UKC

Can anybody offer some beta on outdoor in and around Basel Switzerland?

Interested in rock climbing , mountaineering and cycling( road and off road )

Would appreciate some tips and pointers as I'm off there for a few months.

really hot in summer so i dont expect local cragging to be much of a goer but I have no idea!

Thanks all

JaZzy

In reply to jazzyjackson:
Great cragging. Road and MTBing. Not much in the alpine sence ( with out driving). It gets hot but not to hot.

A couple of good walls in town and around.

Biking just head to the hills and you will find some quality riding. Cragging there is plenty 20 mins from town. Just get the guidebook.

Amy specific questions just ask?

In reply to Blinder:

Nice one! doesn't get too hot? I heard its absolutely melting in summer ..

Any of the local Basel crags on UKC? Any names?

And which guide book do you favor?

Thanks

JJ

In reply to jazzyjackson: Heat- never too bad, if it gets too hot you go and swim in the Rhine or in to the mountains.

Gempen is a famous crag close to town. Also a good little hill on the bike.

Guide book. The big red velvet book with naked guys on the front was the book of choice.

In reply to Blinder:

Nice one. Will check out Gempen!

: )

In reply to Blinder:

looks like this is one of the guidebooks

Schweiz Plasir Jura

JJ

In reply to jazzyjackson:

Yes has most of the good crags in. Intoductions to each crag are in English and topos/maps nice and clear.

In reply to SiWood:

thanks. Are u in Basel?

JJ

In reply to Blinder:

Hey Blinder,

if I get a road bike how far do I need to go to hit some nice quiet roads? I like short sharp duration rides, up to 2 hrs max.

Can you recommend any good bike shops as I will prob buy a cheap specialised Allez ( if ratios work with the steepness/terrain )

Thanks

JJ

In reply to jazzyjackson:



In Zurich - 1 hour away

In reply to SiWood:

whats your fave crag within 1-2 hr of basel?

JJ

In reply to jazzyjackson:

The major crags all withing 30 minutes of Basel are Falkenflue, Pelzli, Gempen, Eptingen, Schauenburgflue, Tüfleten, Bärenfels, Balmchopf, Chuenisberg and Hofstettenchöpfli. Suitable guidebooks are the (above mentioned) Fluebible with the velvet cover and the naked guys, Jura Vertical II and Dreilandrock. All are out of print and very hard to get, since there is no other topo of the region currently available. Jura Plaisir is an option, but it is a selection guidebook that only covers the easier routes. Btw, there are many more crags a bit further away, really a very big set of choices. No problem to climb all year round, shady options for summer, sunny crags for winter.

Mountaineering can be found in the Bernese Oberland, that's about 2 hours away by train. No big deal to get there. Road and Mountain Biking in the hills around Basel are also fantastic. It's a very good place to live for an outdoor enthusiast.

In reply to jazzyjackson:

Loads to go at for short rides. Just buy a map and head out. Depends which side of town you live. So much to explore.

Bikes- just get something on the Internet or over the border.

In reply to jazzyjackson:
Should help


http://www.veloland.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland.html

In reply to jazzyjackson:

Checked the forecast recently, it was 28-30'C.

Flew in and out of there last July/August en route to Pfalz. 36'C when we arrived, 34'C when we departed. I think it might have briefly dropped to the high 20s for a couple of days in between, otherwise 30+

It was basically like walking into the heat curtains shops have up in winter....and the temperature staying exactly like that. So yeah the heat is "never too bad"...........?

In reply to Fiend:



Exactly. I know people working there now and they can't sleep and are generally suffering/moaning/sweating ( not ness in that order ) !

I think its safe to say it's not mountain fresh in Basel!

In reply to dhuhkosi:



nice one!

In reply to jazzyjackson:

I lived there for 7 years and not a big fan of the heat. But there you go.

In reply to Blinder;

My ideal temp is 20!

U have a better tolerance to heat than me for sure.

In reply to Blinder:

I agree, I lived there 5 years and while the summers are undoubtedly warmer than here, it was really not that significantly different from here. Compare its geographic position with other cities, it is just a normal central European town.

In reply to pog100:

It's lovely here today- bright sunshine and low to mid 20s forecast.

In reply to Dave Garnett:

Sounds good to me : )

In reply to pog100:

so what was your fave crag in Basel?
did u MTB or road bike?

JJ

In reply to jazzyjackson:
I live 30 minutes away from Basel. The region around Basel offers a lot of nice crags.
My favorites:
- Pelzli
- Eptingen
- Bettlerküche
But I there are more than 3000 bolted routes in the "Basler Jura".
By public transport you can get to nearly every part of Switzerland within 2-3 hours, so you don't need to limit your focus on Basel.
For Multi-Pitch I would recommend you everything around Berne and Lucerne. For really nice granite you have to visit Grimsel and Furka, everything near Basel is Limestone, which is also nice.

In reply to th1nk:

Thanks for that.
Will be there from Wed for 3-6 months. Maybe PM u later after I get settled : )

In reply to jazzyjackson:

anyone up for hooking up for some sport in basel area on a weekend? Just learning my way around. Don't have ropes but will supply beers afterwards! : )

JJ