Posts Tagged ‘rock climbing’

Some say that the South of France has the best sport climbing in the world, and that there’s no “some say“ about it.

While new sport climbing areas regularly take the limelight as the latest ‘must visit’ destinations, seldom is the quality of routes found on the limestone crags of southern France matched. In the same way that newly publicised bouldering areas are inevitably compared to Fontainebleau, so areas in the South of France such as Céüse and Buoux are the quality benchmarks of sport climbing. It’s not uncommon to hear of newly developed crags being described lavishly – “it’s as good as Céüse”, or more modestly assessed – “brilliant, but no Buoux”.

Céüse is north of Sisteron and south of Gap in the Haute Provence. It has beautifully pocketed limestone rock, outstanding lines and is situated in a beautiful location. The majority of the 350 routes are single pitch and the rock climbing varies enormously from overhanging jug feasts to steep technical walls.  The routes have a reputation for requiring lots of stamina and the need to have  the ability to climb between good but well spaced bolts and range from F5a to F9a+, although the majority are in the range of F6b to F7c.

An added advantage to climbing at Céüse is that it is at an altitude of over 1,600m. This means that the ideal time to climb here is from late spring through to the autumn as it never gets as hot as it does further south.

Be warned though, the walk-in is arduous – about one hour on a long steep trail and August can be very busy.

Buoux is the other classic. Some call it the most beautiful climbing area in France. Located near Apt in the Luberon, Provence, its cliffs are famous worldwide and it is the mecca for hard sport climbing. The magnificent straight rock walls (from 30 to 120 metres high) still welcome the top names in national and international rock-climbing.

Adding to its charms is the fact that it is a vast climbing region with 31 parts to it, all well bolted. You can find routes with 5 pitches with about 30m to a pitch.

The climbing is excellent and the compact limestone offers distant pockets and technical challenges. Most of the routes include overhangs and vertical walls. There are more than 200 routes that are ideal for intermediate climbers graded 6a to 6c, but, of the more than 1,000 routes, popular opinion is that the best routes start at 7a and up. These are extremely technical though and you need to be super fit to challenge them. Some of the classics of the region inlude: La Rose de Sable 7a, No Man’s Land 7a+, Reve du Papillon 8a.  There are only a few routes under the level of 5c.

You can climb all year at Buoux but bearing in mind that this is Provence and renowned for its hot hot hot summers, the best times to climb are April – May and September – November.

It is 52 kms from Aix-en-Provence and 188kms from St. Tropez – if that helps at all! Or 81 kms from Marseille airport… that bit of advice might be a bit more practical…

It is difficult to say which are the best cliffs in Provence as there are so many in a relatively small area – a region that spans between Aix-En-Provence, Marseille, Nice, and the Verdon… an area that can be crossed in about 2 and a half hours.

However, Mont St. Victoire, near Aix-en-Provence and famously painted a thousand times by the Impressionists, has some great crags. There is sport climbing at the bottom of the cliff, but there are also many numerous and beautiful slabs. This mountain is the home of at least a thousand routes. The top part of this high cliff has some long routes with old equipment, which are not too popular, apart from “Le grand parcours”. Climbing Mont St. Victoire requires  tight shoes and steel fingers. It is the ultimate challenge and if you climb here enough your confidence will increase.

If you enjoy climbing this type of climbing you will love the more exposed routes at the Gorge du Verdon.

The Calanques between Marseille and Cassis are also a great place to go.

Spread out across the 20 km of coastline there  are more than 1,500 separate pitches, some known to many and some gems known only to a few. People come down to climb the perfect limestone above the crashing waves of the Mediterrarean. The Calanques have an extremely fragile eco-system though, so please please treat it thoughtfully and considerately.

The Dentelles de Montmirail near Avignon is a sport climbing region with one to three pitches. The Dentelles are parallel chains of limestone peaks and pinnacles. It’s a paradise for rock climbing with a lot of well bolted routes and some adventure areas too. They offer a north and a south side to the same steep walls, but in summer the south side is too hot and in winter the north side is too cold for climbing!

Divided into several separate ridges, the routes range from short tough climbs to moderate multi-pitch routes.The different sectors are all within close proximity of each other. Les Dentailles are situated slap bang in the middle of the Cote du Rhone wine area making your stay there a combination of energetic climbing and laid back wine tasting. What more could you possibly want?

