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I'm looking at moving to France this year, and have decided that Grenoble seems the best bet for getting a job (work in IT) but also getting lots of climbing done.
Had considered Paris for Font (but suffers from poor weather too much) or Sophia Antopolis, but Grenoble seems the best all-round option.
Am I right or should I be considering other cities?
Any help/suggestions welcomed, thanks in advance.
Had considered Paris for Font (but suffers from poor weather too much) or Sophia Antopolis, but Grenoble seems the best all-round option.
Am I right or should I be considering other cities?
Any help/suggestions welcomed, thanks in advance.
In reply to andy healey:
Have you considered working in Geneva & commuting in from the surrounding area.
Probably a better mix of international companies based there or in the along the lake.
Maybe better pay as well!!!!!
Have you considered working in Geneva & commuting in from the surrounding area.
Probably a better mix of international companies based there or in the along the lake.
Maybe better pay as well!!!!!
In reply to andy healey:
it's definitely somewhere i would consider....but have only ever passed through.
i seem to remember a few threads on here in the past.....good luck, it definitely seems to be the place for both winter and summer pursuits.
it's definitely somewhere i would consider....but have only ever passed through.
i seem to remember a few threads on here in the past.....good luck, it definitely seems to be the place for both winter and summer pursuits.
In reply to andy healey:
Cosmopolitan city, surrounded by steep limestone crags, alpine peaks, ski areas, easy access to Provence and a strong active climbing community - why look further. I'd think Grenoble would be a great place to live. Or Geneva, of course...
Cosmopolitan city, surrounded by steep limestone crags, alpine peaks, ski areas, easy access to Provence and a strong active climbing community - why look further. I'd think Grenoble would be a great place to live. Or Geneva, of course...
In reply to andy healey:
I've spent a fair amount of time in Grenoble through my work and would agree it's a pretty good base if you're a climber.
It's on the TGV line as well which means you can get to Paris or Marseille pretty quickly. The airports are all a bit of a drive to get (1+ hours) but that's not the most important thing in the world.
I've spent a fair amount of time in Grenoble through my work and would agree it's a pretty good base if you're a climber.
It's on the TGV line as well which means you can get to Paris or Marseille pretty quickly. The airports are all a bit of a drive to get (1+ hours) but that's not the most important thing in the world.
In reply to andy healey:
I wouldn't take Font into consideration, there are only a load of slimy chalk covered boulders there, no proper climbing. Grenoble is the obvious choice when you look at the map, and even looking down from the hills around, but at street level I'm not so sure... all wide, dusty, windswept boulevards and dour square buildings was the impression I've had when driving through. It has a reputation for gangsters too... but this could just be the impression from the press but I'd certainly suggest visiting first before making the jump. Years ago I had friends who lived nearby, but they chose to live in a village outside the town... told me of going to work on skis one winter!
Just impressions from the odd visit so lets hope someone has lived there can give you a more definite reply.
I wouldn't take Font into consideration, there are only a load of slimy chalk covered boulders there, no proper climbing. Grenoble is the obvious choice when you look at the map, and even looking down from the hills around, but at street level I'm not so sure... all wide, dusty, windswept boulevards and dour square buildings was the impression I've had when driving through. It has a reputation for gangsters too... but this could just be the impression from the press but I'd certainly suggest visiting first before making the jump. Years ago I had friends who lived nearby, but they chose to live in a village outside the town... told me of going to work on skis one winter!
Just impressions from the odd visit so lets hope someone has lived there can give you a more definite reply.
In reply to jon+op: I think cosmopolitan is stretching it a bit! It is surrounded by limestone crags, but very few of the towering walls you can see from town are actually accessible/bolted. But I certainly agree, it is a pretty brilliant place to live.
If you aren't interested in winter sports, what about Marseille and the Calanques?
