UKC

Heading to the verdon gorge this summer for 10 days. Just wondering if anyone had any tips for a first timer.
Got the Escalade au Verdon guidebook. Have a few classic routes lined up Wide is love, LA demande, ula, Luna bong. Any other routes worth adding to the list?
Also wondering what else there is to on rest days, via ferrata, walks etc. Or any info in general would be much appreciated!
Cheers,
Mark

In reply to markflanagan:
There is a fun walk through some man-made tunnels in the base of the gorge (start from the top end and bring a torch).
You can buy walking maps of all the areas around the gorge (similar to OS 1:50 000 maps) and there are any number of pleasant walks in the forests and mountains.
La Palud Sur Verdon is a nice, relatively cheap village where you can drink coffee/buy essentials/eat an evening meal, there are even a couple of art/craft type places selling tourist type stuff. The main tourist area with considerably more restaurantes and a large number of tourist junk shops is Moustiers St Marie; it's more expensive and caters to standard tourists, rather than climbing bum tourists.

Personally, I really dislike climbing on polished rock, so when I am in the Verdon, I prefer to ignore the classics and try routes that are more recent. The level of polish on routes like La Demande and Wide is Love is truely epic and makes them feel very hard for the grade.
If you have climbed at lots of polished places before though, it might not be an important factor.

In reply to markflanagan:

I thought Wide is love was fantastic, not too polished. Look for a crag called Dent d,Aire, some cracking 3 pitch routes, all 6a 6a+.

Enjoy.

In reply to henwardian:

Are there much easier routes? Below 6a a lot of the routes seem to be trad routes or mixed judging from the guidebook. Is this the case? If so how much gear is needed?

In reply to markflanagan:

Some 'other' stuff to do....

Moustiers is very touristy, however the Chapel above the town is worth visiting and has an interesting side hike.

As you walk up the paved zig zags look for a small contour path that breaks out left (going up) follow this for a while and look right, use your climbers nose and you will access a series of ladders that lead to the top of the pinnacle from which the cable that supports the star is suspended. It is not a via ferratta, it was quite rickety when I found it some years ago, and I don't know its current state or if you're supposed/allowed up it, but...... It make Moustiers a bit more spicy.

A road heads north out of La Palud that leads to a small abandoned village Chatueneuf de Moustiers, follow the road out of the village(it an old Roman road I believe. It eventually goes beneath some crags which have a chapel in a cave the base of the walls, Chappelle de Notre Dame. At the back of the cave is a small squirm that leads up to the upper cave.

Opposite , to the North is a substantial hill, Le Grande Mourre, this is a good day hike. We did it from Chateuneuf, my recollection was that it went on a bit!

Folks have mentioned the gorge walks, the most impressive section is from Couloir Samsone to Chalet Malines, One way - either way. You can usually get a taxi back to the start point, I've usually hitched and got a lift. It's a great hike, take a torch for the tunnels.

There's an observatory in the hills behind La Palud that used to be open to the public some nights.

You can hire pedalos and canoes at the Lac St Croix, and head up the gorge under some impressive cliffs, proper DWS! and picnic.

As a complete contrast to the craziness of the gorge, you could have a day visit to Annot in the hills West of Castellane, wooded single and multipitch climbing on Lime/sandstone which has huge Ammonites embedded in it.


Steve

In reply to markflanagan:

Both lunabong and la demande require a rack except for the last and crux pitch of lunabong which is fully bolted! They are old school type routes that have quite a serious feel to them in places! Others will tell you demande is hvs,I say its solid E2 with a few bolts chucked in for the more or less unpretected chimneys from around half height! A great route all the same! Oh and don't take a big bag as its a bastard with a small water/food bag in the chimney's!above all go and have fun! Dal grise area is a good way to get your head into the gorge,steady grades and well bolted with 4 abs to the start of the routes!

Also in summer it will be very hot so be prepared to bake!It was 32 degrees once in october and we melted!

Cheers

Jon