The Verdon gorge (in Europe a ‘gorge’ is a canyon) has some of the best limestone rock climbing anywhere in the world combined with a unique, grandiose atmosphere. The spectacular gorges are  Provençe’s equivalent to America’s Grand Canyon.There are many here who say it is more beautiful with its blue-grey limestone sweeping down to the startling coloured turquoise river below. It is certainly Europe’s most beautiful canyon at about 25 kilometers long and up to 700 meters deep.

The limestone walls, which are several hundreds of meters high, attract many rock climbers with its variety of small sport crags to big walls that are both bolted and with traditional protection that requires plenty of commitment. It is considered an outstanding destination for multi-pitch climbing. There are routes encompassing cracks, pillars and seemingly endless walls. The climbing is generally of a technical nature, and there are over 1,500 routes, ranging from 20m to over 400m. There is not much to climb under 5.9.

As one climber in the Verdon recounts: “The walls are steep (rarely less than 90 degrees and sometimes overhanging) and the climbing is very sustained.   A typical 5.10 pitch involves long sequences of moves at that grade, making the climbing physically demanding with a serious, exposed feel.  It’s as if the wall is trying to push you off…  All that being said, I loved it.”

That’s enough info for one day I think… perhaps you’d better plan a trip to the south of France and test out these areas for yourself!

We love climbing and have discussed and explored many different styles and places to climb, but we haven’t, to date, given much time to BOULDERING. It’s now time to put the record straight and compare bouldering to traditional climbing.

Very basically bouldering means ropeless climbing on large boulders or small cliffs which are usually less than 15ft high. It is just you and the rock – although a decent pair of climbing shoes are a worthwhile investment. That and a chalk bag, and if you really don’t want a bruised body then perhaps a crash pad too! But no further equipment is needed.

Bouldering allows you to climb difficult routes, known as ‘problems’, close to the ground and with minimal risk of injury. This video of Banana Finger at Burbage North, the Peak District, (lagerstarfish) is a good example:

It doesn’t look that difficult but some problems can be really extreme and depending on your skill you can choose whether you are able to work on a difficult problem, or opt for something easier.

A difficult problem is generally a series of extreme moves and it is unlikely that you will solve a problem on your first attempt – it might take several attempts before you manage this. But each problem makes you smarter and more competent at analising a sequence of moves and eventually conquering them.

You can boulder virtually anywhere in the world, but Fontainebleau in France, has been used as a bouldering area since the 1870s and has almost continuously remained at the centre of the world bouldering scene since the 1930s.

It is a unique region as there are so many desirable characteristics all in one area: a large number of classic problems at all grades on quality sandstone rock – including classic moderates, and generally there are excellent soft and sandy landings. As I noted above, Fontainebleau has been the centre of bouldering for more than a hundred years and it is probable that the first ascents of problems graded at 4, 5, 6 and 7 happened here. There is still much potential for development, but the subtle nature of the problems which require clever footwork, body position and good technique, keeps this region at the head of their game. Success, here, is as much a mental workout  as it is a physical one, and as a result it is supremely satisfying to any boulderer. Check out this video from ivamo.

Fontainebleau is only 90kms south of  Paris and most of the boulders are in the forests surrounding the town which makes it a very attractive location. You can boulder here all year round as there will always be either shade or sun depending on the season – it’s only the rain that will stop you.

Colour-coded circuits have been developed that lead you from boulder problem to boulder problem and there are thousands of them for every level of rock climber. The yellow circuits are for inexperienced climbers; the orange, blue and red circuits for intermediate climbers; and white and black circuits offer the top end bouldering experience where brute strength is sometimes required. But that is not all, there are also many individual extreme problems outside of the circuits, which are generally graded at Font 8a and above… a challenge for even the most experienced boulderers.

Bleau.info is probably the website to visit for more information on the variety of problems on offer at Fontainebleau as they have thousand of pages on climbing information and easy-to-use interactive maps with such diverse information as climbing areas, carparks, starts of bouldering circuits, coordinates of individual boulders, camping areas, cheap hotels, RER and SNCF railway stations, and the boulder gym in case it rains.