This is my second time living in Grenoble adding up to about two years in total now. I'd say that to crack the local climbing scene requires a bit of determination. (I haven't managed it due to work commitments/lack of confidence in speaking French/a shameful dalliance with road biking.) There are plenty of clubs, numerous walls and speakers of most languages so really it should be quite easy to find people to climb with. Quite a lot of things are roughly an hour away, or perhaps a bit less by car, so if working in Grenoble it could be nice to live in an outlying town nearer to your main activity, especially if you've got a possibility to work from home a bit since traffic in the valley is heavy.
It is a pretty techy kind of place so there's alot of opportunity for science/engineering/IT type people (e.g. http://www.esrf.fr/Jobs/Computing).
Feel free to email if you've got questions.
If you aren't interested in winter sports, what about Marseille and the Calanques?
This is my second time living in Grenoble adding up to about two years in total now. I'd say that to crack the local climbing scene requires a bit of determination. (I haven't managed it due to work commitments/lack of confidence in speaking French/a shameful dalliance with road biking.) There are plenty of clubs, numerous walls and speakers of most languages so really it should be quite easy to find people to climb with. Quite a lot of things are roughly an hour away, or perhaps a bit less by car, so if working in Grenoble it could be nice to live in an outlying town nearer to your main activity, especially if you've got a possibility to work from home a bit since traffic in the valley is heavy.
It is a pretty techy kind of place so there's alot of opportunity for science/engineering/IT type people (e.g. http://www.esrf.fr/Jobs/Computing).
Feel free to email if you've got questions.
In reply to Removed User: TGV schmeegeevee, it takes it an hour to trundle from Lyon to Grenoble and only about 2 to get to Paris thereafter... It's quite frustrating when you think you're nearly home!
In reply to jon:
What Jon said ^^^^^^
I spent 2 full summers in the Vercors just to the West.
Enty
> (In reply to ah)
>
> Cosmopolitan city, surrounded by steep limestone crags, alpine peaks, ski areas, easy access to Provence and a strong active climbing community - why look further. I'd think Grenoble would be a great place to live. Or Geneva, of course...
>
> Cosmopolitan city, surrounded by steep limestone crags, alpine peaks, ski areas, easy access to Provence and a strong active climbing community - why look further. I'd think Grenoble would be a great place to live. Or Geneva, of course...
What Jon said ^^^^^^
I spent 2 full summers in the Vercors just to the West.
Enty
In reply to Bruce Hooker: The town gigantically expanded when they had the winter olympics, consequently there is a quite attractive old town which you wouldn't have driven through, surrounded by big boulevards and hideously ugly buildings. But, it is pretty easy to find a place in the nice part (though this makes parking a nightmare) which conforms nicely to stereotypical charmant ville francais with little squares, nice stone buildings etc.
Don't know about the gangsters, I can only say I've not seen any evidence of that, don't feel unsafe out and about and I'm not aware of people regularly being victims of gangster type activity so hopefully that's unfounded.
Don't know about the gangsters, I can only say I've not seen any evidence of that, don't feel unsafe out and about and I'm not aware of people regularly being victims of gangster type activity so hopefully that's unfounded.
In reply to xrayspex:
When I said surrounded by steep limestone crags I meant looking a bit further than the skyline... Presles for example.
When I said surrounded by steep limestone crags I meant looking a bit further than the skyline... Presles for example.
In reply to xrayspex:
I'm just going by the number of times there are stories of "macs" knocking each other off and prostitution on the news, but I suppose if you avoid the places concerned you'd be all right... as I said, it was just a vague impression. You say some of the walls are not accessible, the Vercors are, aren't they? There's good cross country skiing to be had nearby too.
I'm just going by the number of times there are stories of "macs" knocking each other off and prostitution on the news, but I suppose if you avoid the places concerned you'd be all right... as I said, it was just a vague impression. You say some of the walls are not accessible, the Vercors are, aren't they? There's good cross country skiing to be had nearby too.
YES!! go to grenoble then spend every free moment in the Ailefroide valley!! Also if you need a house slave..........
In reply to andy healey:
The climbing at Presles, just to the west of Grenoble is very good multi pitch limestone. The auberge at the top run by an Italian, Ezio, seemed very friendly. He was introducing us to local climbers on our first visit.
