UKC

I'm travelling to France next month with my son to sport climb and hopefully find time to relax by the sea. I'm new to climbing abroad and wonder if anyone can recommend a road trip that involves climbing areas that are easy to drive to and can also take in the coast. Thank you.

ClimbCaz

In reply to ClimbCaz:

I've heard many good reports of Les Calanques around Marseilles - tho not been myself

In reply to LeeWood:

Access by car to much of Les Calanques is restricted in mid-summer due to fire risk, so maybe not the best bet.

In reply to ClimbCaz:

France is not the best place for climbing and swimming in the sea I'm afraid. The calanques are the most famous (only famous really) sea cliff (outside of Corsica). There are a few crags around Monaco (la Turbie) close to the sea, and also around Aix-en-Provence (most notably the Verdon). The problem being that these areas are absolutely crowded in summer.

Apart from that there are a few crags in Bretagne and at both ends of the Pyrenees, but with limited climbing and/or poor accessibility to the sea.

In reply to ClimbCaz:

There's climbing very near the coast at Narbonne (called La Clape), near Perpignon. The climbing itself is good but not exceptional. Then there's more in the hills above Perpignon I haven't explored, and then after that there's Ariège, which is where we are, with all the climbing you could want but two hours from the sea. If you were mobile you could spend some days nearer the sea and then some days further inland to maximise the climbing.

In reply to ClimbCaz:

Would a lake do instead of the sea? You could climb in the Verdon and go down to the lake for your beach experience.

In reply to john arran:

Sorry, should have said, we're travelling in a camper van. Thanks

In reply to ClimbCaz:

I wasn't suggesting you need to use any accommodation - honest! Just pointing out that an itinerary involving a few days near the coast followed by a few days nearer to more climbing might be a good way to be thinking if you have that flexibility. That way you can get the best of both.

In reply to ClimbCaz:

Hi
I understand you will travel there in summer.
Having lived in Provence a few years, I would not recommend this climbing area in summer, it is too warm, people normally don't climb in summer there. Or you have to wake up early and climb between 6 and 10 in the morning.
Instead you could stop at Fontainebleau for bouldering a few days, then spend a few days in Burgundy, and finally climb in the Alps before relaxing by the Mediterranean.
But if you can climb with the heat, you should definitely go to the Calanques though, this is an amazing place.

In reply to ClimbCaz:

Verdon did us many years ago - swimming in the lake. As above, it is nuclear hot and not exactly a novice climbing area. Alternatively, the Dordogne has potential if swimming in a river is acceptable - Le Ceou at Castelnaud la Chapelle has river, camp site and crag all in one. Canoeing too. And castles. There are shady craglets in the area too

Or trudge down to Cassis and the Calanques, but be prepared to do lots of very hot walking or spend a lot on little ferries to get in. As far as I recall, there's no convenient camping and so packing up every day to drive to somewhere would be a PITA given the challenge of getting and keeping a decent camping spot there.

Fontainbleau, then Ceou would be good. I have heard good things about St Cirq Lapopie which is by a river and faces north - it's near Cahors and so a bit further south again