Bouldering is definitely something you do with friends. Although very much an individual sport your friends are there to offer advice and might even be kind enough to break a fall! It is considered to be a fun and challenging day out.

Now if you want to see poetry in motion, have a look at this video of Dave Graham, probably one of the most elite boulderers out there, climbing Dreamtime (treebierd):

Bouldering is considered an extreme sport and where there is an extreme sport there is always an element of danger. While a climbing pursuit in itself, bouldering is also a way to practice new techniques, skills, and moves and this will inevitably make you stronger for climbing roped routes.

I was hoping to but it doesn’t look like I’m going to be able to make it now. But there’s no reason why you can’t!

So what happens in Melloblocco and where is it anyway?

It is a  world-class bouldering area in the Val di Mello, Northern Italy, north-east of Milan and is one of the most amazing climbing valleys in the world. The majority of the bouldering is on either excellent granite, gneiss or limestone rock, across a wide range of grades.  There is so much rock around that there is enormous potential for setting new routes/problems.

There are short routes with easy access and complex routes of up to 20 pitches with a 2 hour access hike. Climbing is mostly a combination of trad and bolted slabs, and most of the routes require trad gear and experience.

Melloblocco is the closest thing you’ll get to to a festival in honour of climbing. From Thursday to Sunday, the 6th to the 9th May, 2010, people from all over the world will rendez-vous in the peaceful haven of Melloblocco … like-minded people who love bouldering and climbing and appreciate it when all this is thrown in with breath-taking wilderness and magnificent scenery.

It is a festival about climbing, and has parties, presentations, exhibitions, field tests, meetings, aperitifs and more. Not to be missed is the  traditional Saturday-night Party hosted by the official event sponsors, La Sportiva. It will be an awesome weekend.

The number of foreign climbers that reached the event last year show that Melloblocco is well and truly on the map. Last year more than 2,500 registered climbers from all over Italy and 37 different countries were joined by at least another 3000 boulderers on the fourth and final day of the biggest bouldering meeting ever held.

This is the kid that amazed and impressed everyone last year (superspini):

At 17 years old and from the Czech Republic, Adam Ondra (born 1993) is a climbing phenomenon and already has an impressive climbing history behind him. In late 2006 he climbed Martin Krpan in Osp, probably making him the youngest person ever to climb a 9a/5.14d sport route.  In early 2008 he climbed La Rambla (otherwise known as La Rambla original  or La Rambla extension) in Siurana, Spain, a sport route accepted as 9a+/5.15a. He also climbed La Novena Enmienda, 9a+/5.15a, located in Santa Linya and in 2010, he climbed his first 9b graded climb, Golpe de Estado in Siurana, Spain… to name but a few of his conquests.

Champion climbers, passionate boulderers and beginners will all be meeting here.

So if you’ve got a few days due to you, I’d catch a plane to Milan, then a train from Milan Central Station (Mi C.le) to Morbegno which takes about 1:40 h and costs around €7.50. From there you will take one of the buses which will deliver you to S. Martino. This will take 50 minutes and cost about € 2,50. No cars are allowed in the Val di Mello National Park – it is pristine wilderness and they wish it to remain so.

And if you’re wondering what to do with the kids this weekend… there’s something for them too. Mellobaby starts on Friday morning at 10.00 a.m. and there are already 65 children enrolled between the ages of 3 – 13. Children from abroad are welcomed … so what are you waiting for???

If you need any further information or coercion please go directly to the Melloblocco International Boulder Meeting site…

Le Grand Bornand in the Haute Savoie, France, is a summer playground not to be ignored. It is a traditional French Alpine village and a popular winter and summer resort. The region is proud of its farming heritage and human population is still outnumbered by the livestock in this valley! Long may that continue…

Access Plan Le Grand Bornand

There is something for everyone, from those who want to experience a variety of extreme sports to those who just want to chill out:

• mountain biking
• mountain walking
• mountain climbing
• canoe/kayaking
• forest high ropes course
• canyoning
• horse riding
• paragliding
• white river rafting
• river kayaking
• downhill scooters

… to name but a few. All the normal things too of course: golf, tennis, swimming, etc.