The climbing at Presles, just to the west of Grenoble is very good multi pitch limestone. The auberge at the top run by an Italian, Ezio, seemed very friendly. He was introducing us to local climbers on our first visit.
In reply to andy healey: Grenoble is a superb city for Winter activities, ice-climbing, ski-rando, racketting (snowshoeing), Winter Alpinism, in the Ecrins and the Chartreuse. The vision of the snow-clad Belledonne mountains shimering in Winter sunshine as you drive along mundane urban streets is stunning. Alpine climing is very accessible in the Spring and Summer, La Grave is only 1.5 hours drive away.
Things like cycling and walking in the mountains are excellent, at most times of year.
Not so keen on the rock-climbing personally. There is lots of it, but it is entirely bolt-clipping, though some of it in exciting situations like the sheer face of the Dent du Crolle. My friend who lives there still misses British sea-cliff climbing and mountain areas like the Lakes and Wales.
The town, with the exception of the quite small old town that someone-else mentioned, is not very attractive at all - much 5-6 storey garish or drab concrete blocks, though the houses in the surrounding "suburbs" like the Chartreuse, the Vercors and the Balcon de Belledonne can be lovely. Never been aware of the gangsters though, nor does it feel threatening.
How confident are you that you can get a job there though? There is a great deal of competition for IT work and a lot of unemployment, which can only increase.
Things like cycling and walking in the mountains are excellent, at most times of year.
Not so keen on the rock-climbing personally. There is lots of it, but it is entirely bolt-clipping, though some of it in exciting situations like the sheer face of the Dent du Crolle. My friend who lives there still misses British sea-cliff climbing and mountain areas like the Lakes and Wales.
The town, with the exception of the quite small old town that someone-else mentioned, is not very attractive at all - much 5-6 storey garish or drab concrete blocks, though the houses in the surrounding "suburbs" like the Chartreuse, the Vercors and the Balcon de Belledonne can be lovely. Never been aware of the gangsters though, nor does it feel threatening.
How confident are you that you can get a job there though? There is a great deal of competition for IT work and a lot of unemployment, which can only increase.
In reply to xrayspex: What sort of climbing activity are you interested in?
I know that my mate sometimes has difficulty in getting partners, if you were interested, I could drop him your email addr.
I know that my mate sometimes has difficulty in getting partners, if you were interested, I could drop him your email addr.
In reply to Simon4:
It must just be the press exaggerating, so potential future Grenoblois had better ignore my remark on the subject.
I was struck at how handy it must be for skiing - there are good spots for either downhill, ski-mountaineering or nordic just a short drive above on the Vercors plateau. The line of cliffs N and S is amazing, and as for bolts, this is the case throughout France now pretty well.
> Never been aware of the gangsters though, nor does it feel threatening.
It must just be the press exaggerating, so potential future Grenoblois had better ignore my remark on the subject.
I was struck at how handy it must be for skiing - there are good spots for either downhill, ski-mountaineering or nordic just a short drive above on the Vercors plateau. The line of cliffs N and S is amazing, and as for bolts, this is the case throughout France now pretty well.
In reply to Bruce Hooker: It is certainly very handy for sking of all kinds, with even a couple of big (and expensive) international ski-stations in easy reach (Alpe d'Huez and Les Deux Alpes). Also lots of cheaper but still good downhill stations within an hour, most notably Les Sept Laux. Of course there is also the stunning semi-mountain skiing at La Grave, where the cablecar takes you up to 3500m, then you have 2000m of almost entirely unpisted descent back to the village.
There is ski-rando in all the local ranges, the Belledonne, the Chartreuse and (rather less) in the Vercors. Various bits of nordic scattered around, some no more than half an hour from Grenoble - many Grenoblois treat a couple of hours of ski-du-fond (nordic), as though it were going for a brisk jog of a Sunday morning.
