UKC

What destinations would you recommend for adventurous multi- pitch climbing?

I really enjoy climbing holidays that are a little off the beaten track where I can also experience a bit of culture and get to see some new parts of the world that I haven't been to before.

I've particularly enjoyed previous trips to Wadi Rum and Tafraoute.

I've got a few ideas for where I might like to visit, Aladaglar, Spitzkoppe, Vratsa.

Has anyone been? Is there anywhere else you'd recommend?

In reply to Elsier:

I share the love for adventurous multi-pitch.

Whilst not quite so exotic (i.e. still in Europe), if you haven't been I'd recommend both the Verdon Gorge and classic routes in the Dolomites.

In reply to Elsier:

Most places in Norway for the climbing if not the culture,


Chris

In reply to robbiebrookie:

I've been to the Dolomites about 4 times, (I think it's the only overseas destination I've visited that often!) and I agree there are lots of fantastic adventurous multi- pitch climbing!

Never been to Verdon, I'm a bit intimidated, after everything I've heard about it...

In reply to Chris Craggs:

I've been to Lofoten, where else would you recommend for multi-pitch at around S-HVS?

In reply to Elsier:

Spitzkoppe is fantastic but not the place to go if you're looking for S-HVS. We were climbing E2ish at the time we went, and found there were only a few routes within our ability. Stunning place though! Can give you more information if you like, we were there last year.

No good for culture, but for adventurous multi-pitch you can't beat the US and Canada!

In reply to Elsier:
Nissedal is very good, has a decent guidebook too, Romdsdal of course - not the best rock but stunning area. Innerdalen and Narvik area are a worth look,

Chris

In reply to Elsier:

Corsica

In reply to cat22:

I was thinking more of going to Spitzkoppe as part of a sightseeing trip at some point and combining it with other things. I've seen some info online and it looked as though the normal route would be well within my capability. How long did you spend there?

Yeah I should really go to the US and Canada at some point, it's never been high on my list, but it does look like there is some fantastic climbing there.

In reply to Martin Bennett:

I've just been to Corsica in June this year and it was amazing! Definitely on my list of places to go back to, lots still to do!

In reply to Elsier:

Yes I love the Dolomites, looking forward to going back this summer.

Understand the intimidation factor of Verdon - but don't let it stop you - its an incredible place and experience. An option to consider, as an entry point to climbing in Verdon if your not comfortable, is to look up Alan Carne - amazing.

Agree with Chris Craggs comments about Norway, I really enjoyed the multi-pitch routes on Haegefjell (250/300m lines on a granite dome) e.g. Mot Sola. Nice wild camping options at the base too. This is in the Nissedal region and I think we had a downloadable topo from Rockfax which was good - quite a few long n5 & n6 grade routes VS/HVS with bolted belay anchors, and ones without features i.e. long smooth slabs had bolts albeit quite adventurously spaced

In reply to Elsier:

We spent a week at the Spitzkoppe as part of a few weeks in Namibia - it is an absolutely amazing country, people are so welcoming and the scenery and wildlife are stunning. Yeah you could definitely do the normal route on the Spitzkoppe - we found it to be a very energetic day out, taking us all the daylight that was available! Here's a good description: http://www.summitpost.org/standard-normal-route-to-spitzkoppe/910190 The technical climbing was really quite a short part of the day, and is about VS, with some runouts and unobvious route finding. The squeeze chimney on the approach was pretty memorable! We also did some really good sport climbing on the giant boulders at the base of the bigger formations, backed off a couple of things on the Pontoks, and did the fantastic Watersports, a 3 pitch layback at about E2-E3. Here's a nice trip report of it: http://chossclimbers.com/testing/namibia/spitzkoppe/

We currently live in the US, and one of the best things about climbing here is how it can really take you into the wilderness - you can be a whole day's walk from the narrow track that you drove in on, which in turn can be many miles from a proper road. And the rock quality can be phenomenal - the granite in the Sierras/Yosemite, the Wind Rivers, parts of Washington and Squamish is fantastic to climb on.

In reply to Elsier:

Vysoke Tatry i.e. the High Tatras in Slovakia.

Lots of beautiful multi pitch stuff - quiet, cheap, very easy to fly to.

