UKC

I'm after some advice about a climbing trip through France and potentially Spain (if we have time), we've got just under two weeks and booked a ferry to and from Roscoff leaving on the 29th of August. We're hoping to do both trad and sport climbing but not really into bouldering. If anyone has a suggested route that takes us down through France and maybe Spain I would really appreciate it! We're also keen to do a bit of canyoning and via ferratta if anyone knows any good places! Cheers!

In reply to jemmaflower:

Annot for trad maybe:

http://www.gdargaud.net/Climbing/Annot.html

In reply to jemmaflower: Pen Hir (Brittany) is one of the few places in France with both sport & trad - seemed very reminiscent of Cornwall on my only visit several years ago.

From there I guess you could travel southwards to the Dordogne (all sport I think) & then the Pyrenees

Unfortunately there's not much climbing in the north of France (especially if you don't want to go to Fontainebleau to boulder) - if you hadn't already booked I'd have suggested heading straight to the Dijon area before going further south into Provence, then heading back via the Vosges

In reply to Morgan Woods:

Great link - thanks.

jcm

In reply to jemmaflower: http://www.ffme.fr/escalade/page/falaises-et-sites-naturels-d-escalade-d-es...

This link will list many places to climb in France.

I can recommend Ceou, near Castelnaud in the Dordogne. The topo is sold in the campsite shop, below the crag.
It will be hot this time of the year.

The Vercours has some good crags - near Grenoble.

Spain will be hot too. If you go there you will probably want to be up in the Pyrenees. There is some decent sport climbing in the valleys above Benasque. Guide books available in the big climbing shop called Barrabes, in the main street through Benasque.

If bad weather comes in, there is good climbing at Terradets, Villanova De Meia and Rodellar, further south.

Barrabes will probably have guidebooks to these crags as well.

In reply to jemmaflower: If you've only got 2 weeks, don't bother with Spain, you'll waste too much time on the road (and it'll be very hot). I'd head down to the south of France in one push, Annot is good suggestion, loverly place but I only bouldered there, it's also close to Verdon (amazing place, bolted routes but you need more of a trad head on). You're also close to some great sport crags such as Orpierre and Chateauvert (highly recommended for all grades), and the Calanques has some fantastic trad/semi-bolted multi-pitch routes near the sea or on the sea cliffs around Marseille. All these places are only a few hours apart so you have plenty of choice and you can chase the good weather if the worst happens.

In reply to jemmaflower: Don't forget if you are driving on the continent you will need two of those folding hazard warning signs and luminous jackets for everyone in the car

In reply to Al Evans: And a bulb pack, headlight beam deflectors (maybe not breathalysers anymore?).

Hey guys, thanks for the advice so far! I've got a driving in Europe pack with all of the above and more so I'm covered on that front.

I've had a look at a potential route and have been able to book a few more days of holiday and we now have 16 days to play with! :-D

This is my rough plan so far...

Roscoff- Geneva- Chamonix- Turin- Barcelona- Pyreenes- Bordeaux- Roscoff

Please let me know if you have any tips or suggestions! :-D

Thanks!

In reply to jemmaflower: you dont have enough time to go to spain aswell. Better of just oicking a few destinations. Iv just done a month in france and we set off thinking we would do spain italy and Switzerland. No chance. With just two weeks if you want to go as far as spain and you want to go yo many places you wont get much done. Also dont underestimate how much driving for long periods affects your ability to exersise. It tires you out major!
Have fun!

In reply to 1poundSOCKS:

and gaelic in france and chroizo in spain

In reply to jemmaflower: This place is a great stop-off en route.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=10368
Not sure what grades you're looking for but there's a good range.

In reply to jemmaflower: 16 days and 8 locations. Fine if you want to do a bit of climbing and see lots of places, but if you want to do lots of climbing (and canyoning and via-ferrata)...

In reply to jemmaflower:
I agree with the others, that's quite the itinerary for just two weeks. However, here are a few spots to think about. The Ardeche is beautiful. There are some great limestone on north facing crags so good in the summer heat. You can also canoe down the warm river. It's very nice, i was there in July.
Ceuse near Gap is a bit higher and an amazing place to climb. There are plenty of fantastic crags in the south west and nice little towns for rest days. You could easily spend two weeks just there.
There is bouldering in Annot too: http://abloc.org/index.php If you're there you ought to go to Verdon.
Check out this page for a bit of info for France: http://www.climb-europe.com/RockClimbingFrance.htm
Nice granite around Chamonix and it's awesome there.
Have a great time.