In fact one of the delightful things about Grenoble in Winter is how a stroll up to a 1600m peak at -7 is treated as a fun afternoon for all the family, with toddlers and grannies pottering along while ski-randoists and ski-du-fond people sweep around them on the paths.
There are also supposed to be "Alpine" routes in the Belledonne in Winter/Spring, with 3-4 hour approaches and significant "engagement", but I've never actually done one.
There is ski-rando in all the local ranges, the Belledonne, the Chartreuse and (rather less) in the Vercors. Various bits of nordic scattered around, some no more than half an hour from Grenoble - many Grenoblois treat a couple of hours of ski-du-fond (nordic), as though it were going for a brisk jog of a Sunday morning.
In fact one of the delightful things about Grenoble in Winter is how a stroll up to a 1600m peak at -7 is treated as a fun afternoon for all the family, with toddlers and grannies pottering along while ski-randoists and ski-du-fond people sweep around them on the paths.
There are also supposed to be "Alpine" routes in the Belledonne in Winter/Spring, with 3-4 hour approaches and significant "engagement", but I've never actually done one.
Villard de Lans just up the pass from Grenoble would be a nice place to live. Winter sports venue and stacks of climbing and MTb ing.
Nick
Nick
In reply to Scott_vzr:
I had a nice weekend ski-climbing there just there. Drove down from Paris on Friday night and up a little road behind the town to the snow. Parked and slept in the car, then skis on out the back door next morning and up to the Vercors ridge... floundered down in the melting snow for tea - I'm not a good skier! Next morning same again but a different outing (both from the Cabau and Galley - Ski de Randonnée, Isère book) with rather longer floundering down in time to go and look at the ski pistes. I was too knackered to have a go in the afternoon though, but a better skier could have done - all very much a family area.
One little known extra is the numerous "cabanes" that are dotted about, like bothies and free I think, so with a bit of planning a longer trip would be quite easy to set up. Mine was just back to Paris in time for supper Sunday night. If you lived locally there would be very little excuse for not being a good skier, mountaineer and very fit.
I had a nice weekend ski-climbing there just there. Drove down from Paris on Friday night and up a little road behind the town to the snow. Parked and slept in the car, then skis on out the back door next morning and up to the Vercors ridge... floundered down in the melting snow for tea - I'm not a good skier! Next morning same again but a different outing (both from the Cabau and Galley - Ski de Randonnée, Isère book) with rather longer floundering down in time to go and look at the ski pistes. I was too knackered to have a go in the afternoon though, but a better skier could have done - all very much a family area.
One little known extra is the numerous "cabanes" that are dotted about, like bothies and free I think, so with a bit of planning a longer trip would be quite easy to set up. Mine was just back to Paris in time for supper Sunday night. If you lived locally there would be very little excuse for not being a good skier, mountaineer and very fit.
In reply to andy healey: i heard about the gangsters in valence busted outne prison. Link morgan.
In reply to andy healey: thanks all for the replies.
i'm keen to get a lot of skiing done as well which was another reason for choosing grenoble.
workwise i should hopefully be ok - i'm in a fairly niche market (technical writer) and have a few contacts that will hopefully work out.
one thing i had wondered about was whether there was any easily accessible bouldering - i'm quite keen to focus on sport-climbing for a while as i've always mainly stuck to trad, but in the event of struggling to find partners it'd be nice to know I can head out for an evenings bouldering after work.
i'm keen to get a lot of skiing done as well which was another reason for choosing grenoble.
workwise i should hopefully be ok - i'm in a fairly niche market (technical writer) and have a few contacts that will hopefully work out.
one thing i had wondered about was whether there was any easily accessible bouldering - i'm quite keen to focus on sport-climbing for a while as i've always mainly stuck to trad, but in the event of struggling to find partners it'd be nice to know I can head out for an evenings bouldering after work.
In reply to andy healey:
I have an appartment in Chamrousse, in the mountains above the city and love the area. it has great skiing climbing asnd biking. The only problem i have is getting to spend more time there!
Gary.