In reply to Elsier:

Japan... Lots of great multipitch stuff over here that is definitely adventurous, and which very few people know much about outside Japan. Also one of the more immersive cultural experiences you could hope for. Have a look at some of the route descriptions on my site for examples, and PM me if you ever need any more details...

http://climbjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/09/tsurugidake-chinne-left-ridge.html

http://climbjapan.blogspot.jp/2015/06/tanigawadake-henkei-chimney.html

http://climbjapan.blogspot.jp/2014/10/the-kitadake-buttress.html

Tony

In reply to Elsier:

you might have a look at Oman ... incredible landscape, friendly People, good climbing.

http://www.panico.de/kletterfuehrer-oman.html

In reply to tjekel:

Morocco, particularly the Anti Atlas would be my suggestion.

In reply to robbiebrookie:

Yes I've climbed at Hægefjell a few times. Some excellent routes for the grades that you mention. There's a free guide available here that is good for most routes.

http://www.osifjell.no/arkiv/klatreforer_nissedal.pdf

There's also a guide called Gå Telemark, which has even better coverage of the Nissedal area in general. The Rockfax miniguide has good topos but the route selection is very limited so don't think it's worth the small investment. There's a few of my blog entries here for Hægefjell to give you an idea of what it's like:

http://leeharrisonclimbing.blogspot.no/2014/07/mot-sola-n6-hgefjell.html
http://leeharrisonclimbing.blogspot.no/2015/05/reven-n6-hgefjell.html
http://leeharrisonclimbing.blogspot.no/2015/08/via-lara-hgefjell.html

Another possibility would be Uskedalen. I've not been there yet but many friends say the climbing is excellent. There's a guidebook called 'Klatrefører for Uskedalen'. A list of routes is here along with a few photos to give you an idea.

https://www.bergen-klatreklubb.no/forere/cragdatabase/felt.php?Felt_id=65

Another place that I have only read about is Innerdalen. Google images of peaks such as Skarfjell and Trolla. The peaks remind my of NW Scotland. There are some classic lines to be had. Guidebook called 'Innerdalen' by Norsk Tindeklub (NTK).

Oddly enough I'm also going to say Lundy as I felt remarkably cut off from regular life, which is quite an experience in itself.

In reply to Elsier:

I have been to Vratsa and can highly recommend it. There is a climbing meet there very year and its great. You should try to put up some new routes there as there is loads of potential.

In reply to Elsier:
Uskedalen - massive amounts of routes at that grade although a bit samey. Travel from Bergen or Stavanger(oops already mentioned)

You would probably enjoy Molledalen near Volda/Ørsta area as well although the actual routes are rather shorter. But tons of 'tinds , easy routes to the top of hills and scrambling to go for

In reply to Elsier:




Flushed with success after your agreement with my last suggestion I thought I'd chip in again to first of all agree with the someone above about Wind Rivers Range Wyoming as well as his other suggestions, and add my personal favourite of the places I've been in SW USA - Red Rocks (or Red Rock as they call it) Nevada. Wonderful. Incorporates the full gamut of climbing styles from single pitch sport at all grades to great (in every sense of the word) adventures in remote canyons and everything in between.

Then there's Colorado - space doesn't allow . . . . .

In reply to Babika:

Yes really interested in the Tatra but there doesn't seem to be much info available and I read somewhere maybe on here, that some of the area is restricted for climbing unless you have a guide?

Do you know where I would find more info?

In reply to TonyG:

Thanks looks amazing and would be a fantastic place to visit too.

I had no idea there was any climbing in Japan.

I am guessing it won't be a cheap trip though, so maybe one for a future year.

Thanks for the suggestion.

In reply to tjekel:

Yes Oman looks great too, so many amazing looking options to add to my list.

Looks like that's my holidays sorted for the next ten years!

In reply to StuLade:

Been to Tafraoute well actually the North side of the anti atlas twice (See my Op). I really enjoyed it and I am sure I will go back again, but it's always nice to find new places to visit.

In reply to Elsier:

Come to the States next summer... Sierras and Wind River Range, let's road trip!

In reply to Mr. Lee:

Nissedal has slipped down the list, I saw someone mention run out slabs...

The other areas in Norway sound good though. I am always a little bit hesitant about Norway though. Living in Scotland I am fairly vitamin D deficient, so I like to go places where there is a high likelihood of sunshine.

I had a great two weeks in Lofoten, so I know that can happen.

In reply to Aigen:

Thanks for the recommendation. It does look good.

Is it mostly trad or bolted or both? What time of year did you go?