It is a surprisingly low resort considering it’s probably best known as a ski resort – just 1,000 m, but blessed with a micro-climate which ensures good snow in the winter – and perfect weather in the summer. The region is protected by the majestic Aravis mountain range.

During the summer months this region pulsates with national and international sports and activities and the Chinaillon and Bouchet Valleys form a magnificent playground for walkers  – whether in the alpine pastures or along the Bargy-Jalouvre ridges.

There’s some good rock-climbing here too.

In fact there’s pretty well everything you could possibly want to do…

There’s too much to talk about in just one article, it would be serious information overload, so today I’ll stick to climbing and hiking…

There are an abundance of mountain trails and rock-climbing possibilities in the 35 km long Aravis range. Some of the 90 ski lifts in the region remain open in summer to provide quick access.

90km of marked hiking tracks and trails can be found throughout the Aravis region, with scenery varying between cool fresh forests, lush green fields, or a climb to overlook rock formations, each one  as beautiful as the next. The trails are well-maintained and clearly sign- posted  for the intrepid hiker. Many of the mountain restaurants and refuges remain open throughout the summer.

Mont Charvet, 2,538 m, Pointe de Tardevant,2,501,m and Pointe de Mandallaz,  2,277 m are great areas for hiking. The routes are well marked.

Climbers have an equally good bargain. The Savoie and Haute Savoie offer an extremely wide range of rock types and climbing styles, from the world famous Chamonix granite of the Mont-Blanc Range to the limestones and dolomites of the Pre-Alps and the Vanoise. Other less common rock types include compact quartzite, shiny schist, rough gneiss and the beautiful conglomerate of the Beaufortain.

The Aravis range boasts a large number of rock climbing areas, whether for bouldering, single-pitch cragging, multi-pitch routes, big walls or ridge climbs and all on limestone.

The routes are manageable and numerous.

Rocher des Aravis is a climbing cliff located deep in the heart of the Aravis range. It is made up of limestone and is compact and solid. The cliff provides up to 3 pitches. It is a good base for practicing and offers a great opportunity to work on your rope manipulation. There are some more technical routes at level 7. The area is generally quiet and peaceful, and its a good place to go warm up before taking on more challenging climbs. If you’re into that sort of thing you will be interested to know that there is a Via Ferrata nearby:

Les Pointes Longues, 2,451 m is great for climbing. It is a 4b – 6b climb with 7 routes and up to 7 pitches.

Pointe Percée is 2,750 m high and is near La Clusaz and Le Grand Bornand. It is considered by some to be the best climbing spot in the Aravis range. There are 30 routes, up to 12 pitches and the degree of difficulty ranges between 4b to 7b+.  On the east side of Pointe Percée there is a magnificent wall called “Paroi de Gramusset”. The name comes from the hut found at its base. the wall is beautiful limestone, but beware as some bits can be loose. You can park at le Col des Annes near Le Grand Bornand and then hike 400m to the Gramusset hut. Another 30 minutes will get you to the bottom of the cliff.

Col des Aravis is 1,486 m high. There are 97 routes, up to 3 pitches and grades from 3a to 8a.

And then there’s the Pointe de Merdassier at 2,313 m.

Pointe de la Blonnière, accessed from Col des Aravis, has 1 nice route to climb called “L’Arête à Marion”. It is 300 m, 13 pitches and up to 5b in difficulty.

Paroi de Borderan, also accessed from Col des Aravis, has 18 routes, up to 8 pitches and ranges from 3c to 7b.

The Pointe de Chombas, which is accessed from Le Grand Bornand, has 5 routes, up to 6 pitches and ranges from 5b to 6b+.

There is another type of climbing available in this region. Called Via Ferrata, this type of climbing was invented by the Italian army in the First World War when they needed to get across the mountains undetected and in a hurry. It means ‘Way of Iron’ and is popular in the Aravis range. There are 3 routes: Le Grand Bornand, La Clusaz and Thones. Basically, they are mountain routes fitted out with cables, hand rails, rungs and foot bridges. With vertical ascents of over 750 metres you can experience exposed climbs even if you’re new to the sport. And if you are new to this sport, the good news is that you’re fastened on to a safety cable at all times with a special shock-absorbing device on your harness!