I have an appartment in Chamrousse, in the mountains above the city and love the area. it has great skiing climbing asnd biking. The only problem i have is getting to spend more time there!
Gary.
In reply to andy healey:
this is quite a good article on a few of the local crags:
http://www.klimbingkorns.de/content/areas/grenoble.htm
and another about the city and local crags:
http://www.gdargaud.net/Climbing/Grenoble.html
but no mention of bouldering.
this is quite a good article on a few of the local crags:
http://www.klimbingkorns.de/content/areas/grenoble.htm
and another about the city and local crags:
http://www.gdargaud.net/Climbing/Grenoble.html
but no mention of bouldering.
In reply to andy healey: Thanks for the links, and to those who live there, I may well be in touch if things pan out. Cheers
In reply to Simon4: That would be good, thankyou. I'm not really doing any climbing at the moment because of the road biking so I suppose if he's looking for someone to clip a few bolts after work that would be a good way to get back into things and it wouldn't matter if I was weak as a kitten.
In reply to xrayspex:
thanks for that....it also has the link for the Auberge de Presles which i was looking for too.
thanks for that....it also has the link for the Auberge de Presles which i was looking for too.
In reply to andy healey: I'm sure there was a bouldering area in the ISERE guide, bought mine 4-5 yrs ago. No doubt more has been developed. You are not far from La Berarde and the Ecrins too.
Nick
Nick
In reply to andy healey:
From talking quite a few French people who are into mountain sports, Grenoble sounds like a great place to live - the Grenoblois seem to be out and about all the time. There are some impressive cliffs right above the city, though not sure what the climbing is like on them. There's a via ferrata on the small (by local standards) cliffs below the fortress across the river from the old town, not sure if there's any climbing. The Verdon is a massive climbing area about an hour away by car, or you could catch the bus. For mountaineering you've got Les Ecrins, which have everything you would ever want, including long bolted routes at Ailefroide - very doable for the weekend, probably 2 - 2.5 hours. In winter you've got skiing at L'Alpe D'Huez, Les Deux Alpes, La Grave, Serre Chevalier, Chamrousse and cross country in the Verdon. All these can be done for a day even if you go by bus. The city centre is very nice, with a charming old town and a restaurant-based nightlife. If I could move there easily, I would!
Lyon is not far away and worth considering. I guess it's an extra hour or so to get to Grenoble but the Alps are still doable for a day and certainly for a weekend. For example I know a Lyonnaise who does loads of ski touring. Not sure what the climbing is like closer to Lyon. It's a pretty city with a modern part of the city centre which has been kep separate from the more historic bit. There's even a Roman amphitheatre up on the hill overlooking one of the rivers.
Marseille for climbing in the Calinques.
Toulouse for the Pyrennees.
The French consensus on Paris is that it's pretty dire for climbing - there's Font but the next closest are probably the Ardennes. The upside is that there are reasonably priced overnight trains to Chamonix, the Isere valley and Briancon, so you can get out for a weekend's climbing or skiing if you're keen.
From talking quite a few French people who are into mountain sports, Grenoble sounds like a great place to live - the Grenoblois seem to be out and about all the time. There are some impressive cliffs right above the city, though not sure what the climbing is like on them. There's a via ferrata on the small (by local standards) cliffs below the fortress across the river from the old town, not sure if there's any climbing. The Verdon is a massive climbing area about an hour away by car, or you could catch the bus. For mountaineering you've got Les Ecrins, which have everything you would ever want, including long bolted routes at Ailefroide - very doable for the weekend, probably 2 - 2.5 hours. In winter you've got skiing at L'Alpe D'Huez, Les Deux Alpes, La Grave, Serre Chevalier, Chamrousse and cross country in the Verdon. All these can be done for a day even if you go by bus. The city centre is very nice, with a charming old town and a restaurant-based nightlife. If I could move there easily, I would!
