Quebec City, Rock Climbing, Salt Lake City, France, and Blogging. My story starts in Quebec City, Canada, where I was born. My mother was also born in Quebec City Canada and my Father from France, so I grew up naturally speaking French at home. As a young kid, I constantly…

Comparing French and American food cultures. Sampling classic French dishes. French and American food cultures are so different on so many levels. Although the French diet is high in fat, French people typically have lower rates of cardiovascular or other diseases associated with eating a high-fat diet compared to Americans. People call this the “French Paradox.” The basic explanation for why the French have a lower obesity rate than Americans is that they consume fewer calories and exercise more. In France, people don’t constantly snack, unless it’s for “L’apéro” (pre-dinner drink or finger food,) the portion sizes are smaller, and French people are more likely to exercise by walking or biking when they run errands.

It all started about two weeks ago… On January 8th, 2021, I turned 18 years old. The plan was to leave for France for 4 months on the 10th of January, but with the new variant of COVID-19 sweeping across England and other EU countries, the odds of new travel bans and restrictions seemed to be lingering around the corner. My flight itinerary was canceled multiple times due to my connection flight in the UK. How horrible would it be to arrive in London, expecting to soon be eating a fresh French baguette from a local boulangerie, only to be duped and sent back home to the US?!

Hello, my name is Victor Baudrand, and although I have utterly no idea what I am doing, nor do I have the word “professional” stamped anywhere near my name; I do think that my life is rather interesting. But before I do share my life story, I do want to…

The Mental Battle of Projecting Boulders at your Max Level This year’s winter was cold and wet in Northern France. It rained and even snowed (which is rare) so many days in a row. For someone like me, living in Paris without a car, it was incredibly complicated for me to get out to the Forest. However, despite all of the rain, I had the opportunity to make a little trip down to visit this magical place. I spent 4 amazing days climbing and exploring the historical playground with my incredibly kind Paris host family. To make the trip even more memorable, I had the pleasure to stay and sleep in a castle south of Fontainebleau, in a little village called Bourron Marlotte. Pictured here.

Exploring the Mythical Forest of Fontainebleau. I grew up watching old-school climbing videos of USA climbers like Dave Graham, Tyler Landman, and UK climber Ben Moon, cruising through the magical Forest of Fontainebleau, climbing boulders that were thought to be unclimbable. As a climber from America, I did not know…

Life update and sudden changes in COVID restrictions. I had not called my mother since my recent move from Paris. I will admit that for the first week in Voiron the idea of calling my mother didn’t pass through my mind too many times. The beautiful snow-covered mountains, the change…

Which Paris climbing gym best fits your style, climbing level, and needs. Climbing Gym Road Map: Climbing Gym Situation in Paris: First off, the current climbing gym situation in Paris and France is not currently at running at its best. Of course, due to the pandemic, climbing gyms have had to close…

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by airports when traveling? Airports for me felt like a common ground when I was growing up. Crowds of strangers flooding the airport halls wasn’t an unusual sight. From the streets of Ghana, roaming with wild chickens, to the thick forests of Northern Thailand filled…