UKC

Does anyone know where I can get the Tauteval, Vingrau and Opoul guidebook - preferably in the UK - before I'm out that way for a few days in May ?

On a related topic does anyone know the official access situation at the moment ? although access was supposed to be restricted last year in practice plenty of people were out climbing.

In reply to GrahamD:
I have a copy of the 2005 guide to Tautavel that you'd be welcome to borrow, so long as you promise to send it back of course.
Jason

In reply to GrahamD:

Don't know of a source in the UK but you can usually get the guidebooks in Decathlon at Perpignan, certainly the one a bit north of the city by the autoroute, near the big Carrefour.

Failing that the bar in Vingrau has them as does the tabac in Tautavel.

Failing that there is a tel/fax number on the back of my copy of the Vingrau guide: 04 68 29 19 31

Not sure about access, as far as I know it is still restricted and so for the last couple of years I have climbed in the Aude, great climbing at La Clape, Fontjoncouse, Termes and Caunes Minervois, some guides available online, serch for the crags on here for links.

When are you down in May and where are you staying, we are there last week of the month.

In reply to JCurrie:

Many thanks for the offer. I've actually got the old Tauteval guide

Its the previously undocumented Opoul section of the new guide I was particularly interested in as it looks to be a great venue to take my two brothers to (and its the closest to where we'll be staying)

In reply to Andrew Lodge:

I'm down in Fitou with my brothers mid May (lads weekend away really but hopefully grab a bit of climbing).

Last year the normal Tabacs and Bars round Tauteval and Vingrau didn't have the guide in unfortunately - the only reason we knew about was because we blagged a look at a copy from someone up at Opoul (looks like a nice guide).

In reply to GrahamD:

You could also try Les Albies, great crag with about 80 routes mainly up to 6c . Located between village of opoules and the opouls crag. Very close to the chateau above the village. Park on the little plateau before the steep hii up to the chateau and head over left.(100M) I got a topo online on local area site. sorry cant remember the link. (watch out for the bees if the wind drops !)

In reply to GrahamD:

Certainly the nearest place to you that will definitely not be affected is La Clape, only half an hour up the autoroute.

Guidebook available by post from here

http://andre.berche.sudsportsnature.pagesperso-orange.fr/accueil/sommaire.h...

In reply to GrahamD:

You shouldn't take the least stress for ignoring notices of interdiction posted on crag approaches. There was no-one there to police them when I was there last summer. Had the authorities mustered a disciplinary force it would have been more profitably deployed routing the hundreds of bathers on the plage at Gorge de Goulyrous - who have en masse ignored the notices of interdiction posted against entering the water.

In reply to LeeWood:

As I understand it from locals a)the notices are there to cover themselves b)for the same reason they have stripped the bolts. The whole thing is risk of liability

In reply to GrahamD:

My understanding was that a bolt or possibly two had failed and as a result everything was closed for testing, whether this testing was ever likely to take place is a moot point.

To the best of my knowledge all the bolts are still in place but maybe somebody will correct me. I must go and look next time I am there.

In reply to GrahamD:

For information the Opoul guide is available to download here

http://deversud.com/topos.des.falaises.du.66-35700-2-7.php

In reply to all:

Thanks everyone for the update. I'd heard the 'failed bolt' story a couple of years back - I thought it was a temporary thing whilst some re-bolting went on but it appears not. In any case Tauteval and Opoul seemed pretty busy last year and the 'ban' seems to be pretty widely ignored in true French fashion !

I'll check out some of the other links / options. Thanks

In reply to GrahamD:

Hi there; I am Alf and I live nearby in Aude. I would recommend caution about planning to climb on the Route de la Grimpe crags at the moment. The bolt failure caused total panic in the local council in Pyrenees Oriental and the case is going through the law courts which means years and years. As far as I am aware all climbs in the area are banned sine die and many bolts and chains have been stripped. I cant speak for Vingrau and Tautavel which are over an hour away but the crags near me at Maury are deserted and local climbers here seem to be taking the ban very seriously. Given the wealth of fine climbing around in this part of France I suggest you would be better to look for alternatives. As soon as you cross into Aude or Ariege there is no problem and crag access is completely normal. This means La Clape, Cardou, Pierre Lys, St Salvayre, Notre Dame, Termes and all the superb Ariege crags are fine,as is Sadernes over in Spain. It seems unwise to put up with the ban when good open crags are only an hour or so away. Bonne chance whatever you do: let us all know what Vingrau is like if you go there!

In reply to alfredito:

Thanks for the advice. I'm actually staying with my brothers in Fitou so the location is rather fixed I'm afraid.