Lyon is not far away and worth considering. I guess it's an extra hour or so to get to Grenoble but the Alps are still doable for a day and certainly for a weekend. For example I know a Lyonnaise who does loads of ski touring. Not sure what the climbing is like closer to Lyon. It's a pretty city with a modern part of the city centre which has been kep separate from the more historic bit. There's even a Roman amphitheatre up on the hill overlooking one of the rivers.
Marseille for climbing in the Calinques.
Toulouse for the Pyrennees.
The French consensus on Paris is that it's pretty dire for climbing - there's Font but the next closest are probably the Ardennes. The upside is that there are reasonably priced overnight trains to Chamonix, the Isere valley and Briancon, so you can get out for a weekend's climbing or skiing if you're keen.
That should be the Vercors, not the Verdon! Shame...
In reply to Simon4:
Tell me about it!!! But that's not just Grenoble it's France in general.
Enty
>
>
> Not so keen on the rock-climbing personally. There is lots of it, but it is entirely bolt-clipping, though some of it in exciting situations like the sheer face of the Dent du Crolle. My friend who lives there still misses British sea-cliff climbing and mountain areas like the Lakes and Wales.
>
>
> Not so keen on the rock-climbing personally. There is lots of it, but it is entirely bolt-clipping, though some of it in exciting situations like the sheer face of the Dent du Crolle. My friend who lives there still misses British sea-cliff climbing and mountain areas like the Lakes and Wales.
>
Tell me about it!!! But that's not just Grenoble it's France in general.
Enty
In reply to andy healey: if i was going to france , grenoble is definately where i would go . It has a huge selection of ice climbing and skiing in winter , with white water kayaking , alpine climbing and rock in the summer and doent have the crowds of chamonix and has a stable weather system with 330 days of sunshine a year !. paradise really
good luck
good luck
In reply to andy healey: I've spent a lot of time there over the years due to work and it's a fantastic place, particularly if you can break into the local scene. I managed to get a partner through work who introduced me and it made a lot of difference. Wherever you end up working there will be someone who can help as many of the locals live there for the outdoor life. As for the climbing, it's great. Check out Presles or Ombelze and see what I mean.
Grenoble is trying to set itself up as a center of excellence for high tech industries so if you're into IT you might be lucky and find something. From my experience the French are very nationalistic and will employ locals first. Unemployment seems to be rising in the area, more particularly in the manufacturing sector, but everywhere seems to be tight from a recruitment point of view. I hope you find something, sorry not to be more positive.
David.
Grenoble is trying to set itself up as a center of excellence for high tech industries so if you're into IT you might be lucky and find something. From my experience the French are very nationalistic and will employ locals first. Unemployment seems to be rising in the area, more particularly in the manufacturing sector, but everywhere seems to be tight from a recruitment point of view. I hope you find something, sorry not to be more positive.
David.
In reply to Misha:
Thats what I wanted to hear - spent 6 months living in Squamish and am idealising about the euro equivalent.
Thanks all for the positive and useful replies.
> (In reply to ah)
> From talking quite a few French people who are into mountain sports, Grenoble sounds like a great place to live
> From talking quite a few French people who are into mountain sports, Grenoble sounds like a great place to live
Thats what I wanted to hear - spent 6 months living in Squamish and am idealising about the euro equivalent.
Thanks all for the positive and useful replies.
In reply to andy healey:
Good luck with the move and the job find - I'd be interested to hear how you get on as we just recently bought a place about an hour south of Grenoble with a view to moving out permanently in a couple of years (still slaving in London at the moment).
I'm in an IT field too (web apps) so would be interested to hear how you get on with employment there - I would second what has been said already - there are a lot of hi-tech firms but with French unemployment being so high I understand its not exactly a level playing field with non-French candidates.
YM
Good luck with the move and the job find - I'd be interested to hear how you get on as we just recently bought a place about an hour south of Grenoble with a view to moving out permanently in a couple of years (still slaving in London at the moment).
I'm in an IT field too (web apps) so would be interested to hear how you get on with employment there - I would second what has been said already - there are a lot of hi-tech firms but with French unemployment being so high I understand its not exactly a level playing field with non-French candidates.