In reply to Martin Bennett:

I have heard the climbing at Red Rocks is a lot like Wadi Rum, so def somewhere I want to visit. I loved Wadi Rum, the climbing was great, but it also had this superb charm, that came from watching camels in the street, and staying as a guest of a Bedouin. I am not sure Vegas has quite the same attraction, but I would still like to go.

I was under the impression that the Wind Rivers is super expensive. Some people from our club went a few years ago, I think the hired horses or something to transport everything and I know it was a very expensive trip. But perhaps it can be done cheaper?

In reply to maria85:

Hi Maria! Thanks for the offer, would be fab, but might have to be one for a future trip. One of my friends who wants to come went to the states (Yosemite) last Summer and think she is keen to go somewhere with a bit more culture this summer, and I am about to have to kit myself out with ski touring kit, so might have to stick with adventurous destinations closer to home next year, like Tatry, Vratsa or Aladaglar.

But defo keen for a trip at some point in the next few years.

In reply to Elsier:




The Slovaks are very protective of the Tatras and as people die there every year I believe that they want climbers to have some sort of demonstrable experience or use a guide. I simply carried my club card which had BMC affiliation on it and was never challenged by anyone. In fact we hardly met anyone although we did have a chat with a guide at a hut who helpfully pointed out where there were loads of routes.

Info was hard to come by - I did a lot of searching online for either German or Slovak topos and bought one guidebook Vysoke Tatry Horolezecky sprievodca by Robert Galfy and Alexander Luczy 2002 which has many popular multi pitch routes in it.

I'm very jealous if you do go.......

In reply to Elsier:

I agree with the responses about adventure climbing in N America. You may not find the culture so foreign, but the opportunity to get out into real wilderness is not to be missed. I enjoyed a week in the Wind Rivers WY a few years back for which we hired horses to ride on and mules to carry our gear in. Winter or Spring I go to Red Rock NV for a week which always provides plenty of long routes in a lovely area. Most weekends through the summer and fall I'm in the mountains of the N Cascades of Washington or Coast Range of BC.

Cheers

In reply to Elsier:

The Wind Rivers can definitely be done cheaply, apart from the flights to the US! We just carried 5 days' worth of food with us when we were there in September - it's about 10 miles' walk from the road to the most popular area, with about 500m height gain. We didn't see anyone using horses, and there were quite a few climbers there at the time. Takes 4-5 hours to walk in, mostly on good paths. There is also great climbing nearby in Grand Teton National Park.

In reply to Elsier:

I also would go for climbing in Oman, especially now in winter and up to early spring it is perfect!

In reply to Elsier:


Wouldn't say run-outs have to be an issue. Many of the popular routes on Hægefjell are very well protected and there's probably enough beta in the logbooks to avoid the run-out routes. Not sure it's somewhere I'd recommend for a long trip as you might get less variety verses other place but certainly good for 3-4 days.

In reply to Elsier:

No camels in the street in Las Vegas but what there is is cheap accommodation - as far from the fleshpots as you can get - we stayed really comfortably in a kind of business people's hotel a mile from the edge of town (with a brew pub on the same corner!) - as near to the climbing as we could get. I'd say Red Rock climbing is more akin to The Anti Atlas than Wadi Rum, but safer.

No need for pack animals into The Wind Rivers, by which I'm referring to The Cirque of The Towers, though the range includes much much more. They're generally used on the long approach from the East. If you go from a car park at Big Sandy further South the walk is only 9 miles and not steep.

By the way did I include Lleida in my list? A lot nearer, lots of variety and Spanish But non holiday resort related) ambience.

In reply to Elsier:

Ref your comment about having only been to N side of Jebel el Kest - do go to Tafraoute. We always do for most of every trip, before a few days at The Kasbah. There are some fabulous routes and locations (admittedly thinner on the ground than t'other side) and staying in the town is a delight. And you can enjoy a beer in the evening sun!

In reply to Elsier:

How about the Bugaboos, not been there myself but it looks amazing: http://www.summitpost.org/bugaboo-climbs/559241

In reply to Elsier:

Thank you everyone for your fantastic suggestions, so many great options, and lots of really useful links and blogs, has given me lots of ideas, now I all need to do is decide between them!

In reply to Elsier:

Mingulay and Pabbay - It's relatively close to where you live, but you are guaranteed an adventure. Of many, many overseas multi pitch climbing adventures, it is still one of my favourite places ever.