UKC

So driving to Provence on Friday for 2 weeks in the van and have absolutely no plan whatsoever. Ceuse is definitely out tho as my partner in crime is coming back from a long lay off with a knee injury so she cannot walk up big hills. Orpierre, buoux and st leger we shall visit I would imagine. Any other recommendations? Climbing and/or food related? I am a massive fan of cheese, wine and figs so hopefully they got loads of that.

Any routes not to be missed? And none climbing stuff too, anywhere worth a visit? 

Cheers.

Si

Verdon Gorge.  Compulsory

Go for a mooch around Avignon and Orange.  Go and have a look at the Pont du Gard (near Avignon) and then wonder why anyone thinks that a 10 year housebuilder's guarantee is in any way satisfactory.  I managed to put up a shelf that wasn't level last weekend.

Orgon might be worth looking at if you really don't want to go far from the car.

Aye been the verdon a couple of times so probs will give it a miss this time. 

Will check out that crag. My partner can walk fine just not up steep hills for 90mins. If her knee swells up, end of climbing for the whole trip so just gotta take it easy. I'd normally just give her a piggy back but the walk to ceuse is heavy! 

The area round Buis les Baronnies is worth a look, loads of roadside crags. If you haven't been there do the tourist bit and have a nose round Gordes, Bonnieux and other little towns in the vicinity. 

90 minutes! 

Depending how widely you're prepared to roam, Tarn/Jonte both very good. Gorge du Loup good if it's hot. Have you done any of the Verdon tufa, or just the wall climbs?

From Orpierre Sisteron is no great drive  Sisteron.    Nice town and an unusual crag with a teeny walk-in.   Second Buis les Barronies as a nice place with good climbing.  And if you are in to wine you just gotta go to Gigondas and the Dentelles de Montmirail.

And you're guaranteed some shade in Sisteron.

Chateauvert is the only non-Verdon crag I've visited but that was pretty good, and a short walk-in.

Someone mentioned the Pont-du-Gard - it's also a great spot for river swimming.

If you're close enough to the Camargue, look out for any local Course Camarguaise 'bullfights' - the bull isn't killed, the 'fighters' try to snatch ribbons off its horns as it bears down on them then leap over the fence of the ring before they're gored.

Nah just the usual classic gorge stuff. We did try and find some of the cragging based on a sketchy description via text and didn't find it. Can't recall its name but looked good. 

Been to Chateauvert and that first steep bit is class, the routes in the mid 7s were all really good despite the unbelievable polish. Was only there for a day but I'd be keen for anywhere thats like that.

Thanks for the tip on the ethical bull figuring. Might well be keen for that. I actually went to a far less ethical one in Madrid a few years back. It was crazy. 

Malaucene  and the Dentelles should both fit the bill. The latter bit longer walk in, depending on where exactly, but still no Ceuse. Near Vaison / Ventoux.

I would not go to Ramirole with a dodgy knee. Hulk should be fine though. Hulk is in the new Verdon Gorge guidebook (Verdon 2017 - 52 years & 520 routes in the Verdon). The topo for Ramirole can be found on https://greenspits.com/en/ 

Obviously loads to go at, but plan for it still being really hot (too hot?) to climb in the sun. I went down to Chateauvert last week and was surprised at how uncomfortable it still was. If you do go there, drop your partner off first before parking 1km away from the crags, at either end of the valley as you can no longer leave vehicles as close as you used to be able to. 

Sisteron would be a good place to initially aim for, just off the motorway, with a nice camp site just out of town. Drift on from there after trying nearby Orpiere and if it is still too hot, head up to the clearer air in the Briancon area (2 hours away).

Ta, good info. 

Re hulk at the verdon, that is the crag we tried to find based on a text. I hear its really good. Might go have another look for it. 

Looks like you nailed it with the weather - a drop from 30° to 20° over the weekend - perfect.

If it is still too hot in the sun Trois Rivieres has had a revamp - new belays, new bolts on spaced runouts and high starts. New footpaths etc etc and a new topo at the Greenspits website.

Enty

Ta Enty. Is a clip stick generally needed?  I don't normally use one and it's now the pole for the washing line (I kid not). But decided I'm going to make a point of using one for high first clips having recently snapped a hold before a high first bolt and was very lucky not to really hurt myself.

Don't think we used one at chateauvert and don't recall any issues. 

It's rare we use a clip-stick. Sometimes to get to the top of a project.

If there's high first bolts in The Dentelles or St Julien for example they are usually easy to get to and slabby. At places like St Leger, borrow one or use a tree branch and some finger tape

Malaucene is very well bolted in this respect.

By the way - it's fig season!

Enty

Not sure if it's further than you want to travel, but the Gorges du Loup just north of Cannes and Nice, near Grasse is really good. There are some great crags in the gorge itself, Mesa Verde, Iroquoi, Jurassic Park etc. At the top of the gorge is a relatively new crag called Chouchou Place, which is gently overhanging and covered in flowstone / tufa. It's south facing and should just be coming into condition as the temperatures start to drop. Good van spot below the crag just above the village of Greoliere where coffee and pastries can be bought.

Lots of topos online for all the crags in the area.

In reply to:

Well we made it and its boiling! At least yesterday, 30c. In orpierre which is very quiet. Suprised how good the routes were we did yesterday. Went to the right hand end of Chateau. Routes like Je t'aime moi non plus (7a), Toutes les Chances plus Une (7b) and even Amélie Mélodie (6a) were great and the polish was not really that bad.  Goin back up there shortly to try Ça Va Couiner (7c) which looks absolutely mega. 

In reply to:

Anyone have any recommendations for places to stay (in a van) in st leger and buoux? I know you can't camp in buoux so looking for an official campsite or whatever. Not so fussed about where in st leger so long as it's not gonna upset anyone Heading st leger in the morning.  

For Buoux there's a good camp site at Bonnieux.

For St Léger it seems accepted (certainly common at least) to camp here https://goo.gl/maps/QMoEjCywbSu

44°11'56.4"N 5°18'09.9"E

Leave no trace

Ta Jonas  

Will leave no trace of course. And a spot of litter picking too. 

Thanks John. It's about the closest we have found and looks good. Will head there. 

As you like figs, you should try and visit Les Figuieres, just outside Graveson, 10km south of Avignon.  The guy has a farm with over a hundred types of figs. Charming old bloke. You can buy a tray-full for a fraction of the price in the shops, and all fresh off the tree.

Venasque is worth a visit - very pretty village to stroll round and some great climbing with short walkin

Supposedly you can get the topo in the village but I've never seen it - there's info in the rockfax