YM
In reply to andy healey:
Sorry to come late to discussion, but don't discount Nice: great city, weather, watersports; tons of bolted rockclimbing,and not far to Verdon. Maritime Alps on doorstep - several ski resorts(albeit small) within 1.5. 2.0 hour drive - ski in the morning, swim in the afternoon! Finale not too far and Turin and Alps still an option for weekend.
Sorry to come late to discussion, but don't discount Nice: great city, weather, watersports; tons of bolted rockclimbing,and not far to Verdon. Maritime Alps on doorstep - several ski resorts(albeit small) within 1.5. 2.0 hour drive - ski in the morning, swim in the afternoon! Finale not too far and Turin and Alps still an option for weekend.
In reply to jtpj777:
Nowhere's discounted at this stage.
Whilst I'd love to live by the Med I wasn't sure how long it'd take to get out through city traffic to the climbing after work. Have been to the Calangues and Tete De Chien, but it'd be nice to have an after work bouldering option not too far away as well for when I first get there and have no friends.
Speaking to an agent next week who has contractors in Nice and Grenoble, so see what he has to say.
> (In reply to ah)
>
> Sorry to come late to discussion, but don't discount Nice: great
>
> Sorry to come late to discussion, but don't discount Nice: great
Nowhere's discounted at this stage.
Whilst I'd love to live by the Med I wasn't sure how long it'd take to get out through city traffic to the climbing after work. Have been to the Calangues and Tete De Chien, but it'd be nice to have an after work bouldering option not too far away as well for when I first get there and have no friends.
Speaking to an agent next week who has contractors in Nice and Grenoble, so see what he has to say.
In reply to andy healey:
Blimey! a few people near Grenoble then. We live near Cremieu, to the east of Lyon, about an hour north of Grenoble and am on the lookout for partners for mountain typ stuff. When I get the chance. Hoping to step things up this winter. Currently busy with biking (road and mtb) and our little boy.
Anyone?
Blimey! a few people near Grenoble then. We live near Cremieu, to the east of Lyon, about an hour north of Grenoble and am on the lookout for partners for mountain typ stuff. When I get the chance. Hoping to step things up this winter. Currently busy with biking (road and mtb) and our little boy.
Anyone?
In reply to andy healey:
Nice has climbing and bouldering within a short distance (some within the city boundary). You should have a look at the area guidebook to see what's on offer in the area - its a thick tome and it doesn't include Verdon or the climbing in the Esterel! I reckon within about a three hour drive you would have a huge selection of rockclimbing on offer; winter climbing being the only uncertainty; however, the alps proper are not that far away(check out a map).
There is an impressive climbing shop: Alticoop,in Nice so I'm sure that you would be able to meet folk through them.
Personally, I think that you can't really beat Nice as a centre; although it is hot in the summer!
Anyway, good luck with you decision - good dilemma to be in!
Nice has climbing and bouldering within a short distance (some within the city boundary). You should have a look at the area guidebook to see what's on offer in the area - its a thick tome and it doesn't include Verdon or the climbing in the Esterel! I reckon within about a three hour drive you would have a huge selection of rockclimbing on offer; winter climbing being the only uncertainty; however, the alps proper are not that far away(check out a map).
There is an impressive climbing shop: Alticoop,in Nice so I'm sure that you would be able to meet folk through them.
Personally, I think that you can't really beat Nice as a centre; although it is hot in the summer!
Anyway, good luck with you decision - good dilemma to be in!
In reply to andy healey:
Would be interested to hear your decision. My wife and I bought a small studio in Nice last year, so I'm still finding out about the area but excited by its potential. Hoping to retire there in a few years time but meantime down there around 10 or so weeks per year. If you do decide on Nice let me know - I can still manage to belay people!
Would be interested to hear your decision. My wife and I bought a small studio in Nice last year, so I'm still finding out about the area but excited by its potential. Hoping to retire there in a few years time but meantime down there around 10 or so weeks per year. If you do decide on Nice let me know - I can still manage to belay people!
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