UKC

I am looking at a holiday in France this June with my family and friends. We need a location where the climbing is half decent and there are other activities such as horse riding, canoeing and preferably some towns to visit as well.

I have climbed in the Tarn a few times, which is good because the climbing is single pitch and suits half days here and there, however its a bit isolated and I think my wife might get a bit bored.

Verdon the climbing is multi pitch and long and doesn't suit half days, and also a bit isolated

Ardeche I like and would suit everyone else, but the climbing was crap as I recall.

Are there other areas in France anyone could suggest? we will already be stopping at Font on the way.

Thanks for your help

In reply to sparkass2:

Annecy? Plenty of climbing nearby. A Lake and lots of nearby towns.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/map/#main
Try searching Dorgogne.

In reply to marsbar:

Dordogne ??

In reply to sparkass2:

Yes the area round lake Annecy has a lot to offer, not least a dozen scrambly little peaks, not sure of any satisfying climbing though. Ceuse is an obvious alternative, especially if you stay near Gap (camping Alpes-Dauphine) canoeing nearby, windsurfing on Lac Serre Poncon, horseriding in the Champsaur above Gap which is a delightful county town. I think there is even better canoeing further up the main valley from a base in Embrun - I remember seeing a group camping near there. The tourism office in Gap will have all the relevant info.

In reply to sparkass2:

Crap climbing in the Ardeche? Really?

Which crags did you visit and what grades are you after?

There's some great cragging in the Ardeche...

In reply to LeeWood:

That would be better

I was almost asleep last night...

In reply to sparkass2:

Went to the Dordogne with my family last year - plenty of climbing and loads of other stuff to do, such as canoeing, nice swimming lakes, good restaurants and so on. Highly recommend it.

In reply to altirando:

No? Not even in the guidebook '40 Falaises autour de Lac Annecy'? http://www.camptocamp.org/books/461271/fr/40-falaises-autour-d-annecy

And in reply to sparkass2:


You are kidding! There's miles and miles of world class climbing in the Ardeche.

In reply to sparkass2:


The problem with good climbing spots is they do tend to be a bit isolated! I would suggest the Drome as a bit of a compromise, Buis les Barronies is surrounded with medium sized crags and the town is pretty enough, then maybe move to around Crest and the Drome valley, splendid walking and climbing... as already said there's climbing everywhere and scenery to take your breath away. Most of the local Maisons de Tourisme have web sites and list the family style activities like canoeing, riding etc. It's limestone climbing and you need to have a reasonable level to get the best out of it.

In reply to sparkass2:

Ardeche......Crap???????????????

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

I'll second this. The climbing around Buis is good and very user friendly and very family orientated. There's a cracking via ferrata just opened too.
If you want to canoe you're only 1h30 away from Vallon Pont d'Arc in the Ardeche. It will be reasonably quiet in June and not like the Canadian Log Jams you get in August.
There's dozens of Equestrian centres too.
You're only an hour from Avignon where the Pope's palace is well worth a visit.
Other good sightseeing would include Pont du Gard about an hour away and The Fontaine du Vaucluse also about an hour away.

E

In reply to sparkass2:

Have you considered the Pyrenees Catalan? Better weather than the central Pyrenees, great choice of bolted granite 10 mins as well as limestone not too far away. Just below our gite in Les Angles, at Lac de Matermale there is a watersport centre plus high ropes course, horse riding, mountain biking etc. Via ferata 20 mins away. Rafting and canyonning 1 hour away, beach on Med just 90 mins away. Targasonne, 2nd best bouldering site in France just 25mins away. Lots of Cathar castles, lakes, Andorra, Barcelona (Montserrat) not too far so have a look at our site www.pyrenean-trails.com and send me a pm for more info.

In reply to jon:

Shows I am no longer in that market! It seems to be a choice between cliffs and rivers, or mountains. Briancon is another possibility, couple of vfs near there I think.

In reply to Christheclimber:

I just remember it being a bit polished and the routes not as great as the Verdon or Tarn. Maybe I didn't go the right crags. Can you recommend a good guide? good crags?

thanks

Rob

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

Yeah I realise this on the isolation. I think the Verdon would be an option for other activities as there is the lakes etc? Its just when I last went I was free and single with no sprogs so I only climbed.

The issue is I risk my wife thinking I engineered the entire holiday around climbing. However she does owe me one after I spent a week in Barcelona last August with a 6 month old baby.

In reply to sparkass2:
If you find a nice "gite" to rent near a town like Buy les Barronies just relaxing as the breeze comes down through the olive groves will keep any but the hardest companions happy. I have family who used to rent out a couple of houses and we stayed there once, it was idyllic. I couldn't climb as my wife doesn't and the children were too young for the fairly technical steep climbing in the area but even so there are amazing walks along virtually deserted valleys and ridges, through the lavender fields and olive groves or vineyards lower down going through amazing villages perched on the hillsides, with clear rivers for bathing in in the cooler depths. The towns are historic and mostly well conserved with street markets certain days and plenty of shops all week... all under a brilliant blue sky. Paradise on earth.

Here are some photos, Buis is from about half way down until the seaside photos:

http://www.windmillweb.info/various/Vacances%202007/index.html

PS. I'm not working for the tourist board, honest.

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

Hey Bruce,

I really appreciate your help, sounds fantastic. How does it compare to the Verdon?

In reply to sparkass2:

I haven't been to Verdun but from what I've seen in photos there is nothing to match the Verdun gorge, it's less extreme, more "familial".