UKC

Hi

We are heading to France for a kayaking trip but would like to get some sport climbing in aswell. We will be in the Durance Valley, Hautes Alps. I believe there is load of crags round there. Can anyone recommend a specific crag that particularly stands out with routes in the 5s and 6s.

Thanks

loz

In reply to bud the dog:

Standout would be Ailefroide, up the road a bit past the Gyr. Hard to describe it's awesomeness for climbing/walking/relaxing.

For the crags near Durance think low key, lots of small crags with easy (and harder) routes with few people. You can buy a guidebook at lots of the sports/outdoor shops over there. As an example camping du lac at Roche de Rame where we would often stay has a couple of bolted routes in the campsite and in the cafe in the village there is an F8a you could belay from the cafe window.

Well worth doing via ferratta in the area, but concentrate on paddline - you can climb good stuff in the UK

In reply to bud the dog:

Hi Loz

I live just about the Gyronde and the Durance, I moved here for the climbing but I do paddle as well.

this area is an amazing area for climbing, they have just this month released the new sports climbing guide (with a new name Briancon climbs) there are over 3300 routes over four different rock types from 3C to 9A, (there is a big wall/alpine rock guide book as well)I am not sure what the other poster means by low key? but there are some extensive areas with 100's of routes?
Ailefroide is a very good area mainly granite slabs, a mix of multi pitch and single all bolted, there is also a lot of bouldering (it feels very hard for the grade) its high up in the Vallouise valley, it is very spectacular to see, its one of the well know venues and can get busy, but that rarely takes away from it.

I would also recommend looking at Rocher Baron this is a quartzite crag with 3 secteurs mainly 5 and 6's very very nice or casse de prelles a simular crag on the other side of the valley (avoid secteur 1 its not the best) 4 others to go at.

or mont Dauphine this is a conglomerate crag loots of 6's and a few 5's very nice.

so many options, one or two of the older crags in the book are getting a bit polished but out of 80+ venues I can only think of 3 or 4, not sure if the new guide is available in the uk, you could buy the old one from needle sports, please get in touch if you would like any more information about venues, water level etc

cheers Rob

In reply to ecrinscollective:

Thanks Rob and philip

We are heading over there on the 22nd may can't wait really looking forward to it. Our main goal is to concentrate on the kayaking but to do a bit of climbing as well. I nice crag were we can just role up to and tick some routes will be ace, I will check out the crags you have mentioned. Rob, do you think the rivers will be high when we come over I believe the snow pack is good this year. I am told the rivers can be high at this time of the year SPICY!

Thanks

Loz

In reply to ecrinscollective:

I'm aware there is a lot of mountain and alpine style climbing, but I like the OP would often climb after paddling one or 2 river sections as an additional activity. Most of the crags I climbed at were small single or low number of pitches within a short walk from the Briancon/Embrum road. Often no-one else there and decent unpolished routes. Fairly different to a lot of the other dedicated Mediterranean sport areas I've been to.

In reply to bud the dog:

What would be a good time of year to visit? Is anything climabale in the summer?

In reply to bud the dog:
Hi Loz

have a look at the crags I said about, if you let me know where your staying I can let you know what is good close by, as for water we have had a lot of snow this year but it has been very warm so maybe not as much as years gone by, it is warm here in the day but cold at night at the moment so the big melt hasn't started yet, it normally kick off end of May or early June hence that is the high water time, depending on the speed of the melt depends how epic it can, if the melt hasn't really kicked in you could have low to medium water? if you drop me a email nearer the time i can let you know whats happening? best to contact me through my site
dream-trails.com.

ps you can also pick up a free via ferrata guide in a few outdoor shops, if you fancy a change?

Philip
sorry if it sounded I was having a go, just seamed a strange way to describe the area, there are lots of alpine and 300meter+ multi pitch routes bolted and trad but they are in another guidebook, glad you enjoyed the climbing you did here.

wbo
summer is a great time to climb here, the area has a med climate and boasts 300 days of sunshine a year ( i think this is a little optimistic but we do get a lot of sun) in summer mid 30 is norm, so if you like the sun great, or a lot of crags and sectuers are shady also the single pitch crags range in altitude from 950m to 2300m so you can go higher if hot, and one a two you can climb if wet,
you can climb here year roundish in mid winter on sunny day there are lower crags that are great, but i wouldn't come here just for rock climbing then, maybe mix ski or ice as well, march and april are normally nice we have been climbing most days since mid feb this year, end of april and start of may can be cooler and some times wet most years, summer i have said about, i really like september and october, its a little cooler and the alps are stunning as they change colour and no one here.

Will
below is the link to needle sport it looks like they are stocking the new book as well.
http://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Books-Maps-DVDs/Foreign-Climbing-Guid...

hope that all makes sense ( i am quite dyslexic) if any one wont's more info on the area please get in touch
i have photos of the area on my facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/dreamtrails

cheers Rob

In reply to ecrinscollective:

Thanks agian Rob, I will e mail you once a know more.

Loz

In reply to bud the dog:

Stayed in Guillestre (lovely little town) last June, unfortunately didn't climb cos mate had to rush home for a family crisis. But did lots of walking & mountain biking with the wife, went past lots of crags which look good, le ponteil looked really good. Do a search on logbooks crag search or get a guide book from the local syndicat.
Am not a paddler myself, but what I saw from some of the rivers looked awesome (terrifying in my eyes) and the number of kayakers bore testament to that.

Al

In reply to ecrinscollective:
Hi, I am coming out next week staying in Eygliers for sport climbing with my partner, there seems to be a few multi-pitch routes in the guide, is it necessary to take a second rope for those?
Cheers, Iain

In reply to Gael Force:

Hi Iain

I have listed the main multi pitch crags from the sports cragging guide book, and said if they are a walk off or rappel, at some of the single pitch venues there are some climb marked as two pitch routes that can be linked with a long rope 80m+ or have a mid point lower off so you can uses it as a stop off point on the way down to reset the lower.

the weather is not great at the moment we have had lots of rain the last few day so the rivers are up, the forecast is to get better at the weekend but maybe the odd shower going forward (the weather forecasting is not great here we look at two sites they never match and then hope it will be something in-between ).

There are some venues that are ok in the wet the main one being the single pitch secteur two at freissinieres it can feel a little polished but its just the rock type.

hope that all makes sense. if you have any question you can contact me through my site dream-trails.com

hope you have a good trip

cheers Rob

Multi pitch venues
chemin du roy is walk offs (lots of scree)
most multi pitch at Ailefroide include rappelling off.
le ponteil has a walk off with a small rappel 20 or most route do have rappel rings on them.
paroi des lys is all rappelling off.
freissinieres the multi pitch would be mainly rappelling.

I would avoid la croix de toulouse et les salettes at briancon, it not very nice venue.

In reply to ecrinscollective:

Cheers for info, any other recommendations from anybody...

In reply to Gael Force:

I'd like to recommend Ariège but, despite the climbing being exceptional, I fear the kayaking would leave you somewhat underwhelmed. as it's mainly punter-level drifting down a gentle river soaking up the sun before being picked up and delivered back to the start for coffee and cakes
Good canyoning though!