Embarking on a Via Ferrata without alpine equipment and experience of any kind could be a bit dangerous. You will need a sit-harness, or full harness, with screw-gate karabiner, a helmet,
two 9 mm rope sections with shock-absorber and 2 wide-aperture autolock-gate karabiners. With this sort of equipment, you do need to know how to work it. And you must never use a tape sling or a rope loop. The small print assures you that in the event of a fall the use of this equipment will kill you!

A good place to try out this activity for the first time would be the Via Ferrata at Col des Aravis. It is a beautiful route and  will take  about 3 hours  to complete. The bonus is it offers magnificent views over the Col des Aravis.

The Via Ferrata of Jalouvre is longer, taking about 5 hours to do, and is above the Col de la Colombiere.

The Via Ferrata at Thones is  technically the most difficult of the three. You will need some mountaineering knowledge to do this one, and a good physical level of fitness.

And, if nothing yet has been extreme enough, you could end your visit with the challenging Aguille Vert. At 4,122 m high, it  provides magnificent views across to Mont Blanc. It is one of the most prominent mountains of the Mont Blanc range and, with its huge ridges, is definitely one of the most beautiful. However, when I said challenging – I meant it,  it is the most difficult peak in the 4,000 m range to climb in the Alps. Besides the famous couloirs (NE and NW), the most beautiful route is probably the traverse Sans Nom – Jardin Ridge, but even the Moine Ridge (SW ridge) is not easy. The Aguille Vert was first climbed by E. Whymper with C. Almer and F. Biner on 29th June 1865.

And if, after all this, you want a day off, there is, of course, the beautiful town of Annecy only half an hour away, with its historical streets, wonderful shops and lakeside activities to lose yourself in. Alternatively, Chamonix, the Mont Blanc, the Mer de Glace glacier, the Aiguille du Midi are only an hour away.

What more could you possibly want on a holiday? The sea perhaps? Well, obviously not, if you’ve chosen to head to the mountains!!!

postscript: I am indebted to www.summitpost.org for a lot of the climbing information. I was able to find plenty of information on everything else, there is a wealth of information about what you can do in the Grand Bornand area, but very little detailed information on actual climbs, so thank you.

Another extreme location, another extreme vacation…

The Cotahuasi Canyon in southern Peru is the deepest canyon in the world – 3501m or 11,488 ft. It is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States, but the canyon’s walls are not as vertical as those of the Grand Canyon.

The Canyon is covered with unexplored Incan and Wari ruins. In antiquity, this canyon was the most direct route from Cusco to the Pacific and was used by the Inca for trade with the coast. There are many Inca and pre-Inca terraces remaining, and still cultivated, along the less precipitous canyon walls.

Over the years the old Inca trails have deteriorated and now the best way to explore the canyon is by rafting down the class 3-5 rapids that separate the ruins – this will take 6 days.

You can drive down to the village of Cotahuasi, an extreme journey in itself with its torturous switchbacks, but, since we are into extreme sports and extreme vacations – we would prefer to hike down – following old Inca trails where possible. It is about a 10-hr hike down to the bottom of the canyon and be prepared for the heat – 40 degrees at the bottom.

The large network of ancient trails that connect all the villages makes a wide variety of day hikes or multi day loop hikes possible, depending on your interests and style of adventure. There are challenging climbs up steep ridges, craters and 16,000 to 17,000 ft peaks. And then of course, there’s the opportunity of white-water rafting.

Very little was known about this area and even less about the canyon until a kayak/raft expedition first ran it in 1994. It is considered one of the most dangerous rivers in the world with its combination of icy cold waters and Class 5 rapids.

Very few people have rapided this river, which makes it that much more of an extreme vacation and an extreme challenge. The river flows from 12,000 ft in the Andes, West to the Pacific Ocean. The Canyon was the only link between Cusco, the ancient Inca capital, and the Pacific Ocean.

The adrenaline rush experienced during a 6-day Class IV-V white water rafting trip on the rapids of the Cotahuasi River will be an experience indeed – a non-stop, heart pounding descent, through 80 miles of continuous class 4 technical whitewater. The class 5’s are scouted before running them and some are walked around.

