebook account again, so check in for some pics.

Anyhow, just thought we’d check in and let everyone know we’re still alive and having fun.

Missing you all and hope everyone is enjoying life.

The path is far from linear.

Queen of Hearts

Devotees new and old, official and incogneto, get your pork pies around these new 'Queen of Hearts' Sterling silver, glass and Swarovski crystal earrings!




Last few days working at the Orange House...

New website gallery images...

Photographs taken by profesional photographer Toby Weston which were shot in Barcelona have been edited and uploaded to the RoodyToots website. The graphics combine the images with vintage frames which are broken with colour and shape. The graphic artwork support the new season range of re-worked 'Vintage Paris' designs which incorporate antiques in to one-off jewellery designs.