UKC

Hello,

I am going on a rock climbing holiday to Burgundy next June. I like to plan, hence the ridiculously early email. Holiday details:

Destination: Burgundy (flying to Paris, renting a car and driving to Burgundy, where we have rented a house)
Group size: 8 (possibly 6)
Experience: indoor climbing up to 7a, lead 6b, outdoor- top rope E1, trad onsight lead S.

We have all been climbing continuously as a group for about 2 years. I am the least 'best' due to a debilitating fear of heights which the rest of the group are not afflicted with (I climb because I enjoy what I do, I don't NEED to get to the top).

We are used to setting up top ropes outside in the uk and have done some trad leading, which we are getting more experienced at. Now it is winter we will mainly be leading indoors. We have never climbed abroad nor sport climbed in the UK.

I want to know what we need to take and what we can expect (what, other than the weather, will be different from the uk)? Number of quickdraws etc would be useful as a guide. We will be getting the Jingo Wobbly guide for the area unless someone can recommend something better.

Thanks

In reply to jenniwat001: If you are sports climbing my advice is... have a 600mm sling lark footed on ti your belay loop with a crab on it to clip in ti the lower off ring at the top whilst you re thread.
Practise uniting and threading the loweroff indoors.

In reply to dan:

Thanks for this advice-it has highlighted that we as a group are lacking fairly large areas of knowledge and I am making a list of things we need to address before we head off. Thanks

In reply to jenniwat001:

Get a rope which is long enough, 60min or 70, got caught out in Spain as went out with a 50 a few years back!

In reply to jenniwat001:

Read the guide book.

See what gear you need, sport, trad or a mixture. Rope length is important.

If mutipitching, make sure you know how to get your self out of the mire if it all goes wrong, to err on the side of caution don't attempt anything you can't reverse somehow. Also a really good plan to carry a spare belay plate and tat/prussik/slings.

Be willing to leave gear behind if it all goes wrong.

Tie a knot in the end of your rope at all times.

You probably are aware of the skills you need - threading ropes through bolts, abseiling, setting up belays etc. Make sure you are good with them.

Other tips:
Insurance that covers climbing
Mobile phones that work abroad
Carry shoes and harness in hand luggage (incase main bag gets lost) - ropes and draws etc can be an issue in hand luggage for some border/luggage inspectors.
Clip sticks can be a god send for many reasons when sport climbing.
Even if it is a sport venue, some areas are made far more comfy with a small rack of wires.

Enjoy your time, relax and think about what you do and double check what you have done twice before commiting.

Oh, and don't assume in situ stuff is safe.

Have fun, be safe, Kev

In reply to jenniwat001:
I havent been to the areea in question. However, general kit and advice for sport climbing trips is:

- do some UK sport climbing first to get used to it
- routes are often longer than the UK, you should check out average route lengths where you are climbing. It isnt uncommon to need a 70m rope and 14-16 draws in some places, but it might be that your destination only needs a 50m or 60m rope and 10 draws.
- if youre planning on setting up top ropes and sport climbing, take lots of ropes - 1 each would be a good rule to be on a safe side.
- beware if youre hiring a gite then they will often add extra costs at the time eg for towels, linen etc and some demand a large cash deposit - check before you leave

In reply to Si dH:
and hopefully this is fairly obviosu but check that the crags you intend visiting have a good spread of routs at your grades. Many places wont be any good at 6b and below.

In reply to jenniwat001: We went there afew years ago and I can highly recommend the Jingo Wobbly guide to the area. The crag details are clear and there are numerous different crags ranging from short single pitch crags to serious multi-pitch venues. Be sensible with your choices and you will have a great trip. You can always go back for the more serious crags on a later trip. Enjoy.

Have a chat with the staff at your local wall, they may be able to help with demonstrating the lowering off procedure as that is something you really don't want to mess up. It's quite simple when you get the hang of it, but initially, it can be quite daunting, especially at height.

In reply to jenniwat001: Not my favourite area of France for sport climbing. Watch out for some very polished rock at some venues, and some shocking sandbag grading. One crag I went to this year which is very much to be recommended if you're looking for some easier grades on the sensible side of vertical is Remigny. But make sure you buy the local topo as it has a lot more routes than J-W.

In reply to jenniwat001:

Thank you very much for your response you have given us lots to think about, it is all very exciting!