An added bonus is that the canyon is a place of great natural beauty. As stated above, it is the deepest canyon in the world and yet, just 24kms (15 miles) to the southeast, the Nevado Ampato, a snow-capped extinct volcano, rises to 6,288m (20,630 ft). It is also home to the endangered Andean Condor.

This challenging expedition encompasses real adventure with the natural wonders and fascinating ancient history of the region. If I have given you any ideas for an extreme vacation – bon voyage!

“The beauty of the Andean landscape is sublime because of the extreme simplicity of its forms, the classic stillness of its lines, the vastness of its immensity, the profound gravity of its balanced coloring, generally of dark hues, and its infinite solitude.” wrote scientist, Hans Meyer

Ben Fogle and his team have finished their Mount Chimborazo expedition, and it made very interesting watching.

If you don’t know who Ben Fogle is – he is the man on British TV who has a programme called ‘Extreme Dreams’. He takes a team of 5 people and together they conquer, or try to conquer, something extroadinary and extreme. The team of 5 will not have done the challenge before, and most times will have done nothing in the extreme adventure line before either.

Anyway, I’m here to tell you more facts that I gleaned about Mount Chimborazo, and not more about Ben Fogle… much as I enjoy the programme!

Having said that I have to tell you quickly that Fogle said that Chimborazo was one of the most extreme journey’s he’s ever been on – and he has done some incredible things, so it is a mountain worthy of a challenge, but also a mountain which can exact it’s revenge on you – so please beware if you are thinking of summitting it.

The mountain and surrounding countryside are a hostile environment with some seriously punishing terrain and climatic conditions. It is absolutely necessary to focus on the final challenge – the summit, but admit defeat if the summit becomes impossible. Summit fever is a dangerous thing and can make people obsess beyond their body’s capabilities, thereby endangering everyone they climb with.

You can either hike in to Chimborazo, which is a good opportunity to acclimatize your body, but can take up to 7 days – quite a hike. Many people choose the easier and quicker option of catching a cab to the first refuge! After all, it’s easier to climb a mountain when the guide drives you to 4574m (15,000 ft) .

However, catching a cab or a lift with your guide does not make the last 1,708m (5,600 ft) or so any less difficult. It’s the fact that the air is missing half of its oxygen that makes it difficult to move up there… it’s a hard slog and the glaciers start a short walk from the hut, so hiking soon becomes mountaineering.

This mountain, in its exposed and brutal landscape, will test you to the limit. Not only do you have to contend with altitude sickness, but, from the first base camp, you need to break the altitude barrier of 5,488m (18,000 ft) before the final challenge of the summit at nearly 6,403m (21,000 ft) above sea level, and traverse one scary 30m ridge with a 1,000m drop on either side… in the dark! and these are just some of the challenges you have to face.

The summit is only a few hundred metres below the death zone where a body cannot survive. The extreme cold and the altitude are a double whammy.

Remember in my last article that I told you that Chimborazo, at it’s peak, is the furthest point from the center of the Earth. Our planet bulges at the equator, making Mount Chimborazo even futher out there than Everest. It has the distinction of being the closest point to the sun on the planet, and yet still the coldest place in Ecuador.

The graveyard, near Base Camp, is a testament to the unpredictability of all high places. Chimborazo is very high, it randomly drops large rocks on you, and has weather that changes by the minute.

It is advisable to leave for the summit – almost 1km vertically above High Hut – at about 10p.m. You want to watch the sunrise at the summit and then GET OFF the mountain ‘before she wakes up’ – and she wakes up at 9 a.m.

You need to be OFF the summit by 7 a.m.

This means you are making your final challenge on the mountain in the dark, so your challenge is not only against achieving the summit but against time.

If you achieve the summit, you only have time for a quick handshake and a couple of photographs before returning quickly – as soon as the sun comes up it starts melting the glacier and you can actually hear water running under the ice and the ominous sounds of cracking. As you descend you can hear rocks falling out of the ice above as the sun melts it…

Not a pretty thought as you scramble down!

If you want to climb Mount Chimborazo, your cheapest option is to wait until you get to Ecuador to make arrangements. Talk to almost any hotel owner or manager in Riobamba, and he or she will find a guide for you. It will be cheaper, too, if you are part of a group, of course.