UKC

Hello all...

Got a question regarding scrambling opportunities and (perhaps more importantly) guidebooks covering the region of the Langedoc around Montpellier / Herault. Understand sports climbing-wsie there is an established cliff site at Las Joncas and another at St Guillem le Desert but more interested in general scrambling routes, could be up to a couple of hours away.

Is there a guidebook for this region? Either English or French are fine

Thank you in advance!

I visit every couple of years or so. (Ganges). Never seen anything other than climbing or walking guides.

Have you looked at the Gorges d’Héric?  Loads of hiking, canyoning and easy climbing although I haven’t specifically looked for scrambling.

Depends quite a lot on what you call scrambling.

This is soloable: L'arête des Charbonniers (Arete sud-ouest) (AD-)

Haven’t done this but it must be pretty easy; Le Rocher Marre (VD 3c)

Thanks, what would you recommend for (climbing / walking) guidebooks then?

Brilliant thanks, hadn't looked at Gorges d’Héric at all.

Guess its a bit subjective but I'd be saying any route that isn't "walkable" but stops short of silly objective risk. Much of the Massif Central seems to be either cliffs or walking routes; I'm sure the same process of scrambling route discovery (walkers drifting off onto interesting ridges) has happened in the Cévennes area but without anything descriptive about it probably a bit dangerous to just go strolling off!

Not any titles to hand, just going on bookshop browses. My trips are family holidays, and hill limited but I do get out a bit.

The nearest I have got to scrambling is the more interesting of the two main paths up Pic St Loup. I keep looking for information on a hill near Montardier(Gard) .. La Tude. Despite being lower than a lot of the roads I have ridden there, it looks very interesting from a scrambling POV.

Loads of rock in the area, mostly steep limestone. Have no idea what lurks in the West. Have had some gentle woodland bumbles there, a very different character to the Herault river area. Hoping more info comes out of this thread.

I bought some guide books to that area from 'La Vielle Campeur' 

John

I have a guide 'Caroux Escalades' published by the Club Alpin in Beziers which covers the whole Caroux area.  Lots of long easy routes described.  They also do maps and a guide to randonnées:

https://clubalpinbeziercaroux.ffcam.fr/publications-et-bibliotheque.html 

https://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr/le-caroux-escalade.html gives good coverage of the routes in the Caroux... We have great views of the Caroux and Espinouse from our house.

There are several other mini-guides for other cliffs in the area such as Joncas, La Clape, Le Landeyran etc.