UKC

Hi,

i am going to France at Easter with my two boys (aged 8 and 10) and hope to do a bit of sport climbing. Can anyone recommend an area ( and maybe a campsite?) that has easy access and an abundance of easy graded climbs?

many thanks

Nick

Parc national des Calanques near Marseille is an option. Lots of bolted climbs in relatively easy F4 - F6 grades.

Les Eaux Claires near Puymoyen has a grid bolted ecole d'escalade and stupid steep bouldering and routes nearby.  This is a bit south of Angouleme.

Castelnaud la Chappelle has a big crag (le Ceou) and smaller crags (Rocher du Corbeau/Falaise du Milhac) - the latter has grid bolted kids stuff too.  It also has a campsite, rivers and castles.  This is in the Dordogne

Ardeche, no shortage of all of that and a great river thrown in.

Orgon - campsite in the middle of the climbing area, lots of grades 3/4/5, and of course, stuff for parents as well. You dont even need a car, may visit Avignon based on public transport ...

In reply:

thanks for all your suggestion everyone, lots of places for me to look up!

great stuff.

Admittedly I may be a tad biased, but many of our guests and lots of other visitors to the Ariège have only good things to say about the wealth of well-bolted, easy granite climbs at Auzat, one of a great many quality areas covering 3 rock types within just 10 or 15 minutes drive. Plenty of campsites too, although I'm not best placed to give recommendations as (for obvious reasons) I've stayed at hardly any of them and those were some time ago.